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Front Bumper idea. Need opinions.

DrMoab

DrMoab

NAXJA Forum User
Location
The Utah Backwater
For awhile I have been going back and forth on a front bumper. I keep going back and forth between running a receiver or a full winch bumper. I need to leave this jeep parked overnight a lot of times at work and would love...when I am not wheeling to be able to leave the winch at home.

At the same time I really really hate the look of a winch mounted on a receiver. They stick out too far usually and just look(even though I know they aren't) flimsy.

So....here is my idea. Instead of using one 2X2 inch hole I was thinking of using two. About a foot apart.

Then around the winch mount have the bottoms and sides angled to match the look of the bumper itself. So if it was mounted it would angle down into the bumper itself and look like a true winch bumper when it was hooked together.

Does this sound feasible? I know it would make it more cumbersome if you were packing it around but I don' think I would. It would most likely not be on or inside the jeep at all if I was going places I wouldn't need a winch...IE work, the mall, getting food from Del Taco. But if I was wheeling it would be permanently mounted to the jeep.
 
I like the idea. I suppose you don't see much mud but around here, I would worry about mud getting packed in between the real bumper and the extension part. I really like the sounds of this.

Chris
 
2000xjclassic said:
I like the idea. I suppose you don't see much mud but around here, I would worry about mud getting packed in between the real bumper and the extension part. I really like the sounds of this.

Chris
Click to expand...
No mud isn't a huge issue but even in mud...you could pull it apart to clean it up.
 
Damn,10k post and your asking this?:attom:
 
Well it going to be tough putting it on "after" its stuck!"Been there,Done that"!
 
RCP Phx said:
Well it going to be tough putting it on "after" its stuck!"Been there,Done that"!
Click to expand...
He said he would put it on before he went wheeling.





Its a good idea. My only suggestions would be to make it as low profile as possible somehow. The bumpers that have been built how you are talking about seem to put the winch out super far. Not sure how you could solve that though.


You could always bolt the winch to a bumper, and tack weld the bolts on. Most thieves dont have angle grinders to grind those welds off. Hopefully.
 
X2,on sticking out so far,your going to lose a large amount of approach angle.Just do the math(minimum 7" /built-in non cut-in to the grille).
 
If you can sacrifice approach angle then do it I think t would be sweet. I think on the other hand you could just as easy fab up a security device. I knew a guy who used the security style lugnuts to mount his lights so nobody would steel them. Just talkin out my a$$ but good luck
 
RCP Phx said:
X2,on sticking out so far,your going to lose a large amount of approach angle.Just do the math(minimum 7" /built-in non cut-in to the grille).
Click to expand...
This is one reason I want to make the winch part removable. I'm sure you have seen pics of my old front bumper.
(crap photobucket is doing maintenance)

Anyway it mounted the winch right against the radiator-condenser so you had to cut the grill around the winch. I keep going back to this idea but at the same time, I like the clean lines of a non-winch bumper too.

For "most" trails, having a winch out front isn't a problem. 99% of winch bumpers are this way and it doesn't seem to cause many problems for most peoples.

I figured, doing what I want to do would be a compromise between both.
 
slcpunk74 said:
If you can sacrifice approach angle then do it I think t would be sweet. I think on the other hand you could just as easy fab up a security device. I knew a guy who used the security style lugnuts to mount his lights so nobody would steel them. Just talkin out my a$$ but good luck
Click to expand...
On my last jeep I had the bolts to the winch tack welded to the bumper. It took me forever to get the bolts ground down to where I could remove them in a good garage with good tools.

My thoughts are not so much of loosing the winch as loosing the whole jeep. I figured the less goodies in sight, the less of a target my jeep would be.

You live in SLC, I work in Ogden so I'm sure you understand my fear.
 
I live in b town but did work in slc and yes I know exactli what you mean. I think some guy on ksl is selling some whinch bumpers that have the the whinch pretty hidden but they aren't my type of bumper but hey. I'm sure someone might have good ideas at the mng tonight. By the way its late in UT zzzz zzzz
 
slcpunk74 said:
I live in b town but did work in slc and yes I know exactli what you mean. I think some guy on ksl is selling some whinch bumpers that have the the whinch pretty hidden but they aren't my type of bumper but hey. I'm sure someone might have good ideas at the mng tonight. By the way its late in UT zzzz zzzz
Click to expand...
Too bad I am working, will be in Jackson Hole, won't make the M&G
 
Oh well I guess that's a. Bummer but now that I'm thinking of it the removable whinch would be good because if you got to a place where you needed it you could throw it on but if not it could stay in the back. If its not on the bumper then your not getting hung up on it. I'm making a set of bumpers for this guy now and that was his thought plus he plans to wire the front and back of his eb so the whinch can pull him either way
 
DrMoab said:
For awhile I have been going back and forth on a front bumper. I keep going back and forth between running a receiver or a full winch bumper. I need to leave this jeep parked overnight a lot of times at work and would love...when I am not wheeling to be able to leave the winch at home.

At the same time I really really hate the look of a winch mounted on a receiver. They stick out too far usually and just look(even though I know they aren't) flimsy.

So....here is my idea. Instead of using one 2X2 inch hole I was thinking of using two. About a foot apart.

Then around the winch mount have the bottoms and sides angled to match the look of the bumper itself. So if it was mounted it would angle down into the bumper itself and look like a true winch bumper when it was hooked together.

Does this sound feasible? I know it would make it more cumbersome if you were packing it around but I don' think I would. It would most likely not be on or inside the jeep at all if I was going places I wouldn't need a winch...IE work, the mall, getting food from Del Taco. But if I was wheeling it would be permanently mounted to the jeep.
Click to expand...

I really like this idea and I since I'm working on my bumper right now, I have been flip flopping between my non-winch and winch bumper designs. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to try this as well. I think it could be done so that, like you said, when it was mounted, it will look integrated into the rest of the bumper. Like you, I hate the way a winch receiver looks when mounted into a bumper.
 
BruceB83 said:
I really like this idea and I since I'm working on my bumper right now, I have been flip flopping between my non-winch and winch bumper designs. I hope you don't mind but I'm going to try this as well. I think it could be done so that, like you said, when it was mounted, it will look integrated into the rest of the bumper. Like you, I hate the way a winch receiver looks when mounted into a bumper.
Click to expand...
Hell no, I don't mind.

In fact come up with a good plan and let me copy yours. :D

I got my head around the idea, but I'm having a hard time working it out on paper.
 
Before I would journey into anything like this I would find a way to secure the winch on a permanent winch mount bumper.There are plenty of ways (much easier than messing with the removable stuff) to secure it.
 
Well...the only problem I'm running into is in order to maintain the same angle lines on the winch, the overhead view of the bumper with the winch attachment on almost comes to a point and it's ugly. I may have to completely re-design my base bumper. After I get it layed out, I'll send you a picture.
 
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