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Those with aluminum bumpers: front or back preferences?

d3vils-advocate

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If you could choose your bumpers again, would you buy aluminium? Would you prefer it to be for the front or back if you only had one option? Or would you go back to steel?
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Southers313

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If you could choose your bumpers again, would you buy aluminium? Would you prefer it to be for the front or back if you only had one option? Or would you go back to steel?

Very interested to hear on this one as well...

Really like the look of the new Rival aluminum bumpers - but I currently have OEM steel.
 

UKCATS

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Very interested to hear on this one as well...

Really like the look of the new Rival aluminum bumpers - but I currently have OEM steel.

Do you have a link to those Rival bumpers?


EDIT: Found them.
 

TankCustomsAlex

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I'm sporting the Rival front aluminum bumper. The steel winch plate combined with the aluminum bumper skin makes for a great combo. It's amazing how light weight it is compared to my previous steel bumper. Let me know if you have any questions or need specific pics!
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DaK

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When I do mine it will be Alum up front, steel in the back. Back takes a lot of abuse over rocks and being dragged dropped onto them. The front, if it gets anything, is normally just scrapes.
 
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d3vils-advocate

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When I do mine it will be Alum up front, steel in the back. Back takes a lot of abuse over rocks and being dragged dropped onto them. The front, if it gets anything, is normally just scrapes.
That's exactly what I was thinking, and it cuts down some of the front weight as well.
 

Karl_in_Chicago

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When I do mine it will be Alum up front, steel in the back. Back takes a lot of abuse over rocks and being dragged dropped onto them. The front, if it gets anything, is normally just scrapes.
Agreed. I'm also interested in a swing-out tire carrier on the rear and AFAIK that pretty much limits one to steel back there. If AEV *ever* gets their bumpers to market it will be interesting to see as there's a lot of promise of high strength/low weight with their boron hot stamped steel method (though no doubt it will be priced accordingly).
 

Nerdsmith

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Agreed. I'm also interested in a swing-out tire carrier on the rear and AFAIK that pretty much limits one to steel back there. If AEV *ever* gets their bumpers to market it will be interesting to see as there's a lot of promise of high strength/low weight with their boron hot stamped steel method (though no doubt it will be priced accordingly).
Gen right makes an aluminum Tire carrier.

https://genright.com/products/jeep-jl-swing-out-rear-tire-carrier-aluminum.html
 

Karl_in_Chicago

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Hayseed_JLUR

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Went aluminum front and rear. Both Rock Hard.

Was in same boat and looking for a bumper mount carrier. However, will not go bigger than 35" and a hinge replacement mount (like EVO, Rusty's, Ace, etc.) will be just fine for me.
 

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Went aluminum front and rear. Both Rock Hard.

Was in same boat and looking for a bumper mount carrier. However, will not go bigger than 35" and a hinge replacement mount (like EVO, Rusty's, Ace, etc.) will be just fine for me.
I’m looking at the Rock Hard aluminum rear bumper and in two different places I’ve read that shifting the tire carrier up is required with more than a 33” AND also bigger than a 35” tire. I don’t know which one to believe. I’m looking at a 33.9” max right now. Do you have any insight on this? Thanks
 

Hayseed_JLUR

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I have 35" tires and yes, I had to move the tire up to clear the bumper. I was able to adjust my (Rusty's) tire carrier to get the tire where it is touching the hinge arms for stability. It would have been ideal to have the tire down a couple of inches to put it more with the centerline of the tailgate, but the set-up is just fine.
 

DadJokes

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I have 35" tires and yes, I had to move the tire up to clear the bumper. I was able to adjust my (Rusty's) tire carrier to get the tire where it is touching the hinge arms for stability. It would have been ideal to have the tire down a couple of inches to put it more with the centerline of the tailgate, but the set-up is just fine.
Is it because the tire will hit the bumper and would it be possible to cut as much as an inch of an arc out where contact would be made?
 

Hayseed_JLUR

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Here is a photo of the rear tire. You can see it just clears the bumper. You would not be able to cut an arc out of the bumper due to the license plate area.

I could have mounted it out further and lowered it but it is not stable. The best is to have it as close to the tailgate as possible - that was the most stable set-up.

I would have liked it having an arc so I could have put it down about an inch to make it more centerline on the tailgate for weight distribution. The only "wobble" it has is if it is closed hard and the tire moves slightly. No movement when at all while driving - even on trails and washboard roads.

Very happy with this set-up.

Jeep Wrangler JL Those with aluminum bumpers: front or back preferences? jlur rear
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