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What bumper and tires should I get?

@dam

NAXJA Forum User
Hi guys. I have a stock 95 Cherokee that pretty much only gets driven on the weekends now, and it needs a new bumper (my wife did a little...eh...body work) and new tires. I figured it would be a decent time to make this truck somewhat more offroadable.

I'd like a bumper that won't bend in a 3 mph impact when hit on the outside edge like the stock one did. (this impact also damaged the fender, so I need to replace it too before new slightly larger tires will fit- clearance now is paper thin when the wheels are turned, and my tires are bald). I'd also like tow points. Do you recommend hooks, or tow point integrated into the bumper? I don't want to spend a ton of money either. I really like the BPI bumper with tow points, but I don't think it looks worth almost $400.

So...any suggestions?

I also need tire suggestions. I live near Santa Barbara, California. This Jeep will take me on rough, loose, unimproved rocky roads, maybe up to Mammoth for skiing in the winter, and I may also encounter some sandy terrain. Mud is unlikely here. I also will probably be takin this car on a multi-thousand mile trip all the way to Canada and back next summer, so on-road performance is important too. Currently I'm thinking of getting the Goodyear Wrangler AT-S, or something comprable. Any recomendations? What is the bigest size i can mount without ANY rubbing, on a stock-height vehicle?

I was also considering getting an externally mounted full-size spare. I don't want to mount the tire to the roof because...
1) It hurts gas mileage
2) I plan on getting a large yakima Platinum Pro 16S roof box, so there won't be any room up there
So can anybody recomend an affordably priced, reliable rear mount swing-away tire carrier?

Oh yeah...has anybody ever painted a fender? Has anybody ever used aftermarket fenders? How'd it turn out? I have 145,000 miles, but it has lived most of its life in a garage and under a coat of wax, so it still looks pretty good for its age, other than the bumper and fender of course.

Thanks in advance for all your advice!
-Adam
 
Are you talking front or rear bumper? I thought front, until you got to the part about the tire carrier.

I like the BPI bumper ... except that when I looked at one up close and personal I was astonished to see that it only mounts using the three original bumper mount bolts on each side -- and I know that one of those isn't even a weld nut, it's nothing but a fold-over on sheet metal. Since it incorporates both tow points and winch provisions, at a minimum it should have the extended arms and extra bolt locations that the factory tow hook brackets have.

I have used aftermarket fenders. My brother got them through Erik Veng. They are (of course) Chinese. I would rate the fit as maybe 90% to 95%. You can't tell from photos that there's any problem, and most people don't see anything in person, but I know they didn't mate up as tight as OEM at the base of the 'A' pillar.

I had a local auto paint store custom mix paint and put it in spray cans for me. I used off-the-shelf rattle can primer and then sprayed the fenders with the custom rattle can stuff. Came out good but not great. There's a hint of orange peel, so the fenders will never clean up to a really glossy shine -- but the rest of the truck won't, either, so who cares?
 
I NEED a new front bumper. Stock one is bent up. A rear tire carrier is a nice to have, if it is cheap enough. Otherwise I'll just keep my doughnut spare for now, although that makes me feel a little uncomfortable off the beaten path.

So I take it you are suggesting I get the regular tow hooks then. Where can I get them. Also can you please point me to the reinforcement kit I need to keep them, and the bumper, more solidly attached?
 
I´ve got a tendancy not to hang aftermarket stuff on the outside of my Jeeps. Stick most of my money, were it doesn´t show much.
Wife religiously ran Wrangler AT´s for most of fifteen years, good all around tire, seemed to last forever, with an occasional rotation. 235X75 R 15 on stock rims, they would just touch the control arms on occasion. I eventually put a washer behind the turn stops, cured that.
I´d find a stock 87 or 88 front bumper. The bumper with the rubber push bars, seems to have a little extra bracing. The stock hooks work well, with the stock mounting. But the strap does fall off on occasion, loops would probably be more pratical.
The wife has sent three foriegn compact cars to the junk yard, cost two fenders, a headlight bezel and some end caps. Still has the original bumper. In fact she recently rolled it, I took the bumper off (still good) and saved it for my XJ, just in case. My Daughter just did $4700 dollars damage to a Mercedes, head on, low speed. Bent my licsence plate and scratched the paint on my bumper. Jeep used to build pretty good front bumpers.
Don´t know what your gonna do about the air bag sensors. I´ve never had to deal with them.
Color is really hard to match, for anything but black and white. They usually have to adjust the mix a little, to account for the fade or darkening of the rest of the paint job. I´d have it done.
The 235 spare, will fit in the stock location, but the mounting bolt has to be bent a touch, too get everything to center correctly.
There is some extra bracing built into XJ´s, with the external tire mount. You have to deal with when installing one. They´ve been known to fall off, without the strengthening.
 
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