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Wish I had ordered Steel Bumpers.

Zenk

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I did the same thing on my first order, so I ended up cancelling that order and made another order with same options + steel bumper group. When I went to pick up my JLUR, both of my orders were there(apparently I cancelled, but the dealer did not). I got a chance to look at both, and I must say I am glad I re-ordered mine.
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Bkenyon53

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So my JULR is due at the dealership between 3/8 and 3/12. I didn't order the Steel Bumper option because I thought I would find something aftermarket winch capable bumper that I liked because there are so many choices well at least if you assume all or most JK bumpers will fit. Past week I really been looking at every aftermarket bumper on the net and none that I like as well as stock steel front one looks.

So I either going to buy just the front Mopar Steel one or both Front and Rear if I can find a good deal on the pair.

Anybody same boat as me find any good deals on the Mopar Steel bumpers after the Purchase? I am going to try hitting the dealer up on a Mopar discount when I go to do paper work and take delivery.
Actually I was in the same boat as you. I went with the Mopar bumper. The hard edges of most (if not all) of the aftermarket ones turned me off because they don't flow with the design of the JL and then you get some that are just too "busy" looking...and most have big laser cut logos cut into them. Not my cup of tea. I wanted to go aftermarket to be unique but I really couldn't find anything that I remotely liked. In the future I may find something and then sell the Mopar one.
 

Majestic

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A personal opinion here -- keep in mind that you'll get what you pay for with bumpers...quality and durability wise. It may behoove you to spend a bit more if you can to get something that will hold up. Just my 2 cents.
Nothing outlast a plastic bumper. However they're a dime a dozen and look bland. Steel bumpers look good, look substantial, hold a winch, and you can take the ends off to be a stubby bumper. Durability has nothing to do with it.
I personally would rather finance a proper Mopar steel bumper than go with a tacky aftermarket I have to pay cash for.
 

RisingEagle

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Nothing outlast a plastic bumper. However they're a dime a dozen and look bland. Steel bumpers look good, look substantial, hold a winch, and you can take the ends off to be a stubby bumper. Durability has nothing to do with it.
I personally would rather finance a proper Mopar steel bumper than go with a tacky aftermarket I have to pay cash for.
A plastic bumper won't endure near the punishment of a steel bumper - any steel bumper. A couple grazes with trees, or a bump with a wall, or whatever - and that plastic bumper is toast. Durability has EVERYTHING to do with it. Even if you never ever go offroad - a steel bumper is a lot more protection in an accident than a plastic one.

as for the second part of your statement - I'll admit, you have me curious. why would you rather finance something (and therefore pay more for it) than pay cash for it (and thus paying only what it costs)? To me, paying cash is the best way to go if you're capable - for anything. Financing just gives money away to someone lending it to you, at least in my mind. But - there could be an angle I'm not seeing in this so thought I'd ask your reasoning behind financing over paying cash for something?
 

sm16

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as for the second part of your statement - I'll admit, you have me curious. why would you rather finance something (and therefore pay more for it) than pay cash for it (and thus paying only what it costs)? To me, paying cash is the best way to go if you're capable - for anything. Financing just gives money away to someone lending it to you, at least in my mind. But - there could be an angle I'm not seeing in this so thought I'd ask your reasoning behind financing over paying cash for something?
I’ll give you my point of view on why I would finance something over paying cash. For example, I’m paying 3% on my loan for my Rubi over 60 months, which was a little over $51k. I’m confident that I can get a better return in the market or other investments on that $51k. So instead of laying that cash down, I invest it and earn conservatively anywhere in the 8-10% range.
Now if you’re not actually going to do anything with the cash, then I agree, why pay the interest.
 

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Majestic

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I’ll give you my point of view on why I would finance something over paying cash. For example, I’m paying 3% on my loan for my Rubi over 60 months, which was a little over $51k. I’m confident that I can get a better return in the market or other investments on that $51k. So instead of laying that cash down, I invest it and earn conservatively anywhere in the 8-10% range.
Now if you’re not actually going to do anything with the cash, then I agree, why pay the interest.
Beat me to it.
At today’s interest rates and market returns, it makes no sense to give up my capital for an asthetic car part.
Even if I didn’t invest it, having even more cash to leverage for anything else far more valuable than saving some chump change in interest fees. It ain’t the 1970’s anymore.
 

Majestic

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A plastic bumper won't endure near the punishment of a steel bumper - any steel bumper. A couple grazes with trees, or a bump with a wall, or whatever - and that plastic bumper is toast. Durability has EVERYTHING to do with it. Even if you never ever go offroad - a steel bumper is a lot more protection in an accident than a plastic one.

as for the second part of your statement - I'll admit, you have me curious. why would you rather finance something (and therefore pay more for it) than pay cash for it (and thus paying only what it costs)? To me, paying cash is the best way to go if you're capable - for anything. Financing just gives money away to someone lending it to you, at least in my mind. But - there could be an angle I'm not seeing in this so thought I'd ask your reasoning behind financing over paying cash for something?
No. There’s no more protection in a steel bumper. F=ma. Either the bumper deforms and absorbs the force of impact or your body does and the bumper stays intact. Either way the energy will go somewhere. If the bumper deforms, you’ll want the one that’s cheapest to replace.
 

Armycop

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MOPAR and AEV bumpers are stamped thin sheet steel. They offer very little protection and will bend like crazy on trees and rocks. If you get a quality thick plate steel bumper, you will only scuff the bumper if you graze a tree or slam it on a rock. It depends on how hard you off road. Strength ain't pretty.
 

RisingEagle

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No. There’s no more protection in a steel bumper. F=ma. Either the bumper deforms and absorbs the force of impact or your body does and the bumper stays intact. Either way the energy will go somewhere. If the bumper deforms, you’ll want the one that’s cheapest to replace.
I disagree. A steel bumper - a well made one, anyway - is designed to absorb more of the impact, and to possibly shield other damage from the vehicle or occupants. plastic =/= steel. I do like to entertain discussion so it's a fun one, but call me closed-minded if you like; a steel bumper will do a better job protecting you, and your vehicle, than a plastic one.

case in point; I'd put the bumper currently on my truck (below) against just about any plastic bumper you'll find on vehicles and I would wager that at the same speed, hitting the same object, I will drive away while a plastic bumper would be towed to the repair shop.

I agree all "steel" bumpers are not created equal; but to state plastic is as good as steel when it comes to a bumper is sort of, well silly to me.

the second point - I can see how financing over cash could work, if done correctly and with enough self control. It's the same as when I counseled younger troops in the Army on whether or not to take the "redux" plan (at 15yr they could get a ~30k cash bonus, IF they took 40% retirement @20yr with some stipulations). IF you took that 30k and invested it correctly (really 23K after taxes) you could possibly offset the loss of your 10% in retirement (although unlikely). What I found was most troops would just go spend the money and not invest much of it - temptation and all that. Usually wound up buying a new car or something (hah)
me - I like operating as debt-free as possible so I'll pay cash for whatever I can (outside of the house purchase). But I can see how not paying cash could work for some, if they're disciplined enough to invest what they would otherwise spend.


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Majestic

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I disagree. A steel bumper - a well made one, anyway - is designed to absorb more of the impact, and to possibly shield other damage from the vehicle or occupants. plastic =/= steel. I do like to entertain discussion so it's a fun one, but call me closed-minded if you like; a steel bumper will do a better job protecting you, and your vehicle, than a plastic one.

case in point; I'd put the bumper currently on my truck (below) against just about any plastic bumper you'll find on vehicles and I would wager that at the same speed, hitting the same object, I will drive away while a plastic bumper would be towed to the repair shop.

I agree all "steel" bumpers are not created equal; but to state plastic is as good as steel when it comes to a bumper is sort of, well silly to me.

the second point - I can see how financing over cash could work, if done correctly and with enough self control. It's the same as when I counseled younger troops in the Army on whether or not to take the "redux" plan (at 15yr they could get a ~30k cash bonus, IF they took 40% retirement @20yr with some stipulations). IF you took that 30k and invested it correctly (really 23K after taxes) you could possibly offset the loss of your 10% in retirement (although unlikely). What I found was most troops would just go spend the money and not invest much of it - temptation and all that. Usually wound up buying a new car or something (hah)
me - I like operating as debt-free as possible so I'll pay cash for whatever I can (outside of the house purchase). But I can see how not paying cash could work for some, if they're disciplined enough to invest what they would otherwise spend.


truck.PNG
It depends on what you mean by “well made”. If it is well engineered with crumple zones, and designed to act as a mechanical fuse in an accident and destroy itself to protect you and the major structural components of your vehicle, then yes. If the bumper is made of forged, depleted uranium and is indestructible, then no.
Remember, the energy cannot be destroyed, it has to go somewhere. If you hit a concrete wall and the bumper holds up, the force will just be transferred to the next weakest link until all motion as stopped and all energy has been dissipated. If the entire car is built like a tank, then your body takes all the damage. In automotive engineering, the goal isn’t to hold the car intact in an accident, it’s to destroy itself and absorb the energy to protect the occupants. It’s counter intuitive I know.
 

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apettit7

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I agree with the OP. I haven't found any aftermarket bumpers I like yet. Many of them look like they could have been used to clear WW2 Normandy hedge-rows....I don't plan on doing any serious stuff yet just forest trails and mountain hikes etc. By time I get enough experience and want to take on the hard stuff I'll likely want an aftermarket one but for right now I like how the mopar steel bumper looks and performs for what I'm doing with it
 

Jeeptimus Prime

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Yes, The thing that most after market bumpers have in common are sharp edges I think rounded edges look like a better fit with the JL.
This is one of my issues with aftermarket bumpers. Most do not flow with the existing body lines and look like something from that fell off the F-117 stealth fighter...lol. I also like the Jeep version with removable ends.
 

RisingEagle

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I think Warn's upcoming bumper is really sharp.
I agree with you - that one is one of the better looking ones I've seen

I'm waiting for a 'full-width' bumper, but as my buddy told me last night I'm too picky. I also want
- recessed winch (I'd like the winch down in the bumper, as in the warn one above - not on top as I've seen many)
- solid tube / bull bar config - preferably 'double' (like the poison spyder model, or the barricade)
- able to transfer my current round LED fog lights into
- more 'mass' in front of the wheels instead of some pointy wing looking thing (warn bumper fits that as well)
- towing shackles
- cover enough of the undercarriage from the front

that warn bumper hits a lot of that. hopefully more vendors follow suit. Of course - I could be the oddball in what I'm looking for
 

Gill

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The aftermarket bumpers I have looked at that accept a winch also require a winch mounting plate sold separately.
The Winch plates that are added attach to the frame horns on the Jeep and not to the Bumper. When you winch you are pulling on the frame of the Jeep, not relying on the strength of the Bumper.
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