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[lightsout]

What are you using for a lower skid plate beneath the bumper?

I cut the stock plastic one down it works perfectly

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[BuffaloTJ]

I am torn between the Rock Hard aluminum Patriot mid-width, vs. Barricade Alloy series.

I prefer the aesthetics of the Patriot, and it is 1/2 the price of the Rock Hard.

I am wondering why? The Rock Hard aluminum appears to be about 2mm thicker than the Patriot, which could be significant for durability.

I will be adding some kind of 10,000# winch. I am replacing a Rubicon plastic bumper, and it would be a bonus if my factory LED fog lights are compatible.

What other pros/cons am I missing?

Has anyone else struggled between these two?

I've been searching this exact question and stumbled on this thread. The Rock Hard looks nice, but is it really worth twice the Barricade Alloy?

 

[lightsout]

I've been searching this exact question and stumbled on this thread. The Rock Hard looks nice, but is it really worth twice the Barricade Alloy?

There is NOTHING special about the Rockhard except the price. In fact the Rockhard sits lower in the front then the Barricade thus reducing approach angles. That alone should be a deal breaker.

Also note the Rock hard the D-ring is welded to the bumper and not tied to the frame. whereas the Barricade the D-ring is bolted to the frame. The Rockhard will not hold up as the integrity of their D-ring is reliant on the strength of the aluminum sheet metal whereas the Barricade being bolted to the frame takes the bumper out of the equation and much stronger D-ring.


I have had the Barricade on two Wranglers now and the oldest one 4 year now still looks like new. The Barricade is also more aux lighting friendly

 

[SlickRickMotoADV]

Has any company made an aluminum rear that has a tire carrier?

Trying to avoid rear steel weight, but want the tire off the gate.

 

[rubiRI77]

Has any company made an aluminum rear that has a tire carrier?

Trying to avoid rear steel weight, but want the tire off the gate.

No that I am aware of. I went with Rock hard aluminum rear bumper, and the Rustys offroad tire carrier/hinge replacement (both awesome pieces by the way - could not be happier, both are really well made).
My guess is pretty darn similar in weight to what a combo bumper/carrier would be even in all aluminum. That would have to be some thick aluminum to make that happen.

 

[SlickRickMotoADV]

No that I am aware of. I went with Rock hard aluminum rear bumper, and the Rustys offroad tire carrier/hinge replacement (both awesome pieces by the way - could not be happier, both are really well made).
My guess is pretty darn similar in weight to what a combo bumper/carrier would be even in all aluminum. That would have to be some thick aluminum to make that happen.

That combo is my exact plan should I not be able to find an all in one. Real hesitant to drop the ~$3k for the setup.

 

[rubiRI77]

That combo is my exact plan should I not be able to find an all in one. Real hesitant to drop the ~$3k for the setup.

Yeah, I was too. Went with the rock hard bumper first and actually did the Teraflex Alpha tire carrier at first for the same reason(weight savings)....But beware, because that is a no go! Because of the lack of tire cut out in the Rockhard bumper even the stock Rubicon tire did not fit with the Teraflex carrier even on the absolute highest setting. Ended up selling it here on the forum for a loss.

EDIT: After reading another post on here, I forgot to mention that the Teraflex tire carrrier did not work for me because I still have the stock rims.

So after a bunch of research I went with the Rustys carrier/hinge, and could not be happier. That thing is really, really nice. A bit of a pain as far as the install, and adjusting, but once that is done, the tailgate actually works better than it did when stock. (with a 35, and I am sure a 37 would be absolutely no problem either) It is absolutely more solid, and closes smoother.
The rock hard aluminum rear bumper is kind of a pain to install as well, but same thing, once it's done it is stout! and looks cool too! I have had some good drops on it at the Jeep jamboree last year, and it didn't even flinch. A few scratches that's it.
Long story not short, totally worth it on both counts!

 

[AVGeek99]

Got my bumpers finally and got them installed. I went with Rockhard 4x4 Patriot Mid-Width Aluminum in front and the Patriot Aluminum in the rear. I couldn't be happier.

I also have the Teraflex Alpha HD Tire carrier and with my wheel/tire combination it actually works fine with the RockHard rear bumper. See the last picture, I have about an inch of clearance between the tire and the bumper. I do have the Alpha HD in the highest position and with the mount pulled all the way out. I have the clearance because because my wheels have a -12mm offset vs 44mm (positive) on the OEM wheels. This gives me 1.5" less backspace in the wheel, which pushes the inside of the wheel/tire out 1.5" further, giving me the clearance I need.

My winch came with a different hook than I thought so the bungee is necessary until my Factor55 arrives on Thursday.

 

[AVGeek99]

There is NOTHING special about the Rockhard except the price. In fact the Rockhard sits lower in the front then the Barricade thus reducing approach angles. That alone should be a deal breaker.

Also note the Rock hard the D-ring is welded to the bumper and not tied to the frame. whereas the Barricade the D-ring is bolted to the frame. The Rockhard will not hold up as the integrity of their D-ring is reliant on the strength of the aluminum sheet metal whereas the Barricade being bolted to the frame takes the bumper out of the equation and much stronger D-ring.


I have had the Barricade on two Wranglers now and the oldest one 4 year now still looks like new. The Barricade is also more aux lighting friendly

Nice looking rig!!

I don't think the RockHard sits any lower than the Barricade. It sits no lower than frame horns. You can see the bottom two mounting bolts that go into the frame horns and the integrated skid angles below. The integrated skid is thicker than the stock skid so I guess technically the bottom edge would be just a touch lower.

The D-Ring mounts are solidly welded front and back. I have no concern about their strenth. This is actually one of the selling points of the RockHard in my mind. Many aluminum bumpers have bolt on D-Ring mounts, which I see as a weak point. The font and back welds on the RockHard are going to be far stronger than most bolt heads.

I agree the accessory light mounts are a bit limited on the RockHard.

 

[dragoneggs]

I am very happy with my RockHard aluminum mid length bumper with lowered winch plate. Yes, expensive but great design and quality welds.

The factory LED foglight install was plug and play. The Warn Zeon 8S winch however was not. It required some grinding of the inside frame end caps but no big deal. Very tight fit and a bit of a struggle to wiggle it in but once seated, fits like a glove.

One main selling point was that it is designed for towing. I will be pulling behind a Class C. The optional fittings tie directly into the frame ends.

I had the bumper built minus the bull bar for several reasons. 1) Reduced weight, 2) Less camera obstruction, 3) Less grill blockage, and 4) More real estate for aftermarket lighting.

View from the cockpit...

 

[rubiRI77]

I am very happy with my RockHard aluminum mid length bumper with lowered winch plate. Yes, expensive but great design and quality welds.

The factory LED foglight install was plug and play. The Warn Zeon 8S winch however was not. It required some grinding of the inside frame end caps but no big deal. Very tight fit and a bit of a struggle to wiggle it in but once seated, fits like a glove.

One main selling point was that it is designed for towing. I will be pulling behind a Class C. The optional fittings tie directly into the frame ends.

I had the bumper built minus the bull bar for several reasons. 1) Reduced weight, 2) Less camera obstruction, 3) Less grill blockage, and 4) More real estate for aftermarket lighting.

View from the cockpit...

Wow, that looks great! Very nice choices all around

 

[blink9cd]

The Rock Hard system is my favorite so far. What are your guys opinions on the Rock Hard with or without lowered winch plate? From what I can tell, they're the same price/weight and both accept winches.

My initial research made it seem like the lowered winch plate is nicer to tuck it out of the way/and have more exposed grille. I'm not really sure what the benefit of the higher winch would be (open to know why! Is the bumper mounted exact the same? Fits more styles of winches?).

So far it seems to me if I was 100% sure I was going to get a winch, going the lowered winch plate would make the most sense. However, I don't know if I really need or want a winch (for a while anyway). While I've enjoyed some time on the trails so far, with my current experience level, the trails I'm doing, and the groups I've gone out with so far, it seems unlikely I'm gonna be in a situation where I personally need one for a long time.

That logic leads me to thinking the non-lowered one would be best, as it look much more complete by itself, and it seems like the lowered winch plate one looks like it makes no sense without adding the winch immediately (at least aesthetically with all the holes on the front and open plate). But what gives me pause is wondering if I'll regret if at some point in the future I want a winch and then have to be top mounted and accept if that's non-optimal.

But then that gives me pause and makes me wonder if I should buy *any* front bumper until I figure out the winch question. But that could be a long time from now, and I like having a new front bumper for many other reasons besides a winch plate: stronger than plastic, bull bar, lower metal skid vs plastic dam, high lift points, non-hook recovery points, and the look.

Sorry this turned out to be an essay! Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Odyssey USA]

The Rock Hard system is my favorite so far. What are your guys opinions on the Rock Hard with or without lowered winch plate? From what I can tell, they're the same price/weight and both accept winches.

My initial research made it seem like the lowered winch plate is nicer to tuck it out of the way/and have more exposed grille. I'm not really sure what the benefit of the higher winch would be (open to know why! Is the bumper mounted exact the same? Fits more styles of winches?).

So far it seems to me if I was 100% sure I was going to get a winch, going the lowered winch plate would make the most sense. However, I don't know if I really need or want a winch (for a while anyway). While I've enjoyed some time on the trails so far, with my current experience level, the trails I'm doing, and the groups I've gone out with so far, it seems unlikely I'm gonna be in a situation where I personally need one for a long time.

That logic leads me to thinking the non-lowered one would be best, as it look much more complete by itself, and it seems like the lowered winch plate one looks like it makes no sense without adding the winch immediately (at least aesthetically with all the holes on the front and open plate). But what gives me pause is wondering if I'll regret if at some point in the future I want a winch and then have to be top mounted and accept if that's non-optimal.

But then that gives me pause and makes me wonder if I should buy *any* front bumper until I figure out the winch question. But that could be a long time from now, and I like having a new front bumper for many other reasons besides a winch plate: stronger than plastic, bull bar, lower metal skid vs plastic dam, high lift points, non-hook recovery points, and the look.

Sorry this turned out to be an essay! Thanks for any thoughts.

I have a Genright. The winch itself, winch plate, and one frame tab took some massaging to get it to even squeeze my Warn Platinum in between the frame rails. LOTS of test fitting. It took me 3 days of after work messing with it to get it all together.

I went on a trail ride. The 10 month old winch broke (we think it’s the brake). I can’t even think about inspecting anything internally on the winch between the frame rails. Now I have to fight to get it out. TIGHT fit. With it being so tight down between the frame rails, it was hard to reach the mud, twigs, and many leaves that got down in there.

It’s also more difficult to respool. You have to tediously respool evenly because the winch plate/fairlead is SO close to the winch body. I’m not worried about looks on the trail. I just want to get going again. It’s so tight it has to almost perfectly be respooled evenly.

I ordered a top mount bumper and a different winch and after less than two years and a handful of off road outings, I’ll be changing out this setup.

 

[rubiRI77]

For the same reasons as mentioned above, I always go with top mount. I do not live in a hot climate, so I can not speak to the winch blocking the grill and effecting the temp of the engine. I personally have never seen any change in engine temps after putting the winch on, but the hottest it gets here is mid 90's.
Also, the mud, debris, and leaves getting trapped down in with the winch just seems like a pain to me. That and the ability to very easily re-spool it, or if the need arises to work on the winch itself is so much better being top mount.
All that being said, I do think the recessed mount winches look at little more polished so to speak. Top mount can kind of look like you threw a winch on your bumper and bolted it down...because you did. However, I also think the top mount looks a little more traditional. That and the functionality make it worth for me.
You just need to go over the pros and cons for your type of wheeling, climate, etc. either way it is going to be awesome!

 

[blink9cd]

I have a Genright. The winch itself, winch plate, and one frame tab took some massaging to get it to even squeeze my Warn Platinum in between the frame rails. LOTS of test fitting. It took me 3 days of after work messing with it to get it all together.

I went on a trail ride. The 10 month old winch broke (we think it’s the brake). I can’t even think about inspecting anything internally on the winch between the frame rails. Now I have to fight to get it out. TIGHT fit. With it being so tight down between the frame rails, it was hard to reach the mud, twigs, and many leaves that got down in there.

It’s also more difficult to respool. You have to tediously respool evenly because the winch plate/fairlead is SO close to the winch body. I’m not worried about looks on the trail. I just want to get going again. It’s so tight it has to almost perfectly be respooled evenly.

I ordered a top mount bumper and a different winch and after less than two years and a handful of off road outings, I’ll be changing out this setup.

Thanks for sharing how your thoughts have evolved. I don't know a ton about winches yet (just seen them in action), so I didn't realize the implications of it being lower on spooling and placement. And 3 days of fitting sounds so rough...I currently don't even have a garage or personal parking spot, so multi day installs isn't really an option for me.

For the same reasons as mentioned above, I always go with top mount. I do not live in a hot climate, so I can not speak to the winch blocking the grill and effecting the temp of the engine. I personally have never seen any change in engine temps after putting the winch on, but the hottest it gets here is mid 90's.
Also, the mud, debris, and leaves getting trapped down in with the winch just seems like a pain to me. That and the ability to very easily re-spool it, or if the need arises to work on the winch itself is so much better being top mount.
All that being said, I do think the recessed mount winches look at little more polished so to speak. Top mount can kind of look like you threw a winch on your bumper and bolted it down...because you did. However, I also think the top mount looks a little more traditional. That and the functionality make it worth for me.
You just need to go over the pros and cons for your type of wheeling, climate, etc. either way it is going to be awesome!

My Jeep hasn't even seen a summer yet, but yeah I live in VA so not nearly as hot as some other areas. I also didn't think about debris getting stuck in there...had a good at laugh at "looks like you threw a winch on your bumper..because you did". Though I still think that sounds like it looks better than getting a bumper with holes cut out for a winch and not putting it in there.

I think at a minimum you guys have convinced me top mounted isn't a bad idea. And that means I don't need to have to have figured out a winch by the time I want a bumper, and that means I could buy it whenever I wanted, and that means....hmm...

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