Thoughts on this bumper

[Wabujitsu]

I pulled the trigger today on a Rugged Ridge Spartan front bumper, with loop. I already have a Badland ZXR 12K winch to mount on it. I went with this bumper for a few reasons: price point, full coverage but with tapered ends, light weight (as the winch is pretty heavy).

I know I went cheap, and you get what you pay for, but I’m not rock crawling in FL either. With that said, what weaknesses and deficiencies should I be on guard against? Not regretting the purchase, just want to be realistic for safety and longevity. It’s gotta be better than the stock Sport bumper it’s replacing - and I’ve already had to repair that one once. Thanks. Peace.

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[ThirtyOne]

The way I look at it with these cheap bumpers you can buy 3 and still be ahead. I wouldn't worry about longevity.

 

[Wabujitsu]

The way I look at it with these cheap bumpers you can buy 3 and still be ahead. I wouldn't worry about longevity.

That was my thought too. Back in the day when I had an old TLC FJ40, I straightened the steel bumper many times with a sledgehammer. I feel good doing that to an inexpensive bumper.

 

[danotje]

I have a Barnes bumper (certainly not cheap), and it came unfinished. I used Por15 and Rustoleum bedliner, and it’s held up well. As for the bumper itself, just be cautious on the recovery points. Don’t know how yours are, but I’ve seen them rip completely off and go flying. If you’re practicing good recovery techniques, you should be ok.

 

[cosine]

nice looking bumper. as mentioned about the shackle mount, you should watch out for any heavy side pulls from the winch.watch for any stress, cracks, or bend around the mounting points from the bumper to frame. same goes for the winch mounts and plate. i've seen these types of damage on other bumpers.

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