• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Winch Bumper and Collisions

Bleckers3

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Waretown, NJ
While taking a vacation from driving (thanks NJ DMV) I am working on my 1998 XJ. (auto 4.0l 231) The RE 3.5 superflex is going on in a week or 2 as soon as the boat is out of the water (need to be able to swap spots in the diveway) Which leads me to bumpers.

I really like the Detours Backbone. It seems like a great way to save weight and gain both a winch platform and recovery points that work. However, has anyone ever seen how mangled things are if you hit someone head on? I mean, I know if your going fast enough....boom but a moderate smack, that normaly would barely phase the jeep bumper.

In comparison..

How would a bumper like the RIDIDCO front winch bumper compare?

Not to say they all couldn't be insured, and not to say I intend on hitting anyone...but has anyone seen these post accident?
 
while the backbone serves it's purpose well a full bumper will give you more protection and better looks than the mangled up stock bumper you'll have to cover the backbone, Have you ever looked into a reciever mount in the front bumper so the winch is able to be removed instead of sitting in harsh weather or subject to being stolen?
 
Rigid has a nice plain bumper with a hitch. I did think about that. Since I'm leaning towards expedition style, I was thinking a milemarker hydo. An hitch mount would require an electric winch and some heavy duty connectors like they use on forklifts. The winter would beat the hell out of any winch though in NE - damn salt.
 
Rigid has a nice plain bumper with a hitch. I did think about that. Since I'm leaning towards expedition style, I was thinking a milemarker hydo. An hitch mount would require an electric winch and some heavy duty connectors like they use on forklifts. The winter would beat the hell out of any winch though in NE - damn salt.

Especially if you are leaning more towards expedition style, I would recommend you go with an electric winch over a hydro. Hydro are better if you are constantly using them (like tow trucks). One thing with hydro is if your engine isn't running, you don't have any winch. Say you are crossing a stream and it gets too deep and you quickly shut off the engine before you suck in water, you are SOL. Electric you can still use to pull yourself out of a predicament, whether or not the vehicle is running.

The heavy duty connectors aren't bad, lots of people run them. Yes the winters can be ruff on winches, but if you take care of them and don't let them bath in salt, they should be all right. If you do have a receiver winch mount, you don't have to let it sit outside in the winter.



In terms of heavy duty bumpers vs impacts. Just be careful how heavy duty you make your bumper. Last year I was snow wheeling and drove into a tree. It barely dented the bumper, but my unibody accordioned some, slightly tweaking in multiple places down the length of the vehicle. Enough that my fan started hitting the shroud, and I couldn't shift into 4lo anymore (241 with straight heim linkage).
 
Speaking of creek crossing.

I was upgrading my wires on sunday and couldn't figure out why jeep hung their alternator off the bottom of the engine. I have seen some relocation threads, but they nix the AC. Why have a snorkel and try to cross water without moving the juice?

Saddly NJ and the barrons have a lot of mud/water. And I just re built the Heater Core and AC condenser....ARRRGH.

Now I'll look into the winches. I still like the idea of 100% duty cycle and no battery drain....

My favorite comment about creek crossing went somethign like this..."how can I seal the interior of my xj....response...if your crossing water that deep regularly, your jeep will end up looking like a katrina flood victim and stink like shit"
 
while a full on plate bumper is going to add "protection" over the factory style, the "tougher" the bumper.. the more you move any Impact into the super thin frame rails..

That's why i am Completely fine with my 40lb Tube bumper, instead of a 200lb super heavy duty Trail-ready bumper..
 
I think I may end up with a backbone. With a cover and some TLC I think it will survivie fine. It's also cleap enough that if I want to go bumper in the future I can. I like the idea of mininal weight up front. I figure the unibody hates being hit anyhow...
 
I have a rigidco front winch bumper. ABout a year after it went on, I went up to the ski slopes in WNC with some buddies. Pulling into the parking lot, I broke loose on the icy glaze. I was trying to brake, and shift to reverse to back in, and when I hit the brakes, it broke. I slid a bit (parking lot was level), and hit a car that then slid into another car at about 5mph. Low speed collision. I hit the first care (honda pilot i think) in the driver front fender, and it hit a jeep grand cheroke just behind the front bumper on the driver side.

Caused >$3000 damage to those two cars, and none to mine. The front passenger corner of my rigid made contact.

I know it probably isnt a fair comparison to what you are asking, because it was bumper vs fender sheet metal, but I did push one care into another (implies some force there), and all i needed was a touch of spray paint for my bumper (which I had in the car and touched up before the cops arrived!)

About 3 months before i lifted and armored my jeep, I totaled it in a rear-end collision (my fault). Smashed up the stock front bumper at 40mph on wet roads. I feel a lot better with that solid winch bumper up there now.

And to negate the thread, I dont think they are currently selling the backbone system at this time.
 
i don't have any experience with xj heavy duty front bumpers and impacts, but i do have some with tj's. i had a bulletproof mfg. bumper. basically a piece of 2x4x3/16 rect. tubing.

being young and dumb i was driving too fast and ended up smashing a minivan across the driver front. i was doing about 60mph. blew up the trans and aluminum block. i could see pistons when i looked at the damage. everyone walked away fortunately. except the van. my bumper had a slight dent in it and i bent a tie rod. that was all.
 
yup i was doing 60mph. i was almost to the rev limiter in 4th gear. the minivan got pretty mess up. one of my lca mounts on my full traction kit was tweaked a bit. but i didn't notice that till later and it could've been from wheeling. sorry no pics of that accident.
 
yup i was doing 60mph. i was almost to the rev limiter in 4th gear. the minivan got pretty mess up. one of my lca mounts on my full traction kit was tweaked a bit. but i didn't notice that till later and it could've been from wheeling. sorry no pics of that accident.
Holy moly. See, this is why i'm SO happy i bought a jeep.. They can blast threw ANYTHING (even.. physics) and survive!
 
Back
Top