Front bumper options.

[Jaybird91]

Hello i wanted to see if anyone tried to use this i found online . I was thinking of upgrading my front bumper on my 04 KJ but it is fabricated for 07+ Wrangler , JL, and JT. I like it and its cheaper than ARB . Can it be done? Any tips thanks!

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[tommudd]

Can it be done ? Sure anything can be done with enough welding and cutting
Will it look good ? NO !!
It will look like exactly what it is, a bumper from another model, not the right width, will not fit the front curves that KJs have and look like you went to junkyard and just grabbed anything
The TJs/ JKs etc have a flat front, KJs are curved, so you end up with center touching the grill and the outside edges sticking way out in front of the flares
PLUS the fact you will never get it bolted on as strong as an ARB and have seen pictures of many of them torn off due to just slapping them on

IF and I say IF there was a bumper from a TJ/JK/ etc that looked like it would fit right and look good I would of done it YEARS ago.
I even have a mount welded up here to mount a TJ bumper to, that would be easy to fit, strong and dependable but never found a bumper that would not stick out like a zit on the end of your girlfriends nose

Now if you want to know how I really feel about it

 

[Jaybird91]

Can it be done ? Sure anything can be done with enough welding and cutting
Will it look good ? NO !!
It will look like exactly what it is, a bumper from another model, not the right width, will not fit the front curves that KJs have and look like you went to junkyard and just grabbed anything
The TJs/ JKs etc have a flat front, KJs are curved, so you end up with center touching the grill and the outside edges sticking way out in front of the flares
PLUS the fact you will never get it bolted on as strong as an ARB and have seen pictures of many of them torn off due to just slapping them on

IF and I say IF there was a bumper from a TJ/JK/ etc that looked like it would fit right and look good I would of done it YEARS ago.
I even have a mount welded up here to mount a TJ bumper to, that would be easy to fit, strong and dependable but never found a bumper that would not stick out like a zit on the end of your girlfriends nose

Now if you want to know how I really feel about it

Thanks . Thats what I needed.. some good honest feedback. I came across the “rock lizard fab” design but is discontinued from what i found. So the only real way is ARB.?

 

[tommudd]

I had one of the last Rock Lizard bumpers and that was back in 2012 I think
So yes ARB is about it , sad, but KJs are such a small market
I built 10 rear KJ bumpers back years ago
Problem is you have to produce a 100 or more to make it even half way profitable

 

[Doing10to20]

Those tj bumpers can look good..you just need to do a bit of work around them to get them too. But I've seen 2 so far one in moab and one here in AZ where the guys did them right, installed right and secure and they had function turn signals and had cleaned up at the bad looking plastic and closed up the gaps. Both had winches installed on them also.They looked clean,I say go for it

 

[tommudd]

Have to do a lot of cutting/ trimming/ redo mounts etc to look even half way good, plus proportions are generally way off as far as matching width, grill opening etc
Not something I would want hanging on the front of mine
with that said I have had 4 different TJ/JK bumpers here trying to out, 2 each from different manufactures

Much easier to start from scratch

 

[KJDave]

Black Horse has a pretty good looking bumper that wraps the headlights for a liberty. Does anyone have any past experience with a Black Horse bumper??

 

[CrazyDrei]

Hello i wanted to see if anyone tried to use this i found online . I was thinking of upgrading my front bumper on my 04 KJ but it is fabricated for 07+ Wrangler , JL, and JT. I like it and its cheaper than ARB . Can it be done? Any tips thanks!

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Jaybird91,

That bumper looks fantastic and I think it will look great on the Liberty with minimal work.

Don't take Tom too seriously, he only knows how to bolt up trinkets that someone else made and likes to discourage any new ideas.

Get that bumper. Mounting it is way easier and sturdier than you think.

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Get two of these hitch pintle hook mounts. They are about $40 shipped on eBay and around the same price at Harbor Freight.

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Liberty has frame channel holes in the front bumper under the caps. Find the bottom of the frame channel and cut out a 2"x2" hole in both channels and insert the pintle hitch mounts.

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Line up the bumper where you think it will set best and mark the location on the pintle hitch plates. Attach the pintle hitch plate to the bumper at the marked locations and stick it back into the channel. Drill out two 3/8" holes in the frame channels that go through the 2x2" steel, run a couple bolts through them and you are done.

One more thing, that particular Rock Rage 39306 bumper is 4" narrower than a OEM JK bumper I have pictured above so it should fit the lines of your Liberty flawlessly.

Go for it and give it a shot, post come pictures while you are at it. There is nothing wrong with getting to know your KJ better and fitting on a bumper that you like rather than taking the easiest way out and bolting up a bumper that costs more than your KJ because everyone else does it.

Good luck and hope that this helped give you some tips rather than saying don't do it because I haven't figured out how to do it.

Cheers!

 

[tommudd]

Crazy, once again you have no friggin clue in what I have or have not done or what I think or do
I was running 38s on a 4X4 78 Dodge van years before you were a wet spot
As far as brackets to bolt a Wrangler bumper to a KJ we made them up back in 2007 to do just that
But a Wrangler bumper on a KJ looked like crap , so it is nothing new

 

[CrazyDrei]

Crazy, once again you have no friggin clue in what I have or have not done or what I think or do
I was running 38s on a 4X4 78 Dodge van years before you were a wet spot
As far as brackets to bolt a Wrangler bumper to a KJ we made them up back in 2007 to do just that
But a Wrangler bumper on a KJ looked like crap , so it is nothing new

tommudd,

Is harassment by a moderator really tolerated in this forum?

Asking for everyone you have harassed and insulted...

 

[duderz7]

Op asked for opinions, Tom shared his, sure he didn't sugar coat it, you shared yours and bagged on Tom then got your feelings hurt when he didn't just sit back and take it? Last I checked we're all still entitled to our opinions. Can't say I 100% agree with either one of you 100% of the time. You guys have very different perspectives which makes for a diverse forum, but the personal attacks are ridiculous. You guys probably shouldn't play together.