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Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers

JL_Jenna

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Hi everyone, as the title says, I am in the process of ordering a JLU Rubicon and need a little last minute advice on the bumper options. I’ve been reading that the regular plastic bumpers fade rather quickly? If that’s the case, I am wondering what is the general consensus.... order the metal bumpers from the factory ($1700ish option I think), or just order with the standard plastic bumpers and then replace with aftermarket? I am very new to all of this but have been trying to learn as much as possible from this forum. Any advice will be appreciated! Thanks!!
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40”JLURD

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Hi everyone, as the title says, I am in the process of ordering a JLU Rubicon and need a little last minute advice on the bumper options. I’ve been reading that the regular plastic bumpers fade rather quickly? If that’s the case, I am wondering what is the general consensus.... order the metal bumpers from the factory ($1700ish option I think), or just order with the standard plastic bumpers and then replace with aftermarket? I am very new to all of this but have been trying to learn as much as possible from this forum. Any advice will be appreciated! Thanks!!
I’d read through this thread here ...

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jlur-plastic-vs-steel-bumpers.60632/
 

track.n.trail

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Factory steel bumpers are nice. Winch capable, decently durable and have a nice finish. If you are worried about the plastic bumpers fading or don't want to deal with buying/installing aftermarket bumpers, the steel bumpers are great.

However if you'll be doing serious off-roading (black trails, Rubicon, Moab, etc) you may want to opt for something more durable. The factory steel rear bumper can bend into the body if you land the hard with the bumper on a rock. I replaced my factory steel rear bumper with a Motobilt crusher rear bumper because of that. The factory steel front bumper is carrying a winch and I haven't had any issues with it so far.
 

aldo98229

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Bumpers are easy to swap. I got the front Mopar steel bumper, the skid plate and all the braces for $1,200. I plan to mount a winch as soon as they become available again. The rear bumper stays plastic as far as I’m concerned.

When you buy the Mopar steel bumper after the fact as an accessory, it comes with the LED fog lamps and the red tow hooks.

Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers 2CC04168-1268-4753-B94F-E002FDC0F65E
 

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The factory steel bumpers are nice; however, there are many aftermarket options out there too.

A lot of the decision is based on your use of the Jeep (e.g., how much off road, how difficult the trails, etc.).

If you are going to install an aftermarket bumper, recommend a Made in USA bumper.

Since my JLR was going to see some tuff trails, I went with the ones from Artec since they have a very nice stinger and an integrated sway bar disconnect skid, as seen below:

Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers IMG_0096
Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers Shackle PC


The stubby bumpers are really great on the trail.

For the rear, one of the big concerns is the rear panel joint where the rear fender and the rear sheet metal join. This joint is relatively week and subject to damage when wheeling. If you are going to wheel your Jeep, it is recommended to get a rear bumper that protects this area from damage. Again, an Artec bumper was chosen, as shown below:

Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers IMG_0009
Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers IMG_0010
Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers Shackle PC1


Here is a shot where is was really great to have the right bumpers when wheeling.

Jeep Wrangler JL Ordering a 2021 JLU Rubicon- need advice on plastic vs steel bumpers IMG_3213

The stubby from bumper allowed room for the left front tire to climb up the rock in front of it and the rear bumper was there to protect the right rear quarter as the Jeep came off the ledge.

Anyway, congrats on getting a Jeep, and post a picture when you pick it up.
 

Compression-Ignition

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If you do not need to roll them into the loan I see no advantage to the steel bumpers. You might want to order your aftermarket bumpers ahead of time though. We went with plastic on my wife's Rubicon. They look fine. They are not winch capable as mentioned, but you have plenty of time to figure out if you need/want a winch.
 

Jjirish

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Imo... lol.... always steel, factory or aftermarket. Plastic bumpers never. Stubby bumpers no (i like bumpers for wheel protection on the road). Stingers no (its just the look i dont like).
Final thoughts...
Its a jeep! More importantly, its your jeep! 😁 and us jeepers can change our bumpers when ever we want!
 

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If you are going to wheel you Rubi, get the plastic ones. Then take them off. I wanted to tow my Jeep so I went with a bumper with tow bar mounts, RockHard aluminum. Be sure to get a bumper that has a good skid for the sway bar disconnect and steering. The skid on the factory plastic is a joke, I haven't seen the skid on the steel ones. It took almost 6 months to tear off the plastic rear bumper and I replaced it with a Tyger form amazon. Cheap and Chinese, but it fit well including my back up sensors. A little more costly in total than the factory steel, but I got what I wanted. If you don't plan to tow your Jeep and like the looks, the factory steel will save you time and money if the skid is OK.
 

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I ordered the steel on mine. Frankly I think they look great. FCA really did a good job on them. The factory look goes well with the Jeep. I find most aftermarket bumpers look like bubba and his buddy welded some plate steel together and called it a day, pretty ugly. The steel bumpers are ready to go, just need a winch plate.
 

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Hi everyone, as the title says, I am in the process of ordering a JLU Rubicon and need a little last minute advice on the bumper options. I’ve been reading that the regular plastic bumpers fade rather quickly? If that’s the case, I am wondering what is the general consensus.... order the metal bumpers from the factory ($1700ish option I think), or just order with the standard plastic bumpers and then replace with aftermarket? I am very new to all of this but have been trying to learn as much as possible from this forum. Any advice will be appreciated! Thanks!!
If you are getting a Rubicon, my recommendation will be to get the Steel Bumpers as part of your build if possible. The Steel offers a better degree of protection. Check out this thread: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...ows-steel-bumper-strength.63512/#post-1351222

The second reason I would recommend getting the steel bumper factory installed is insurance. If you get a Steel Bumper installed afterwards, Insurance may not necessarily cover it. . They will get you a plastic bumper. For that reason, if you choose to get Plastic Bumper try not to go to steel after market unless you are ok with that insurance risk. Just my 2 cents....
 

jbozz

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I personally would go with steel Bumpers steel is usually stronger than plastic... now if you decide you may want to change the bumpers to after market then stay with the less expensive so not to pay good money twice... plus you can alway sell the steel Rubi bumpers easily...... just my two cents
 

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I have a Rubicon on order and it’s gonna be here in a couple of weeks. I went with the plastic bumpers, but I’m ordering the Mopar front steel bumper and going to put it on right afterwards. I based my decision on 1. liking the Mopar bumper style 2. the bad reviews of the steel back bumper, and 3. most importantly I look forward to having something to wrench on with my son. Don’t bank on finding a pull off steel bumper. I’ve been looking for a few weeks, and I’ve maybe seen one or two. The price was pretty steep considering a new bumper and skid plate is just over $1k from Bam. My dealer is just a few dollars more. The rear steel bumpers are plentiful, so you won’t have a problem if you want to go that route afterwards. The one thing that is gnawing in the back of my head is whether the suspension is different with/without ordering the steel bumper from the factory. I’ve read that in a few places that it is, but haven’t heard the extent of the impact it makes. If you are on the fence, I’d go with plastic because you aren’t losing anything significant if you decide to go steel afterwards. One more thing that is driving my decision to go steel. I’m assuming the steel bumper is safer. Good luck!
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