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rear bumper install


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It only took me 3 months, but I finally set aside a weekend and got Pat’s old rear bumper mounted on the MJ. It took a sawzall, angle grinder, and about a case of beer :evil: but I’m very happy with how it turned out. The only things left I have to do are tack weld the brackets to the framerail, add a drip/spash panel under the tailgate, and figure out a less-ghetto way to hang the license plate light. I’m thinking about making a receiver mounted plate holder so I can pull the plate/light off when wheeling so I don’t smash it all to #%@*$.

 

(Sorry Pat…..I had to trim it a bit to get it to sit how I wanted it :teehee: )

 

Herewith, on with the pics…..

 

The stock POS bumper

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The replacement

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Need to trim some stuff

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Test fit…..it didn’t

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Notching the framerail

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and the bumper brackets also

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got some spare parts left over (anyone need any of this crap?)

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had to shorten the bumper ends a bit

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flap disc-ed and ready for paint

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it fits now!

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sits nice and flush

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shot from under (I cleaned it all up and undercoated some)

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all done

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Not yet....but I will eventually.

 

Gotta keep it semi-presentable at the moment to keep the wife happy :nuts: you know.

 

Once those quarters get smashed up enough, she'll say it looks ghetto and I'll say "I'll just cut 'em off, then"

 

That's my plan......

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I'm guessing the frame-ends are shorter on a LB than a SB (?) Bottom line is it wouldn't fit....couldn't get the bumper back far enough to line the brackets up.

 

Even if I would have outboarded it, the brackets didn't line up, they were about 2" short of the mounting holes. That's why I went inside the rollpan area.

 

'Sall good, though. :cheers:

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i like the bumper design and it seems to fit well, but I'm not sure that reciever should be trusted to tow much

 

it would be much more sturdy if it went through the bumper so it could be welded on all 4 sides and front and back

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The reciever wasn't meant to tow... It has been used as a recovery point though :brows: I never towed with Pong... so the towing part was a non-issue... and when I built the bumper... I didnt have the D-rings, and needed a recovery point.

 

 

Yes I built that bumper, and at one time it had some corner rocker bars on it :hmm: I wonder what happened to them ;) If I still had a MJ with a bed, and frame I could make them... Problem is shipping is a B1tch, as I build my junk out of 3/16 and 1/4 inch, and weight goes up real quick

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The reciever wasn't meant to tow... It has been used as a recovery point though :brows: I never towed with Pong... so the towing part was a non-issue... and when I built the bumper... I didnt have the D-rings, and needed a recovery point.

 

that is even more scary to me then, as the loads you will likely see when straping from it will be bigger then those while towing something that an MJ is capaible of

 

I'm not trying to bash your skills, just trying to give you constructive critism for next time :cheers:

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It might have been scarey. it worked though :nuts: Theres just as much weld holding the bumper brackets to the frame as ther is holding that reciever hitch on...1/4" plate versus 1/4 inch c-channel... which is stronger :dunno: I do know that that thing was bashed pretty hard at Paragon, and Crozet.. and no issues. Remember your welds are only as strong as the host material. Incedentally all welds were made using 7018 rods :D

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I won't be towing with it.....the mighty 2.5 can't get out of it's own way :D

(well, maybe a small utility trailer to haul brush and stuff, but that's it)

I'm planning to brew up various receiver-mounted things, such as a removable license plate holder (and get the bootyfab setup I have now gone), a vise holder, and a couple other creations.

 

Jeff

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the bumper i built for my mj (ill have to see if i can dig up some pics) used 1/4 to the frame also but it also had a 1/4 gusset that ran 6" or so down the bumper and 4" down the bracket

 

the 2" reciever was set right through the 2x4 box tube i used and then had 1/4 plate that made a big A under the hitch and back to the 2x4

 

imo the bolts holding the bumper on were going the break before the hitch even moved

 

i just feel it will be more benificial to make some gussets for the hitch so it is braced more as side loads is what i would be most concered about with that hitch

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I build my junk out of 3/16 and 1/4 inch, and weight goes up real quick

 

 

 

I expected better of you! Where's the .500 wall HSS for bumpers? You know it's tempting...

 

 

(Although, basically to hit something hard enough to bend .250 wall, you've probably already screwed up so bad it doesn't matter!)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Jerry hooked me up with a spare receiver plate holder he had, so it's a little less bootyfab now :D I just have to unsplice the light wires and add a connector. Then it'll be a quick disco rear plate.....

Jeff

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