Well since my last offroad trip resulted in this...


I decided to see what I could do with the stock bumper. I am not about to pay what these guys want for new bumpers when I can buy a welder and some steel make my own and still have money in my pocket. So as soon as the weather breaks I will be fabbing some bumpers but until then I needed to get that nasty plastic off the front off the Jeep. So far I have this and will be filling the holes this weekend so it will look better. And dont mind the lower tow hooks they were used with the factory bumper and only still on because I didnt have my shackles on until tonight. The whole bumper will be painted like the middle piece I added.




Will take some better pics after I fill the holes and wash the Jeep but right now theres snow on the ground and single digit temps so your gonn have to wait for the weekend.

 

i did the same to mine, but no winch yet -- i cut each end at a 45 and it looks pretty cool, leaving the holes, theres something i can do with them i just know it --- i also ripped the back bumper off and just cut a flat piece of plate and welded it right to the frame then cut the very corners off at 45s, wife liked it and she knows i'm crazy, she told me she thought it would look bad but when i was through she liked it --- i know i know, haven't figured out the pic thing yet

 

Dude I like the looks of that bumper.... I agree the after market bumpers are pricy and if I had the skills I might have tried to make one myself... So is that what was under the plastic -the D-rings?

Hell, just throw in a couple of bolts in those holes and make it look all that much more industrious looking.

Happy trails

 

the pieces that you have on the ends.... is that what is under the factory plastic? or did you make those? i really like it. i am trying to figure something out. i don t like the plastic cover cut and welded back on i think it looks bad. i like the tj option the is in the other threads.

 

Bolt some angle iron into those bolt holes and they are a good place to hang a flag for off-road parks.

I just put my plastic bumper back on - but really liked the look like yours before I added the plastic. I had considered cutting off the crush cans and welding on flat stock but a DC mechanic from the proving grounds told me that the airbags might deploy prematurely (5mph impact) without the crush cans. Most aftermarket bumpers don't have the crush cans though so I don't see how that would be any different. Maybe we can just turn off the air bags????

 

Here's what the factory steel bumper looks like (under the plastic) from when I was installing my tow hooks this week. Not bad if we can just get rid of the crush cans.

 

[QUOTE= I had considered cutting off the crush cans and welding on flat stock but a DC mechanic from the proving grounds told me that the airbags might deploy prematurely (5mph impact) without the crush cans. Most aftermarket bumpers don't have the crush cans though so I don't see how that would be any different. Maybe we can just turn off the air bags????[/QUOTE]


yeah what are the guys doing with the tank bumpers on? i have hit a few things (not in a jeep) going about 20 mph and never set the bags off. as a matter of fact.... about a year ago a guy pulled out in front of me and i was doing 50 mph in my escort, now i slammed on the brakes and did slow down, but it was still enough to make him do a 180 and rip his rear bumper off (saab). my bags never went off.

that looks freakin awesome though. has that military look to it. what does the rear look like?

 

Yeah what amc78cj7 posted is exactlly what the bumper looks like under the plastic. I added the PureJeep d- ring tabs which are bolt on but was pissed that for 90 bucks you dont get the shackles also. So I went to summit racing for those(love being 1/2 hour from that store). Then cut a piece for the center to cover the holes and painted it and that is what I have so far. There are no holes under the crush cans. There are just 3 welds onto flat stock for the bumper.

 

was it hard to take the plastic off the bumper or is it just some bolts?

 

If you don't have tow hooks all you have to do is unbolt the 2 holes per side you see on the outter most part of the steel bumper. If you have tow hooks you have to remove the entire assembly from the Jeep before undoing those 2 bolts per side otherwise you can't get the plastic off the tow hooks and crush cans.