Motobilt Tech Thursday “Bumper Importance”
It’s bumper time at Motobilt! Many of you have your own factors that help you decide which modifications to make to your Jeep. It may be that a lift kit is your top priority, or lockers might satisfy your Jeep’s needs. One of the most important, yet under rated modifications is a quality front and rear bumper.
A good bumper can literally save your Jeep! Just like you, I’m on Instagram and Facebook quite a bit. I love looking at the cool new parts and Jeep mods out there. One type of photo I have seen a lot of lately is crashed Jeeps. Whether it was a Dodge ramming the back of a new JK, or a deer looking to make your grille its tombstone, a heavy duty Motobilt bumper could have saved your Jeep!
While the preceding reason is probably greatly overlooked, the following does receive more attention. A good recovery point is a crucial need of any 4wd vehicle. Videos of bumpers being ripped off and flying through the air are playing on re-run mode in your mind, I’m sure! A heavy duty Motobilt front or rear bumper is mounted with grade 8 hardware with thick steel brackets. While the bumpers are securely attached to the Jeep, also know that the recovery points are over engineered as well! We use thick ¾” cnc cut steel plate which uses a pass through design. This means that the recovery d-ring mount will pass through the bumper and is welded on the inside and outside for superior strength. Many other companys only “butt weld” their mounts to the exterior surface of the bumper.
The importance of a quality d-ring mount is greatly underestimated. You need a well built and attached recovery point, but also a closed system. An open system is what your Jeeps comes with from the factory which is a tow hook. The problem with a hook is if your strap ever gets slack, it can slip off during the middle of a pull. A closed system utilizes a D ring or screw shackle. This system allows for a closed system the cannot slip off or come loose. Safety first!
On a front bumper application, you need a secure winch mount built into the bumper. If you’ve ever been off-road, then you surely know how important a winch can be in a “sticky situation.” A winch bumper needs to securely mount to the frame and needs to be designed to be rigid so that the bumper will not twist or warp under a hard pull. The Motobilt heavy duty front bumpers have winch mounting holes built into the structure of the bumper. The bumpers are also designed with key cnc press formed bends that increase the structural rigidity of the bumpers.
The last major benefit of a Motobilt front or rear bumper is they just look bad to the bone!!
