The Best Jeep Bumpers (Review) in 2023 | Autance

Cream of the all-American crop, the Jeep is one of the finest motors to have ever been created. Hard-wearing, versatile and agile, they look great on the road and keep you protected and comfortable off-road. Of course, like all cars, the factory version can sometimes be lacking in a few areas – such as the Jeep bumper.

Jeep front bumpers can often limit your clearance or, worse, be made of poor materials to save on money. With the recent models being suited more for standard domestic use and commuting, it’s fair to say that some Jeep Wrangler bumpers simply aren’t cut out for heavier use. Instead, it’s suggested that you purchase a fresh off-road bumper, instead.

Whether you’re after the best Jeep bumpers to keep up your image, or you’re after an off road bumper that will handle the tougher trails of life, our buying guide will give you everything you need to know about your next purchase.

The Best Jeep Bumper

Best Jeep Bumpers Buying Guide & FAQ

What to Consider When Buying Jeep Bumpers

• Size

You’ll need to be sure that the dimensions of your new purchase don’t hinder your driving in any way. Not only will the size of your new off-road bumpers have an aesthetic affect, it’s also a very important safety consideration. Your bumper should sit comfortably across the complete front or rear of your car, without danger of catching the tires at any point.

You can also affect the height of your bumper with three main different sizes – low, mid-range and high. The highest naturally provides better clearance and enables you to travel along more rugged paths. However, lower styles will look better on the road, as well as protecting more of the internal aspects and grill of your Jeep.

• Model

As with all cars, Jeep will come out with a new style and model of their favorite cars from time to time. These can affect the chassis and inner workings, depending on the time you purchase your Jeep. Thus, Jeep front bumpers can often come in just as many different designs and styles to match these and fit perfectly.

We’ve added the general expected fit on each of our Top Picks to give you a better idea of what you might be after for your particular Jeep Wrangler parts.

• Material

You’ll notice that the main material in many of the options above is steel. This is due to the overall versatility and strength that steel provides. However, within this, there are often different strengths of steel used, especially when looking at the different areas. For example, the tubing will often be a different gauge (or strength) to the rest of the bumper.

In order to check whether your steel is made to a good standard, there are some basics you should know. To begin, the larger the gauge number used, the thinner the metal – making it weaker and more prone to bending or breaking.

The other material that is often used in place of steel is a thick plastic. This is a great, cost-effective option if you’re looking for a simple replacement after a collision or general wear and tear. However, it does not have the strength or ability to hold as much weight and should never be used for Jeeps that are likely to be off-roading or used for commercial aspects.

Other options that are not based in our top list but can be used are discussed in more detail, below. Under “what materials are jeep bumpers made out of” we’ll talk about the pros and cons of each type and how it will affect your overall driving.

• Features and Installation

You’ll notice that the features can often make or break a purchase, improving upon the overall value of your latest item or helping to create a much more user-friendly option. In terms of Jeep bumpers, you’ll find that the range of features here go from being easier to install, to additional accessories.

If you don’t feel that you have the mechanical know-how to pop a bumper on, then it’s worth looking into requesting a fit from your local garage. That said, many of the options we’ve given you in our Top Picks have been chosen thanks to their being so easy to install. Often, you’ll notice that you won’t even need to use power tools at all – definitely a handy feature for those who want a simpler installation.

You should also remember that, the more features your off road bumpers have, the more difficult it will be to install. Having additional options such as built-in LEDs are a great option to increase your visibility (both for yourself and for others) but means that you’ll have to play around with the wiring during your installation.

One of the biggest features the best Jeep bumper has is the ability to add a winch and D-rings for additional towing and pulling capabilities. Most of our options come with high capacity, high strength options to work with many different types of winch. However, not all bumpers are created equal, and you should always check the capacity of these before buying to ensure the strength matches your requirements.

• Front/Rear

This might seem like an obvious choice, but many of the options provided to buyers online often only come with one or the other. Before you buy, you should consider which you need – more protection for your grill and a place for a winch, or somewhere to store your spare tire and provide additional protection to the rear of your car?

You can also buy sets, although these are often more restricting in size and design, as you can’t mix and match the way you can, when buying separate options. Whatever you decide on, be sure to check your new Jeep Wrangler parts are suitable for your use and made to the best quality.

• Type

When it comes to bumpers, you might think that there are only two types – front and back – possibly with some added leeway for material. However, the types of bumpers available are actually very different and can be quite complex. We discuss this in more detail, below.

Types Of Bumpers

• Standard

Also referred to as factory bumpers, these are the bog-standard Jeep Wrangler bumpers that come with the standard factory design and setting. In other words, they can look very nice but often aren’t up to the task of handling more rugged work. They usually have a base of thin steel or aluminum, before being covered with plastic.

• Deep Drop Bumper

Thicker and tougher than most other bumpers, deep drop bumpers (also referred to as cowboy bumpers by some) are best suited to towing. If you’re looking for a bumper for a recovery vehicle, this type should be your first port of call.

The downside to these is that they add considerable size to your Jeep, making them more difficult to confidently handle off road. The low bearing is also more likely to catch on items and become more easily damaged.

• Roll Pan Bumper

Smoother and sleeker, the roll pan bumper often fits in a more streamlined manner on your car. They are ideal for average road users who aren’t looking to kit out their vehicle with additional accessories or features. Because of their simple nature, they are also often one of the cheapest options. Unfortunately, this also means that their usage is limited.

• Step Bumper

Holding a similar design to the deep drop bumper, these are a larger style but come with a deep step in the middle. Ideal for easily reach the top of your vehicle, they can also be used for towing – albeit with a smaller capacity to others.

• Tube Bumpers

Usually relating more to an additional feature than the bumper itself, a tube bumper comes with an additional, tube-like piece of metal that comes up and over the grill section. This is one of the most common options when buying a new bumper because of the additional protection that this “cage” or “bar” provides.

Having the added length and a buffer between your grill and any other items can greatly reduce the damage given to your Jeep, should you have an accident. Many options also come with the addition of space for additional lighting, to help increase your visibility. Thus, they are best suited to off-roaders and business drivers.

How to Install Jeep Bumpers

• One of the most important things to remember when installing Jeep bumpers is that it’s totally fine to ask for help. For some of the items in our Top Picks, for example, it is recommended that a mechanic fit the bumper for you. However, since most of our options are based on a “no drilling required” style of fitting, we decided to give you a rough overview of how to install a jeep bumper.
• Before we start, be sure that you have everything you need to get started. In other words, a selection of sockets/wrenches, along with your screwdriver plus the bolts, washers and nuts (all of which should be included in your purchase) and a good supply of elbow grease. These should be the same for both front and rear Jeep Wrangler bumpers.
• You should also ensure that the bumper is the right fit and size for your needs and that all of your materials are ready – there are few things more frustrating than getting halfway through your job before realizing you need a component that is kept elsewhere.
• Check the underside of your car. Some will have access pins around the wheel wells but it’s most likely that you will simply need to remove the plastic clips from the lower valets with a flathead screwdriver.
• Your lower valet should simply come away when all of the clips have been removed.
• You’ll now need to remove your fog lights. These connections are behind the bumper, so you’ll need to reach behind and press down on the connector retaining clip while gently pulling the wiring away.
• You can use zip ties to keep the wiring out of your way. Of course, if your new bumper doesn’t have any lighting, it may be worth chasing the wiring and simply unplugging the wires altogether.
• You should then remove the nuts attaching the bumper to the frame with the appropriate socket wrench.
• You can now slightly pull the bumper outwards – being careful not to pull so hard that you pull on the wiring, which should now be exposed.
• Pull out the retaining clips which hold these wires in place – there should be four of these in total.
• You’ll now need to remove your upper valets. It’s preferred by many to use a hand drill here, as the screws can be very stiff or sometimes rusted into place.
• Be sure to keep any components you have removed, such as your nuts and bolts. While you should have a fresh collection with your bumper, it’s always good to have spares.
• Once this has been removed, you should be ready to install your new Jeep bumper!
• It’s important when installing your new Jeep Wrangler bumper that you also closely follow the manufacturer’s guidelines, as there may be some variation from below.
• Installing your new bumper should be easy from this point. Start by sliding your new front bumper on to your Jeep Wrangler – if you have a particularly heavy purchase, you may wish to get the help of a friend for this part.
• You can now use the wiring that you zip-tied earlier, to connect your new bulbs, if you have any.
• Use the provided parts and your socket wrench to refit the nuts and bolts into place, being sure that the bumper is attached firmly and securely.
• Give your new bumper a test drive with everything in place. If there is any rattling, check to see that all bolts are attached and feel free to screw them in tighter, if required.

Best Jeep Bumpers FAQ:

Our Top Pick

The Jeep Wrangler JK Rock Crawler Off road Front Bumper with Winch Mounting Plate from E-Autogrilles comes up as our Top Pick as it easily sits as the best Jeep bumper on the market, today. It’s easy to see why so many people love this bumper,  considering the overall aesthetic of this item along with how easily it fits and the high quality of materials used for this option.

Being packed with handy features such as the winch plate, D-rings, alternative lighting and direct bolt-on attachment, this is easily the best option for domestic and business users. All the hardware is included for this Jeep bumper, and customer service is excellent, so we’re sure you won’t regret purchasing this Jeep Wrangler bumper.

Source:

1. How to Buy a Good Quality Bumper – Your Mechanic