Rear ended with minor damage... best options?

[stingray56]

Hey everyone,

My I just bought a new JL Wrangler Sport S a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, someone rear ended it last week.

There is no damage to the body, frame, or the spare/carrier. The bumper needs to be replaced, and the muffler was bent a little bit (we were hit by a low car). The parking sensors still work.

The repair estimate is $1200.00. The insurance company said I could take the money and do the repairs myself. After a quick search, it looks like there are loads of stock bumpers out there on Craigslist/FB/etc. from people who purchased Jeeps and immediately upgraded to aftermarket parts. I am pretty set on keeping the money and buying a used bumper and installing it myself.

Before I do that, I wanted to ask here whether there are any obviously better options. For example, I noticed that some Rubicons come with steel rear bumpers. Is this part identical (other than the steel) to the Sport S bumper? The parts diagram shows some slightly different parts underneath the bumpers, so I wanted to be sure that it was a direct swap. If not, are there any aftermarket options for steel bumpers that look close to stock that are a much better value than a stock replacement?

Thanks!

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[amnesiac]

depends on what you want to accomplish.

if you are going to mount something to it, steel may be the way to go.

if it’s just acting as a bumper, I’d stick with the plastic.

when the bumper crumples, it’s absorbing kinetic energy, and transferring less energy to your vehicle.

hope that helps.