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Bryan Irons photos
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
Yup, it’s all got to go, from the stock bumper to the spare tire mounting brackets. We decided to start on the rear just because we knew it was going to be the lion’s share of the work.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
Ground zero looked like this once we got all the old hardware into a dumpster.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
Make sure to read the directions, unlike us who had to fumble our way through before breaking them out. Piper, our shop dog for the day, was called in to keep an eye on our progress, or lack thereof.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
We hate packing bearings, but it’s a necessary evil, we really like the added support of the double shear configuration.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
Left and right handed threaded rod ends are included to get any play out of the carrier. We had to make a few tweaks to get ours to fit properly and not rattle. Put the tire on first to get the finished weight on it before making any final adjustments.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
Much better! The rear bumper only took a few hours of fumbling around the shop to get in place.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
We won’t bore you with stripping down the shoulder pads and underwire front end on a JK’s, but this is where we needed to start building from.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
Really, it’s that easy. New hardware is included and all the brackets lined up. Bolting on the pods was a bit of an effort just because of clearance issues. The factory fog lights neatly tucked into their new home in the bumper. The winch can be installed before or after the bumper is put on, just make sure you have a buddy who can lift more than his skirt to help out.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
We say buy it all in one shot and save some dough, and DOH(!) if you forget a piece of recovery equipment. Everything in one bag will make for a less stressful recovery. Remember to keep an eye out for a Rugged Ridge winch review soon.
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Bryan Irons photos
Installing Rugged Ridge Bumpers on a JK
We managed to stuff everything in the recovery kit, including the bag and winch remote and still had room to spare - much better than a bunch of parts roaming around in the back of your rig.
Story & photos by Bryan Irons
We know, we know, “A set of bumpers on a JK, way to push the envelope people”. And normally we would agree with you. Recent law enforcement changes have resulted in the curtailing of off-road products used on the street and have been deemed “unsafe”. The Sonny Curtis song “I fought the law and the law won,” rings clear so we were glad to find Rugged Ridge parts that keep us from the losing end of the battle and out of the watchful eye of “The Man”.
Bumper widths are one of the more noticeable infractions we see wheelers getting tickets for and decided from the get-go that full width units were on the agenda to keep the heat score low. The front steel XHD winch bumper we chose is actually a modular unit with dozens of different options for light mounts, stingers, bumper extensions and other accessories for a unique look or to achieve the functionality you desire. Out of the box the XHD starts as a great looking stubby bumper, and while it is well suited on the trail, we didn’t want to try our luck driving around town so we also ordered Rugged Ridges XHD storage bumper ends. For not much more than the standard ends we get to use all that empty space with sealed lockable tops. It’s a great place to stash all the recovery gear we would normally tote around in the back.
Our recovery gear was starting to get a little long in the tooth so we grabbed a complete kit as well. For the price, it’s hard to justify piecing out all the included hardware one part at a time. Besides, you can never have too much recovery gear. The XHD 20k kit includes gloves, shackles, recovery strap, tree saver, snatch block and a winch line weight suitable for the winch we picked up. An 8500 lb heavy-duty unit came in a package deal with the other Rugged Ridge parts we got. Keep an eye out for a review once we put it though our usual battery of abuse.
The Jeep JK that the new bumpers were going on was already outfitted with a short lift and 35-in tires, so a rear bumper with a tire carrier was a must. Again the XHD line came to the rescue with a piece that follows the body line nicely and leaves plenty of room for the 35’s. Although we know many who still use the rear door as their tire carrier with oversized rubber, the stress on the latch and hinges, which are not designed for a 50 kg spare bouncing down the trail, is a recipe for disaster. The spindle mounted tire carrier attaches in a double shear configuration for added strength and opens and closes with the rear gate. The tire mount itself is adjustable to get your spare rubber high enough not to scrape coming off ledges, and low enough to use the rear view mirror.
So far we’re really happy with the setup; the heavy-duty shackles on the bumpers have soft bushings to keep them from rattling and clanking on the trail. The added storage of the pods in front means that we don’t have to pack our nasty recovery gear in the cab. We’re not sure what to call the finish on these units, as it looks like they were dipped in bed liner but have the consistency of powder coating. Raw steel can be ordered, as well as units made of aluminum. All these small things show that Rugged Ridge was looking out for what we needed in a set of bumpers. Our only real issue at this time is the availability of so many options for the XHD line; we can’t decide what to put on the wish list next!
Rugged Ridge - www.ruggedridge.com