Front bumper options (with winch)

[ChadH]

Just looking for opinions and/or experience with front bumper options that allow for a winch mount. Primarily around the topic of weight.

The two options I am currently considering are sticking with a OEM bumper and keeping a old school look, or going with more front end protection since this is my daily and there are a lot of deer and elk here.

Option 1 is:
Added weight of 21 pounds for the mounting plate and about 60 pounds for the winch - both of which I already have. Pretty simple setup. And a set of these (https://www.quadratec.com/p/rough-country/d-ring-mount-kit-jeep-wrangler-yj-tj-1169) for recovery points instead of the OEM hooks. I do like the simple and basic (and cheap) look but that comes at a cost of the winch seeing the full force of salt spray. It also will require me to find someone to fabricate a bracket for 2 sets of off road lights - and finding fabricators here, plus a place to e-coat it, is near impossible.

Option 2 is:
Added weight of 60 pounds for the winch and apparently 119 pounds for the bumper - this example is $700. This bumper will require either modification to work with the existing Anti-Rock, or I will have to fork over another 200 bucks for a replacement OEM style sway bar. Main concern here is, is the 120 pounds of a bumper/winch worth the front end protection, and keeping the winch out of direct salt spray. I have not previously had that much extra weight on the front end of my TJ.

Keep in mind this is my daily driver / grocery getter. I do not off road on anything more than what a set of 31's on a 2" lift will do.

 

[Rubiconned]

Option 1. Save weight and money. As far as hooved animals just drive carefully.

 

[Woodrow]

Just looking for opinions and/or experience with front bumper options that allow for a winch mount. Primarily around the topic of weight.

The two options I am currently considering are sticking with a OEM bumper and keeping a old school look, or going with more front end protection since this is my daily and there are a lot of deer and elk here.

Option 1 is:
Added weight of 21 pounds for the mounting plate and about 60 pounds for the winch - both of which I already have. Pretty simple setup. And a set of these (https://www.quadratec.com/p/rough-country/d-ring-mount-kit-jeep-wrangler-yj-tj-1169) for recovery points instead of the OEM hooks. I do like the simple and basic (and cheap) look but that comes at a cost of the winch seeing the full force of salt spray. It also will require me to find someone to fabricate a bracket for 2 sets of off road lights - and finding fabricators here, plus a place to e-coat it, is near impossible.
View attachment 575284


Option 2 is:
Added weight of 60 pounds for the winch and apparently 119 pounds for the bumper - this example is $700. This bumper will require either modification to work with the existing Anti-Rock, or I will have to fork over another 200 bucks for a replacement OEM style sway bar. Main concern here is, is the 120 pounds of a bumper/winch worth the front end protection, and keeping the winch out of direct salt spray. I have not previously had that much extra weight on the front end of my TJ.
View attachment 575245



Keep in mind this is my daily driver / grocery getter. I do not off road on anything more than what a set of 31's on a 2" lift will do.

How about a winch plate on your stock bumper and a cover?

Post in thread 'Woodrow's 97 Green TJ Moderate Build'

Mar 17, 2023

Allright. Finished the winch. The alternator cable has been made to match the battery cables with the same 2 ga. welding cable with water proof shrink wrap at the lugs. An in-line 250amp fuse with fastronics block is on the back of the air box, just before the PDC, replacing the stock 10 ga. fuse-link. And the 2 ga. Warn positive and negative cables were shortened and routed to the battery.

The modified UCF YJ winch plate, modified stock stubby bumper and stock tow hooks all came back from powder coat (50:50 flat-gloss black for the bumper and winch plate and...

• Woodrow

• 

 

[DaveC]

If you're going to use those d rings instead of the factory recovery hooks, a winch guard could solve the issue of finding someone to fab light brackets.

 

[JMT]

Stock bumper, winch plate, and winch cover.

Cheap bumper to replace if you hit a deer, and you’d probably get some damage either way.

Another option is an aftermarket steel stubby bumper. Keeps weight down (~42lbs) and strong. Doesn’t protect fenders

 

[ChadH]

Option 1. Save weight and money. As far as hooved animals just drive carefully.

Agreed, although the only way I can counteract animals here is lights. Even at if I drove half the posted speed it still would be a bad day. But I think any amount of protection the heavier bumper would offer is negligible.

How about a winch plate on your stock bumper and a cover?

Post in thread 'Woodrow's 97 Green TJ Moderate Build'

Mar 17, 2023

Allright. Finished the winch. The alternator cable has been made to match the battery cables with the same 2 ga. welding cable with water proof shrink wrap at the lugs. An in-line 250amp fuse with fastronics block is on the back of the air box, just before the PDC, replacing the stock 10 ga. fuse-link. And the 2 ga. Warn positive and negative cables were shortened and routed to the battery.

The modified UCF YJ winch plate, modified stock stubby bumper and stock tow hooks all came back from powder coat (50:50 flat-gloss black for the bumper and winch plate and...

• Woodrow

• 

My current bumper is a Garvin Industries Wilderness series. The winch mount doesnt work with that bumper. So I have to go back to OEM, which is fine, or something that allows more light mounting options.

Stock bumper, winch plate, and winch cover.

Cheap bumper to replace if you hit a deer, and you’d probably get some damage either way.

Another option is an aftermarket steel stubby bumper. Keeps weight down (~42lbs) and strong. Doesn’t protect fenders

I am thinking that as well. Maybe just getting a light bar is the answer (https://www.quadratec.com/products/12110_5212_07.htm). Not sure what kind of whistling noise it would create though. Then OEM bumper would be super easy. I don't like the stubby bumpers. I could also just get a raised winch mount, which would then possibly work with my current Garvin bumper.

 

[ChadH]

If you're going to use those d rings instead of the factory recovery hooks, a winch guard could solve the issue of finding someone to fab light brackets.
View attachment 575326

Were you thinking of something like this??

https://www.kchilites.com/tj-light-bar-97-06-jeep-wrangler-2-tab-kc-7400.html

 

[DaveC]

Were you thinking of something like this??

https://www.kchilites.com/tj-light-bar-97-06-jeep-wrangler-2-tab-kc-7400.html

Yep. That's the one on my TJ in the pic.

 

[voodooridr]

I have an OEM front bumper and an EAG winch plate if you want them
Even have the milk jugs if you're so Inclined

 

[JMT]

Were you thinking of something like this??

https://www.kchilites.com/tj-light-bar-97-06-jeep-wrangler-2-tab-kc-7400.html

That would be great and minimalistic

 

[JMT]

I also think go with the stock hooks. I’ve got d rings in storage now

 

[ChadH]

I also think go with the stock hooks. I’ve got d rings in storage now

why stock hooks over D-ring mounts?

 

[ChadH]

That would be great and minimalistic

I like this as well but I'm curious how far forward it angles and if it would clear the winch or not.

 

[JMT]

why stock hooks over D-ring mounts?

They work, there are less connection points, they are there when needed all the time.

 

[JustDandee]

ARB- it’ was about 68 lbs on my bathroom scale- there are two styles from ARB this is the smaller of the two- the larger has the turn signals built in. Good for hitting Roos I am told.

 

[JMT]

I like this as well but I'm curious how far forward it angles and if it would clear the winch or not.

That is a good question.

Another option is small 3” fog lights mounted on a bracket under the stock recovery hooks. Minimalistic, efficient, effective.

 

[ChadH]

That is a good question.

Another option is small 3” fog lights mounted on a bracket under the stock recovery hooks. Minimalistic, efficient, effective.

Not enough light. I'm running 4 BD XL80's. I want to see a mile ahead in front and to the sides until the trees. There are SO many deer here, and no streetlights on the highway for 50 miles. I usually see 5 or 10 hits a week.

 

[DuckNut]

I know it may not rank high on the favorability scale, but rough country has one like your option 2 and has integrated light bar.

 

[ChadH]

Yeah I did see that one, I also looked at the rugged ridge modular option. Neither of them have pre-drilled holes for OEM fog lights though. I can drill a hole, but the last time I did that on a Warn bumper, it started rusting pretty fast even with painting it. I'm leaning toward picking up a OEM bumper to replace the Garvin Industries that is currently on there. The one thing I dont really like about the OEM bumper is the huge gap between bumper and fender. The Q-Tech and a few others fill that gap but at the cost of weight. And it means a over the windshield mount for lights.

 

[JMT]

Yeah I did see that one, I also looked at the rugged ridge modular option. Neither of them have pre-drilled holes for OEM fog lights though. I can drill a hole, but the last time I did that on a Warn bumper, it started rusting pretty fast even with painting it. I'm leaning toward picking up a OEM bumper to replace the Garvin Industries that is currently on there. The one thing I dont really like about the OEM bumper is the huge gap between bumper and fender. The Q-Tech and a few others fill that gap but at the cost of weight. And it means a over the windshield mount for lights.

I just really don’t like windshield mounted light bars. They can whistle. They require an A-Pillar mount and most people do a shoddy job and it rusts. Then there’s the wiring which also is usually shoddy.

You could add a hoop to the OEM Bumper and a light bar there. I think it would clear the winch. Do something like @tworley. Then a bracket with some KC Hilite Fogs behind the OEM recovery hooks.