JCR rear bumper hitch, BIG problem!! UPDATE WITH ANSWERS

[Eagle]

I always figured that was to mount a good recovery point and not for towing, but I never once thought it "shouldent" be used for towing a trailer... :dunno:

Why would you need to use it as a recovery point when there are mounts for heavy D-ring shackles on each side of it? That doesn't make any sense at all. In fact, if it isn't intended for towing it makes no sense to even have it on (in) the bumper.

[89eliminator]

I always figured that was to mount a good recovery point and not for towing, but I never once thought it "shouldent" be used for towing a trailer... :dunno:

Why would you need to use it as a recovery point when there are mounts for heavy D-ring shackles on each side of it? That doesn't make any sense at all. In fact, if it isn't intended for towing it makes no sense to even have it on (in) the bumper.

 

i agree 100%

[64 Cheyenne]

What about me? I got a brand new bumper leaning against the wall in the shed (never installed). Now I'm wondering whether I want to install a product that clearly won't work as I was led to believe. Myself I think the bumper is plenty strong, just can't believe the goofy "receiver-that's not a receiver thing". Do I want to put it on? Especially with the rock rails (JCR) arriving from them in the next few days. Lets see, to date I've spent nearly $700 dollars on their products, I hope they support their customers as well as they claim that their products are built.

[ratrapp]

i have both there front and rear bumpers on my mj.i really wish they wouldn't have made the rear with a reciever hole.i never plan on towing anything with it as honestly mj's aren't really made to tow what i pull as the brakes aren't really up to job unless you hook up trailer brakes.i also think it just looks stupid where the license plate sit's but i'm going to fix that with a flip down plate hanger to hide that stupid reciever hole.

[monkeyevil]

Answer:

Yes we are aware and we DO NOT intend these bumpers to be used as a reciever class 3 hitch.

 

You asked if they were rated class III. I stated they are not rated anything.

 

Why not, and why is there a hole in the bumper for a 2: reciever hitch?

 

Answer:

We would have to purchase the special reciever stock and our metal supplier doesn't have it, plus if you can believe it Reese has a patent on it. (Can you believe that!)

 

I've talked to 3 separate steel suppliers about getting the material. Everyone one has said they can't get it, two said Reese has a patent on it. I'm not a steel supplier, so I am going by what I am told.

 

Question:

I don't understand, :hmm: the local trailer place has square stock on their shelf in lengths of 12,18,24,36, and 48" that's 2-1/2" 1/4 wall tubing designed for class 3 hitch material.

 

Answer:

Well, we never intended it for a real trailer hitch, if you wanted to tow something you should buy a "REAL" class 3 trailer hitch mount under our bumper. We would have to pay thousands of dollars to have the bumper and hitch load tested and qualified for tow ratings.

 

The local trailer place has 2.5 x .25 wall powder coated material in 4 foot lengths. Great besides the fact we buy it 20 feet at a time, and would have to grind the powder coat off before we welded it.

 

Question:

Why don't you put a disclaimer on your website stating "NOT TO BE USED AS A CLASS 3 HITCH" because I feel mislead on buying a bumper with a class 3 2" reciever hole in the bumper that is useless!

 

Why do you keep assuming from the picture it's a "class III hitch"? We claim it's a receiver hitch, nothing more nothing less.

 

So if you intend to pull a substantial load don't use this bumper to tow it with.

 

There is NO safety issue with this receiver hitch. None. It can be annoying that is rattles more than a standard Class III hitch depending on trailer and tongue load, but if that is an issue there are plenty of ways to fix it.

 

It's 3/16 wall tubing surrounded by two welds spaced 2" apart, then surrounded by 3/16 box tube. What is going to happen?

[Hubbell]

I've been following this thread because I like JCR's products that being said. My daddy always said " a job worth doing is a job worth doing right".

 

My local steel supplier carries this material in 20' lengthes I know because I have purchased it for my own projects. The excuse of not being able to get it is weak in my opinion. So if you are going to sell a product that you obviously intend to be towed with in any fashion build it right the first time. Your reputation depends on it because word of mouth advertising is key and if you think I'm wrong just ask about Rusty's products and see what kind of response you get on Comanche club!!!

[knever3]

There is NO safety issue with this receiver hitch. None. It can be annoying that is rattles more than a standard Class III hitch depending on trailer and tongue load, but if that is an issue there are plenty of ways to fix it.

 

It's 3/16 wall tubing surrounded by two welds spaced 2" apart, then surrounded by 3/16 box tube. What is going to happen?

 

I disagree with the safety issue, when a 10" drop reciever is installed I will take another video with a trailer connected. I know that a good amount of people would lift their truck and my 3" isn't a large lift by any means. To be completely frank I LOVE the way the bumper looks painted to match my truck, the fit is excellent and the style is just what I was looking for. The ONLY gripe is using the wrong stock to create an awesome bumper. (There are plenty of ways to fix it) Well sure, but woudn't it be better if the right stock were used instead of patching a known problem? (At the customer's expense! :headpop: ) If I were to plan on hauling heavy loads I would have it cut out and the right stock welded in, but because it's already painted it isn't worth my time or money.

 

The bumper's build quality is second to none, I just wanted to see if I had a pre-production or one off piece so no one else needs to worry about towing. I understand about load testing the hitch from where I work red tape gets in the way of progress too.

 

My only reason for the call was to inform the company for future bumper builds that the stock is readily available so this doesn't become a concern about buying a quality product made in the USA.

[Cdn Glenwood]

Great! The bumper has been discontinued. When talk of the tail light boxes came up I delayed my order to save on shipping. So much for that. :wall:

[Hubbell]

Yes they did discontinue the Comanche rear bumper :dunce: Instead of taking the info from there customers they are going to throw a fit and say we'll show them and just stop making it.

 

SORRY JCR you just made rocky road status in my opinion!

[Dave Stark]

JCR,

 

A temporary halt in production of these bumpers may be a good idea until you find a more permanent solution, but that alone in NO WAY releases you from the liability of the product you produce. Your web site does not say that the bumper is untested & the use of which is at the discretion of the user & you accept no liability therein. This is a very scary situation for any company to be in & your best bet right now is to try to please your customers in a bad situation.

 

My suggestion:

 

A letter sent IMMEDIATELY to all of your customers who purchased one of these stating that the hitch feature in the bumper is not approved for street use & that JCR takes no liability for that installation.

 

Options to fix the problem, obviously you don't want to do the load testing, which is understandable, but something must be done to show that you at least made an attempt to fix the problem. Offer to allow the customers to send their units back at no charge for a full refund. Offer to send a fix (sleeve to weld in to fix the gap) with the caveat that the repair does not constitute serviceability of the unit for road use & JCR takes no liability.

 

There may be better options for this situation, but doing nothing is the worst thing you can do.

 

Keep in mind, many of the people on CC are members of other forums & have more than just MJ's, angering the few can turn into a MUCH bigger problem for your company.

 

All of that being said, i have no intention of returning mine because i like the look & the strength of it, but if nothing is done to fix this then i will not be buying anything for my other Jeeps, current or future.

[jpnjim]

Yeah, I was hoping calmer heads would prevail,

I guess they have not.

 

MJ's are a small niche, and need to keep the manufacturers that will cater to us......

 

but JCR isn't exactly Currie, or Rubicon Express either,

in the end we're just two little guys that hopefully can be in a situation to help each other.

 

 

 

I don't plan to buy a rear MJ bumper from someone, but I liked that one was being made.

 

I also liked the thought of them making tail light boxes (and planned to buy those).

 

But to be honest, it was questionable at best to make a loose fitting hitch like the OP's pics show.

Tho I kept my opinion to myself to see how JCR would deal with it.

 

 

I'm still hoping JCR will rethink their stance on this, and realize that to those not directly involved in this (like me, and I'm guessing others reading, but not posting in this thread),

this could've been handled better.

 

You guys seem to have a very good reputation on all the XJ boards I've seen,

so I'm not sure why you'd choose to 'take your ball and go home' now, instead of dealing with a valid customer complaint. :dunno:

[AmJay]

Is it possible to buy square tubing that fits the JCR receiver and just attach a ball? Too bad they decide to take the low road and discontinure the bumper.

 

Mac...

[89eliminator]

where does it say its discontinued?

[lostissues]

does this mean that the Cherokee rear bumpers have the same issue?

[Eagle]

Is it possible to buy square tubing that fits the JCR receiver and just attach a ball?

No. As I posted (with sizes), square structural tubing is sold by OUTSIDE dimension and then wall thickness. The outside dimensions are 2", 2-1/4", and 2-1/2". They used 2-1/2" nominal tubing with either a 3/16" or 1/8" wall, resulting in an inside dimension that won't provide a tight fit with either 2" or 2-1/4" tubing.

 

does this mean that the Cherokee rear bumpers have the same issue?

I wondered the same thing. There are a LOT more XJs out there than there are MJs, and I'd bet that a lot of XJ owners who buy custom bumpers would fully expect that a bumper with a receiver tube in it will be suitable for towing. JCR discontinued the MJ bumper but it appears they are still offering the XJ bumper. If they "can't" get the correct 1/4" wall tubing for MJ bumpers, there is no reason to think that could miraculously get it for XJ bumpers.

 

However, my guess would be that after this little dustup they may start investigating alternate sources. If their supplier convinced them that standard 2-1/2" x 1/4" structural tubing can't be bought because some company has a patent on it ... I have a bridge for sale that they might be interested in buying.

[HOrnbrod]

does this mean that the Cherokee rear bumpers have the same issue?

I wondered the same thing. There are a LOT more XJs out there than there are MJs, and I'd bet that a lot of XJ owners who buy custom bumpers would fully expect that a bumper with a receiver tube in it will be suitable for towing. JCR discontinued the MJ bumper but it appears they are still offering the XJ bumper. If they "can't" get the correct 1/4" wall tubing for MJ bumpers, there is no reason to think that could miraculously get it for XJ bumpers.

 

This is an obvious case of misrepresentation and withholding information from consumers. I do not think this hitch screwup was intentional by any means, but the lame excuses about the non-availability of the correct stock and the way they are non-handling the problem ranks JCR right down there with Crustys.

 

This "misinformation", lack of labeling on the product that it should NOT be used for towing, and no disclaimer on their website could have serious liability consequenses for JCR if a towing accident with one of these bumpers should occur. Any sharp lawyer would have little difficulty in a liability lawsuit. I have no idea how many of these bumpers have been sold to our XJ bretheren, but they also should be made aware of this problem. JCR's taking the MJ product off the website was a serious mistake. Ignoring their customers, burying their head in the sand, and not offering a viable solution was even more serious.

[jimoshel]

If your bridge is made out of 2 1/2 X 1/4 tubing maybe they should buy it.

:brows:

If I had one of these hitches, I think I would just weld a bead all the way around the piece, All four sides, front and back, building it up to fit. It would be a custom job, couldn't be used on anything else but at least you'd get the use of the hitch.

[cracker]

I think the JCR guys are a good bunch. I would suspect they are running to the drawing board and re-evaluating the bumper situation. I would bet they'll be back on board with the bumper concerns all worked out. I also suspect the price will go up a tad too.

[HOrnbrod]

I think the JCR guys are a good bunch. I would suspect they are running to the drawing board and re-evaluating the bumper situation. I would bet they'll be back on board with the bumper concerns all worked out. I also suspect the price will go up a tad too.

 

I think they are a good bunch too. Let's hope what you suspect happens. If they continue to ignore the problem, well, that would not be good. :roll:

[jeepcoma]

I think the JCR guys are a good bunch. I would suspect they are running to the drawing board and re-evaluating the bumper situation. I would bet they'll be back on board with the bumper concerns all worked out. I also suspect the price will go up a tad too.

 

I agree, and I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I've been super busy and have not reached out to them, after reading the past few comments I am wanting to keep waiting to see if they will reach out to me since they have obviously read this thread (and hopefully my comments). The thing that cheeses me is that the first line of my email to them as a prospective buy was I’m primarily going to be using this bumper for towing and I feel they did absolutely nothing to inform me of the downfalls and limitations of choosing their bumper for this application. Red tape and load ratings and liability, sure I understand the BS; if they made it clear they left the load rating up to the buyer and towing was unsupported, then fine I'd evaluate it the same way I would a home-built bumper (and their building skills are top notch) and get on with life. It's more the crummy approach to this whole situation I feel is unappealing. Everyone screws up at some point, it's a fact of life and it's OK. We'll get over it. The bigger question is, what is done to make it right after the fact is obvious.

[Hubbell]

I hope they do address this situation. Because I too like alot of their products and planned on buying some of them......but until they do something positive about this situation I will keep my benjamins in my pocket.

 

I also agree that people make mistakes but I hope JCR doesn't delay on the current one before permanent opinions are made.

[MrSimon]

This is all very interesting. I have a JCR bumper on the back of my MJ and was planning to buy a drop hitch and tow my small fishing boat with it this weekend. I'm now a bit concerned.

 

I like JCR a lot and have a bunch of their products .... but I must admit, I'll be a bit annoyed if I can't tow a small boat with the bumper.

 

People have been bugging JCR for years to build MJ parts. So they did. They spent a lot of time and money developing a very nice rear bumper, and some top notch MJ sliders for both long and short bed trucks.

 

After all that development I bet they sold ..... maybe a dozen rear bumpers? Frankly, I bet they are pretty frustrated right now. People beg and beg for products .... then when they make them, people aren't willing to pony up the cash to actually buy it.

 

Lets face it ... as a general rule, the MJ crowd are a bunch of tight wads. Most of our trucks cost about a thousand bucks. Buying a bumper for $300 isn't going to appeal to too many owners.

 

So, they found out that their fancy new MJ bumper has a design flaw. They know full well that even if they fix the design and produce more bumpers .... they ain't gonna sell. I'm not surprised one bit that they discontinued the bumper.

 

Personally, I wish the bumper was better designed to tow with, but I won't hold that against them. I'll just pay a local shop to fab something up that makes it work for what I want.

[DJM/78]

:agree:

[AmJay]

Is it possible to buy square tubing that fits the JCR receiver and just attach a ball?

No. As I posted (with sizes), square structural tubing is sold by OUTSIDE dimension and then wall thickness. The outside dimensions are 2", 2-1/4", and 2-1/2". They used 2-1/2" nominal tubing with either a 3/16" or 1/8" wall, resulting in an inside dimension that won't provide a tight fit with either 2" or 2-1/4" tubing.

 

 

 

However, my guess would be that after this little dustup they may start investigating alternate sources. If their supplier convinced them that standard 2-1/2" x 1/4" structural tubing can't be bought because some company has a patent on it ... I have a bridge for sale that they might be interested in buying.

 

 

I was thinking there may be metric square tubing that would be larger. Something like the 60x60x5.00 metric square tubing or 55x55x5.0. Not sure what the exact inside measurement of the receiver is?

[ratrapp]

i agree they probably didn't sell many rear bumpers.that makes me glad i got there front and rear bumper for my mj.i know the price of 2 bumpers is realisticly more than the value of my truck but i like them and i never intend to tow any trailer behind me.i wish they would never made the tow hitch in it anyway as i think it detracts from the looks of a nice bumper.for the people complaining about the reciever hole size,just fix it or remove your bumper.it's not going to fix itself and neither is jcr.