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I am just about to take my front bumper off and install one I am building. What I want to know is if the front bumper brackets are strong enough to tow off of or if I should make new brackets or weld the bumper into the frame.
Making new brackets that also reinforce the "frame" around the steering box and extend back to the large hole for the tow hook bracket is always a good idea. There was a thread recently covering the frame reinforcements thoroughly.
The stock front bumper brackets attach to two "foldover" clips on very ends the sheet metal frame "ears" on each side of the vehicle, and one bolt into a weldnut on each side. I have seen vehicles towed using these mounts, but I would certainly not build a custom tow bumper based just on those attachment points. Make longer mounts that extend farter back and tie into the mounting locations for the tow hook brackets, as Lawn 'Cher suggested.
I'm using just the 2 front bolts on each side to hold my bumper on, and it's a winch bumper. The trick is to make outer plates that bolt to the 3 stock holes as well as the sway bar holes, and extend back to the rear 'empty' hole in the inner fenderwell. I use 9/16" Grade 8 hardware with a 3/16" inner bumper mount and 3/16" outer plate tying it all together, that's 3/8" of steel plus the thin factory bumper tabs. My first bumper actually used just the 6 stock bolt holes and held up fine to winching (even winched a heavy Scout up a 30 deg incline) but I wouldn't do that again.
Stock tow hook/bumper brackets (the tow hook brackets replace those dinky bumper brackets with these)
And this is that rear most hole they were talking about (just so you know, the stock brackets have two sets of holes for two different applications, so the hole that there's no bolt in is normal.) The hole this shiny grade 8 bolt goes though was pre-drilled at the factory.
Stock tow hook/bumper brackets (the tow hook brackets replace those dinky bumper brackets with these)
And this is that rear most hole they were talking about (just so you know, the stock brackets have two sets of holes for two different applications, so the hole that there's no bolt in is normal.) The hole this shiny grade 8 bolt goes though was pre-drilled at the factory.
To add to that, the last hole on the factory tow hook bracket was intended for the factory winch option available on the earlier XJs. The winch was hidden behind the bumper so the bumper was slightly moved forward.
