My New Jeep Bumper

[zmotorsports]

I finally got around to fabricating a new front bumper for my Grand Cherokee a month or so ago. I incorporated my tow points into the front bumper which will be used to tow the Jeep behind our coach as well as can be used for recovery points if the need arises. I also frenched in some driving lights and cut some reliefs in the underside to allow air to flow through the condenser/radiator. The sides of the stock plastic bumper were 15" in height and I cut that down to around 8.5" to improve my approach angle for off-roading. After completing the fabrication I had it powder coated to somewhat match the side panels. It is textured so it also helps to hide the rockchips a little. I am also going to fabricate sliders for the sides as well as a rear bumper with a swing-away tire carrier. Those will probably be a couple months away yet as I am too busy right now to get to them. Thanks for looking. Mike.

Here is the start of the project with the stock bumper cover and supports removed. Making preperations for the mounting points.

Here is a good start with the main section tacked in place.

Here is the fab work completed and ready to remove and send to the powder coater.

The next two are completed and installed.

Here is the old girl hooked up behind the coach using the tow-points with the new Roadmaster Sterling coach mounted towbar.

 

[anodyne33]

Sweet. I really like the underside. It reminds me of what Hanson does for the XJ.

 

[Rockford514]

Very nice work man

 

[leftyz]

I really like it, I'd love to know more about what happens between pic #2 and #3..

Great work!

 

[CitadelBlue]

I have a question RE: towbars and towing of a vehicle with automatic transmission ..... I've used a towbar on my 1973 Capri - towed it from Charleston SC to Kingsville TX and many shorter distance. The Capri had a manual transmission. Slip the ****** into neutral, disconnect the battery, turn and key to the on position (to unlock the steering) connect the tow bar and year are ready to start tow, I never had a ****** or diff issue. How do all of the RV guys tow a car that appears to have have automatic transmissions. I heard that towing one in neutral means death to the ****** .....

Enlighten me .... Thanks

 

[frankreno]

I have a question RE: towbars and towing of a vehicle with automatic transmission ..... I've used a towbar on my 1973 Capri - towed it from Charleston SC to Kingsville TX and many shorter distance. The Capri had a manual transmission. Slip the ****** into neutral, disconnect the battery, turn and key to the on position (to unlock the steering) connect the tow bar and year are ready to start tow, I never had a ****** or diff issue. How do all of the RV guys tow a car that appears to have have automatic transmissions. I heard that towing one in neutral means death to the ****** .....

Enlighten me .... Thanks

Your answer can be found a www.rv.net
Good people.

 

[leftyz]

quick answer is remove the driveshaft, but yeah, a bit off topic

 

[Buxfan]

Nice work- I like it!

 

[zmotorsports]

I have a question RE: towbars and towing of a vehicle with automatic transmission ..... I've used a towbar on my 1973 Capri - towed it from Charleston SC to Kingsville TX and many shorter distance. The Capri had a manual transmission. Slip the ****** into neutral, disconnect the battery, turn and key to the on position (to unlock the steering) connect the tow bar and year are ready to start tow, I never had a ****** or diff issue. How do all of the RV guys tow a car that appears to have have automatic transmissions. I heard that towing one in neutral means death to the ****** .....

Enlighten me .... Thanks

Leave the transmission in 'Park' and put the transfer case in 'Neutral'. Works great, one of biggest reasons we purchased our first Jeep over sixteen years ago. I have been hooked on them ever since and we are on our third Jeep now. My son's Jeep has been towed over 50K miles in the past twelve years and this Jeep has already been towed about 5K this year alone.

I had the foldable towbar that mounted on the front of the Jeep and it would collapse and fold down parallel to the front bumper on my son's Jeep but I wanted this one to use the coach mounted towbar system and have the attachment points designed and built into the bumper so there is nothing to have to remove or store when we get to our destination. I also incorporated the safety cable attachment points into the bumper so nothing is hanging below the bumper after disconnecting the tow bar.

When I haul the Jeep in our Haulmark Edge trailer I also use the towbar mounts to hook the in floor winch to and pull the Jeep into the trailer. They work great. Mike

 

[HOTFR8]

quick answer is remove the driveshaft, but yeah, a bit off topic

I would have suggested that.

Leave the transmission in 'Park' and put the transfer case in 'Neutral'.

OK, That is interesting I have heard the Suzuki 4x4 can be towed with Autos trans but never knew how it was done.

Any more photos of your Jeep with the A frame hooked to your Coach ?

By the way that is a nicely done bumper bar.

 

[zmotorsports]

I would have suggested that.



OK, That is interesting I have heard the Suzuki 4x4 can be towed with Autos trans but never knew how it was done.

Any more photos of your Jeep with the A frame hooked to your Coach ?

By the way that is a nicely done bumper bar.

I don't have any detailed enough pics of the towbar hooked up to the coach but I will take a couple next time I am hooked up.

Here is the towbar system that I am using. I am just not using the adapter mounting plate that mounts to the Jeep. The arms from the towbar connect directly to my bumper as well as the safety cables and electrical connector so my brake lights are connected to the coach's lights. Mike.

http://www.etrailer.com/Tow-Bars/Roadmaster/RM-575.html

 

[z28snksknr]

Back on topic...., what paint did you use for the bumper? Is that a textured paint or just the pic making it look like it? Either way, I'd like to see some additional fab pics as well. Good work!

 

[HOTFR8]

I don't have any detailed enough pics of the towbar hooked up to the coach but I will take a couple next time I am hooked up.

Thank you.

Here is the towbar system that I am using. I am just not using the adapter mounting plate that mounts to the Jeep. The arms from the towbar connect directly to my bumper as well as the safety cables and electrical connector so my brake lights are connected to the coach's lights. Mike.

http://www.etrailer.com/Tow-Bars/Roadmaster/RM-575.html

Again thank you.

Back on topic...., what paint did you use for the bumper? Is that a textured paint or just the pic making it look like it? Either way, I'd like to see some additional fab pics as well. Good work!

Sorry to go off topic, If you read the post you would see zmotorsports had the bar powder coated and not painted. Some powdercoating can have that texture finish and it can make something look very different. I have had the texture finish done before on many things.

 

[zmotorsports]

Back on topic...., what paint did you use for the bumper? Is that a textured paint or just the pic making it look like it? Either way, I'd like to see some additional fab pics as well. Good work!

It was powder coated. The color the shop calls it is 'silver vein'. It does have a textured look about it which is what I wanted to match the side panels as well as to help hide the rock chips that is will most likely gain in the coming years. Mike.

 

[senlow]

What gauge steel was used for your bumper?

 

[CoconutPete]

Great looking bumper! Makes me miss my 1998 Grand Cherokee! What year is that? Looks to be 96-98 based on the grill.

 

[zmotorsports]

What gauge steel was used for your bumper?

The center portion just below the grill and angled towards the axle/lower radiator is 3/16' P&O and the sides are 14 guage P&O. The mounting brackets that are welded to the backside and bolt to the inner structure of the formed frame rails are 1/4" cold rolled and the towbar/recovery mounting points on the front side are 5/16" cold rolled steel.

Great looking bumper! Makes me miss my 1998 Grand Cherokee! What year is that? Looks to be 96-98 based on the grill.

Thanks, it is a 96 with the 5.2/46RE combo. Mike.

 

[z28snksknr]

Thank you.

Again thank you.


Sorry to go off topic, If you read the post you would see zmotorsports had the bar powder coated and not painted.

sorry- must have missed that at first read. thanks though!