Homebrew Front Bumper Mounting

Was digging through the Aussie guys thread and a couple ideas are kicking around in my head.

Most important issue is the mounts obviously

I am thinking the stock 3 mounts on each side and sleeving the rail past the steering box for a brace (3 bolts passenger, 6 bolts driver) , then there is nothing left on the passenger side to brace...so what I was thinking was, incorporate the bumper into where a front hitch normally bolts onto so that would be 3 more tie ins on each side (9 driver 6 passenger = 15bolts holding the bloody thing on). So use the existing nut strips up front and then I can still reuse my skid plate as well. Does this sound like a bad idea? I think it could be achieved with angle iron 1/4" but I would have to get under and look. Has anyone does this before?

In the aussie guys build I don't understand where he is mounting his 15 bolts?

Here is a link for a HD bumper bracket. - http://www.twisted-halo.com/digicam/xj/Bumper%20mount.pdf

You can add some 90* angle to use the swaybar bolts also. I belive that the steering box bolt holes are sleeved on both pass and drivers side.

Those front 3 bolts that a stock bumper bolts to will all tear right out if they're not backed up by more bolts on both sides. I know this from it happening to my own XJ while wheeling. (It did last over a year before that though, lol)

Tim_MN said:

Here is a link for a HD bumper bracket. - http://www.twisted-halo.com/digicam/xj/Bumper%20mount.pdf

You can add some 90* angle to use the swaybar bolts also. I belive that the steering box bolt holes are sleeved on both pass and drivers side.

Click to expand...

They are identical on both sides I take it?

Jeep914x4 said:

They are identical on both sides I take it?

Click to expand...

Yes.

Haleyes said:

Yes.

Click to expand...

I will have a welder by summer so I'm planning ahead. Thanks :thumbup: