Other then fancy design, is there a big difference? Looks and quality matter. I understand light mounts and color/texture, tow hooks and light mounts.....but what is a good quality bumper? Favorite company and quality mount?

 

The bull bars are a couple bolts and don't seem sturdy enough

 

There is a big difference in quality. That being said there are some less expensive options that are really good. And there are some really expensive options I would not put on a power wheels. It all depends on the company.

My favorites are ARB, AEV and WARN. Because they make lighter weight full width bumpers that I like the style of.

Most people on here do the stubby with huge friggin stinger....IMO that's the equivalent of putting a shopping cart spoiler on the rear of a car.

 

You sure about that? Don't try this with a cheap, Chinese-made bumper.



In fact, don't try it with a great many American-made bumpers. There are subtle design and build advantages to more expensive products. This is Shrockworks. Holes are cut in the bumper and machined billet blocks are inserted from behind and then welded into place, front and back. To have those tow hooks fail, you'd have to pull the billet block through a 3/16" steel plate, deforming the billet flange and/or the hole in the steel plate. Not cheap, but to the best of my knowledge, no one else builds tow hooks like this.

And, after seven years of ownership of Shrockworks front and rear bumpers and rock rails, not a speck of rust except where the powdercoat was scratched on the rocks. I wish I could say that for some of my other US/Canadian-made products (and don't even ask about that Chinese junk).

 

When I looked around, I looked at the material. Most all plate bumpers use 3/16" plate steel. Also if you play on rocks, the bumper finish doen't mean much because you'll be doing rattle-can touch ups after wheeling no matter what. So I went with Smittybilt, it was available in 3/16" steel plate like most of the rest, was black textured, and available to me cheaper than about any bumper I could find from the local 4WD store as a scratch and dent for half off. I've tested it many times on rocks at Rausch Creek and it holds up great. I can't see spending close to a grand for the same material type from another name. 3/16" construction grade steel is standardized pretty well. It's all the same.

 

For rear bumper if you tow, it's hard to beat the smittybilt XRC. I love it. Really improves a heavy tow with weight dist hitch. Rated for 5000 pounds.

 

I would do that with my Smittybilt SRC and not think twice about it. Look at the amount of fillet weld on the shackle mounts, even if it is standard E70 mig wire, there is many times more weld area than would be required to lift that little bit of weight. I tried to google for any posts talking about tore/ripped shackle mounts from bumpers but I failed to find one. I do believe that you have a great bumper and that you love it long time, but I hardly see lifting a couple thousand pounds as a challenge for anything but maybe the factory Tupperware bumper.

 

I just bought an ARB deluxe bull bar in the tune of $1,000. I have built my own, bought a small American company one, and must say I am pretty pleased with the ARB.
Yes it is heavy, has quality welds, includes everything to mount winch, lights, factory fog lights, side markers and even a license plate cover over the roller fairlead.
Also, it has the provisions to install the factory crush cans. I am not sure about insurance claims, but I felt better with them on there, so I took the extra 5 minutes to install them.

The EBay bumpers may or may not have strong welds, but certainly will not stand behind their product like a reputable company, which cares for their name.

I would have bought a vanguard bumper made in the north east, but already had a similar design on my last JKU, so I went with the similarly priced ARB. Looks awesome!!

 

Here is what the XRC looks like.

 

I have no problem with cheap bumpers. Both the bumpers on my JKU cost under $500. I would never put a Chinese made bumper on my rig though! You can get a nice American made bumper using American made steel for less than $500...

VKS stubby front under $500 delivered...



PS BFH rear was about $400...