91Pioneer Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Is my bumper OEM everywhere? There seems to be kind of plate steel in the center part, wasn't sure if that was the same as all Comanches or what. It looks 100% stock original from the rear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 The bumper looks original except for the plated areas welded at the very front lower of the bumper and the lower of the bumper brackets and the peices going at an angle towards the end of the bumper. Maybe for reinforcement of the bumper to tow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Could it be a towing package bumper from the factory? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strokermjcomanche Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Highly doubt it , never seen anything like it . If you wanted to tow more than what the bumper was capable of you would buy a hitch . Looks like a home brewed job . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted July 16, 2014 Author Share Posted July 16, 2014 Well they got the bend on the horizontal piece perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Could it be a towing package bumper from the factory? Nope. Bubba-made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incommando Posted July 16, 2014 Share Posted July 16, 2014 Yeah, the step bumpers were all the same. The towing package got you a receiver hitch not a braced-up bumper. It is a good home brew but considering how relatively cheap receiver hitches were... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 OK my 91 also has this bracing. Maybe it's a bumper for Canadian trucks for crash test ratings or something. It can't be coincidence that both MJ's I've owned have that same beefed-up backside LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepman Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Nope that has nothing to do with Canada, Never seen anything like that before and I have scrapped and parted out many an MJ... Very odd that you have had two with this same bumper brace, maybe the same guy who built this owned both your MJ's before you... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 My 88 was sold out of BC, my 91 out of SK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 My '91 was originally sold in Portage La Prairie, MB, and I'm reasonably confident it has the original bumper. It also has very similar bracing, although it was very obviously done by someone with no formal training and likely a dollar-store brand stick welder... it's not as bad as the welding on my Lada's exhaust that looked like someone tried to use a car battery, but it's still pretty bad even compared to my own inexperienced welding attempts. The gussets from the bumper brackets to the corners of the bumper aren't as tall as yours are, but they're there. Despite being flat stock, they aren't all that close to vertical, although it looks like that was the intent. There's nothing beyond the gussets, though, whereas yours has the bumper brackets reinforced with what looks like angle iron. The bumper and hitch area on mine was reinforced below with a piece of 1/8" thick 1" x 1" angle iron at the back edge. My guess is it was done for reinforcement after the factory bumper rusted through (and/or became misshapen in a minor collision) to permit limited use of the ball, but given it was scrap-onto-rust welding, the welds broke the first time I tried using the ball. I can't imagine it was ever used for much actual towing, as there's no evidence a trailer harness was ever wired in. The bumper I pulled off the '92 at Wesman Salvage did not have any kind of bracing, just the brackets. It's possible yours were both done to permit heavier towing due to difficulty in sourcing a oem-style hitch, although the fact that they were both done in a nearly identical fashion is surprising to say the least. Mine looks like a feeble attempt to replicate what yours is like, which almost surprises me more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 I'll have to take a closer look at my 91 bumper tomorrow, I thought I had a pic on my phone but I don't. It could be slightly different from the 88 bumper. The weird thing is how perfect that dip down is on the reinforcement part, it matches the bumper perfectly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 It doesn't look all that perfect to me. The angles on the bends are right, but the reinforcement is much sharper than the more gentle curves of the original bumper. Anyone with a decent brake could have made those bends. Or frankly even a torch and something to clamp it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpnjim Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 It's *possible* that there was a Technical Service Bulletin on this, and rust-belt dealers *could have* been supplied with reinforcing brackets to weld in place. I have never heard of this particular TSB, maybe one of the long term Jeep Techs here can answer that question, but a TSB would explain the randomness of it (could have happened late in the vehicle run), and would also explain how nice form fitting brackets got 'Bubba-welded' to more than just one or two MJ's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepman Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 It's *possible* that there was a Technical Service Bulletin on this, and rust-belt dealers *could have* been supplied with reinforcing brackets to weld in place. I have never heard of this particular TSB, maybe one of the long term Jeep Techs here can answer that question, but a TSB would explain the randomness of it (could have happened late in the vehicle run), and would also explain how nice form fitting brackets got 'Bubba-welded' to more than just one or two MJ's. That's Always possible or maybe an aftermarket re-enforcement kit for the DIYer... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
91Pioneer Posted December 16, 2014 Author Share Posted December 16, 2014 My bad, I was remembering my 91 rear bumper incorrectly. To be honest I've spent very little time under my '91. I was under there just long enough to remove the spare and fix the adjustable brake load valve. See, looks OEM to me but I haven't looked behind a whole lot of OEM bumpers LOL: p.s. I wish I was better with working with metal. I'd like to sandblast it & brackets, then fix all the dents and powdercoat it, make it look like new :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted December 16, 2014 Share Posted December 16, 2014 Yeah, that's what the bumper I pulled off the '92 looked like underneath, minus the bent brackets. The gussets on my '91's are welded between about the middle of the bracket and the corners of the bumper. I still haven't been able to mount the '92's bumper as I can't quite get in there with a hacksaw to cut the gussets off the brackets, and that was all I had at the time... haven't been home since early October. I don't want to unbolt the brackets from the frame as it took me a half hour to get everything lined back up properly the last time I did that. It's cool looking underneath a short bed. The long bed's spring shackles are mounted further forward, and so is the spare tire — no need for that accommodation in the rear valence. It also explains the odd bulge in the bumper brackets below the bolts that hold it to the frame, the LWB's brackets don't need to clear the shackle mount, but they use the same brackets. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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