I took a chance on the new Body Armour that you are starting to see ads for everywhere. I got the front double hoop bumper with 2" receiver and winch mounting kit, rock sliders (rocker guards) and the rear bumper with swingout tire carrier. The rock sliders, front bumper and winch mounting kit came in and man am I impressed! I can't ever imagin bending or breaking any of this stuff. I've bent, broken and sent to an early grave 3 bumpers since I'v had this TJ (my second one, it's an '02), two front and one rear.
If anyone was wondering, I'd say get it. If you don't get one, try and replicate their build in your own shop.

How about some pix? Or maybe a link?

BlackJack

You got it. Sorry it took so long I was in Green Bay yesterday. Here are some real pics of the front bumper. I'll post more as soon as I can.....



Dang, can't see anything in this photo. (and it's the wrong photo) I'll try again....

Yea, they have some nice stuff.

Just wondering, what kind of bumpers did you have before?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: B0BK4T,

quote:

Originally posted by RENEGADE:
Yea, they have some nice stuff.

Just wondering, what kind of bumpers did you have before?

Smittybilt Double Tube and The stocker in this photo...... hehehe, what the h311 is DC thinking putting these on their Jeeps????

This message has been edited. Last edited by: B0BK4T,

Nice. What's up with the cutouts near the bumper ends. Does this expose the inside of the tube or are they sealed around? Looks MUCH better than what you had!

BlackJack

It's all sealed. Nothing in, no water, no mud, no ice or snow.
I liked the look of the double tube smitty's I had before, but this look is growing on me. It really looks better than this roached stocker. Thanks.

UPDATE: I still like this kit, but you may have do modify it. Not all TJ's are the same.

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no pix show up for me (except the first real small one) ...

Here's what I was grinding on. (I'm not the best welder, but I'm a hell of a good grinder )




Also, cut a small rubber hose and slip it over the pin to keep it from rattling. (that rattling will drive you mad! )

This message has been edited. Last edited by: B0BK4T,

quote:

Originally posted by Iceman:
no pix show up for me (except the first real small one) ...

Yeah, too bad you can't see them. They are all pics of naked ladies! Boy, you're really missin something here!


Sorry, Iceman. Try this:

http://cards.webshots.com/invite/pickup/106875123prSz/album/483221655ADpGri

BobK4T:

Ah ha, so here's what you were referring to in the winch thread. Wow, you're a helluva grinder, dude!

Those wouldn't be Rokmen frame tie-ins, would they?

Jeez, the grinding pic is great: sunny fall day, working outside on something fun (not tripping over sh!t in an overstuffed garage bay....) Well done you!

BlackJack

Naw, they came with the kit. It really is all inclusive. I didn't have to get anything else, it was all there.

I live in the sticks. It's funny I always wanted to have my driveway/workspace poured in concrete. I hate dropping parts in the dirt/sand. It takes time to clean those things up.

Those look good! I have to wonder though, did they copy off of Bullet Proof's design or visa-versa? About the only difference I see is the cutouts in the ends of the bumpers. The latch on the SOC seems a little different. If their rr bumper and SOC is anything like BP's, you'll love it!

Exactly what I thought. Bullet Proof was around first, so they probably set the standard. The thing I liked about them most is that they are soo much like bullet proof. I've been a BP fan for years.

Yeah I loved my BP rr bumper w/SOC. That thing was rock solid! I had a Safari Rack and usually when I would load it to go somewhere, I would stand on top of my spare. Even with it opened and me on top, it never sagged or rattled. I'm not exactly a small boy. With me and the weight of my SSR spare, I figured there was about 375lbs of weight on the hinge. Never a problem. The other thing I loved about BP was their warranty. "You bend it or break it, We buy it". But I guess you pay for that warranty though. Does Body Armour have anything like that? One of the things I like about their rr bumper is, you get the frame brackets included where BP's are an additional cost.

On your rr bumper where the cutouts are, could you put some small aux. backup lights in there, or are they not big enough? In some of the pics I've seen, I've alwasy been able to see the cutouts were through and through on the front bumpers, but the rear looks as though the back side is solid. But then again, it may be the rear cross member I'm seeing?

Dang, you sure have a good eye! The cutouts in front go all the way through, but in the rear the back side is solid. I think it's so mud/rocks don't fly through and hit anyone or anything. Really, good eye. That back plate does make it easy to drill a hole and mount lights.

The first thing I did was sit on the swing out tire carrier and man is it solid. No bend, no sag, nothing.

This thing is rock solid! Of course it's too early to tell how well it'll hold up. I will most certainly keep everyone posted on the performance.

Update:
Well I broke a mutha f*$^ing nut off inside the mutha f*^$ing frame!

F*^K!!!!!!!!!!

OK, here's the deal. I will post pics tomorrow when I have a solution in place.
The square tube frame has two nuts factory welded to the inside. My TJ having been under water and mud most of it's life has rust. When I tried to remove the bumper to upgrade with the new one, one of the nuts broke lose from the frame. It just couldn't be the one on the outside position (towards the front of the Jeep where I could freaking weld it back on), it was the one behind the tube that runs from passenger side to driver side (providing support to the front end by tieing the two frame ends together).

Plan:
I am going to take a piece of plate steel 1 3/4 " wide by 2 1/2 " long, drill two holes (with their centers 1 3/8 " apart) and weld two nuts to it. I will then slip it in from the front side, temporarily hold it in place with silicone. Then slip the new bumper on and start both bolts.

from BobK4T;

quote:

Dang, you sure have a good eye! The cutouts in front go all the way through, but in the rear the back side is solid. I think it's so mud/rocks don't fly through and hit anyone or anything. Really, good eye. That back plate does make it easy to drill a hole and mount lights.

I saw a set of lights that I thought would fit in those cutouts. It was either PIAA or IPF I can't remmember which one.

I've been planning for a Hanson front bumper, if I happened to go with BA's, I almost think I might cut the ends off flush with the inner part of the cutouts to give a little more unobstructed approch for the front tires. Does the front bumper have any light mounting tabs on the top hoop? If not, I guess they would be easy enough to add.