Barnes 4x4 Low Profile Bumper

[JHammett]

Anybody running this bumper? I emailed them and they said it is 28lbs, which seems to me to be very light. Could that light of a bumper compromise strength and durability?

I am looking for something that can give me a bit better departure angle (while maintaining recovery points and a receiver) since my current bumper was getting hung up on stuff unnecessarily.

https://barnes4wd.com/products/tj-l...r-with-2-receiver?_pos=4&_sid=c1493bb7c&_ss=r

 

[AndyG]

Anybody running this bumper? I emailed them and they said it is 28lbs, which seems to me to be very light. Could that light of a bumper compromise strength and durability?

I am looking for something that can give me a bit better departure angle (while maintaining recovery points and a receiver) since my current bumper was getting hung up on stuff unnecessarily.

https://barnes4wd.com/products/tj-l...r-with-2-receiver?_pos=4&_sid=c1493bb7c&_ss=r

I don’t have it but I did a bumper recently- So I’m kind of still in that mindset-

I like everything about that bumper- At that price at 28lbs it looks great- You might consider some bumper to frame reinforcement brackets if you can find some they’re not a lot of money and they make everything a lot stronger at the two corners.

 

[JHammett]

I don’t have it but I did a bumper recently- So I’m kind of still in that mindset-

I like everything about that bumper- At that price at 28lbs it looks great- You might consider some bumper to frame reinforcement brackets if you can find some they’re not a lot of money and they make everything a lot stronger at the two corners.

Looking into it more, I am unsure about not protecting the bottom corners of the rear quarter panels. Maybe a bumper that extends out more on each side may be better.

 

[AndyG]

Looking into it more, I am unsure about not protecting the bottom corners of the rear quarter panels. Maybe a bumper that extends out more on each side may be better.

Well that is the hazard when you drop off of something- @Jamison C can tell you a little bit about that.

I’ve got one TJ that the bumper wraps around and one that it does not.

 

[rasband]

There's a few design issues with that bumper, such as the lack of it being boxed in around the rear crossmember. I went with the next venture plate because it was the best designed one I could find of the low profile bumper plate options (swag, genright, barnes being the others I remember at the time).

No matter which you choose, however, the corners of the tub are exposed. If you wheel enough, they're going to see some things.

 

[Jamison C]

Well that is the hazard when you drop off of something- @Jamison C can tell you a little bit about that.

I’ve got one TJ that the bumper wraps around and one that it does not.

I solved that problem by never taking my Jeep off road again!

 

[inkedrose]

not protecting the bottom corners of the rear quarter panels.

That was first thing I thought when I saw it

 

[06TJ35's]

There's a few design issues with that bumper, such as the lack of it being boxed in around the rear crossmember. I went with the next venture plate because it was the best designed one I could find of the low profile bumper plate options (swag, genright, barnes being the others I remember at the time).

No matter which you choose, however, the corners of the tub are exposed. If you wheel enough, they're going to see some things.

One more. Ruff stuff. They have some in clearance.
https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GSR2439-E
“These bumpers may not be as aesthetically pleasing (bad weld, slight warpage, surface rust, grime, etc) but does not change its effectiveness. All clearance sales are final”

 

[TheBoogieman]

One more. Ruff stuff. They have some in clearance.
https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GSR2439-E
“These bumpers may not be as aesthetically pleasing (bad weld, slight warpage, surface rust, grime, etc) but does not change its effectiveness. All clearance sales are final”

57lbs.

 

[jjvw]

One more. Ruff stuff. They have some in clearance.
https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=GSR2439-E
“These bumpers may not be as aesthetically pleasing (bad weld, slight warpage, surface rust, grime, etc) but does not change its effectiveness. All clearance sales are final”

RS is making the same mistake as Barnes and Genright by not enclosing the rear crossmember. Next venture and Swag are the better options.

 

[Zorba]

Next Venture seems to be out of the TJ business - at least, there was no TJ stuff on their website last time I looked (fairly recently). Their 3 bolt bumper brace was the best in the business.

 

[DaveC]

UCF and Dirtworx both cover out to the ends of the tub corners. I run the UCF hybrid and it actuality saved my passenger side corner on one of the first runs after installation.

 

[jjvw]

Next Venture seems to be out of the TJ business - at least, there was no TJ stuff on their website last time I looked (fairly recently). Their 3 bolt bumper brace was the best in the business.

Without receiver
https://nextventuremotorsports.com/products/tjlj-ultra-high-clearance-rear-bumper

With receiver
https://nextventuremotorsports.com/products/tj-457

 

[JMT]

Looking into it more, I am unsure about not protecting the bottom corners of the rear quarter panels. Maybe a bumper that extends out more on each side may be better.

@Mike_H fixed that problem by extending the corners.

 

[Mike_H]

@Mike_H fixed that problem by extending the corners.

Different bumper, but yes, I did extend the corners on the barnes bumper plate

 

[Woodrow]

I have that bumper. Looks nice and is light but above concern about lack of corner protection is valid and I'll add that its not too beefy (3/16" steel). The receiver is not tow rated and I wouldn't use for that. The D-ring mounts are only welded on the outside. They do go through and I welded mine on the inside as well but the structure is light enough that I would still be corned about damage with a hard pull.

They also come with company logo laser cut into the driver side, so I had to weld that closed before powder coating.

 

[Longwhitejeep]

RS is making the same mistake as Barnes and Genright by not enclosing the rear crossmember. Next venture and Swag are the better options.

Ruff stuff also developed a new rear bumper that is relatively low-profile and offers wrap around protection. Unfortunately it only uses the 6 existing mounting holes with no reasonable way to add more mounting holes.

 

[JHammett]

They also developed a new rear bumper that is relatively low-profile and offers wrap around protection. Unfortunately it only uses the 6 existing mounting holes with no reasonable way to add more mounting holes.

https://barnes4wd.com/products/tj-lj-yj-low-profile-rear-bumper

Is this the one you are mentioning?

 

[PurpleTJAZ]

I thought I would chime in as I was there when you dragged your existing bumper over that ledge Saturday. The minimalist bumpers are light and have a great departure angle, however you are leaving that large 35" spare tire very exposed. Taking direct hits to the tire rather than the bumper deflecting some of the impacts is going to take a toll on your tailgate. There are lots of ways to skin that cat. Protection (tub corners, spare tire, gate) vs. weight vs. price vs. moving the spare to the interior. Most of the aluminum bumper I have looked at are over 40lbs. so there's that. If I was to go that route maybe something like this from RuffStuff https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/R2506-A . Just my 2 cents.

 

[jjvw]

I thought I would chime in as I was there when you dragged your existing bumper over that ledge Saturday. The minimalist bumpers are light and have a great departure angle, however you are leaving that large 35" spare tire very exposed. Taking direct hits to the tire rather than the bumper deflecting some of the impacts is going to take a toll on your tailgate. There are lots of ways to skin that cat. Protection (tub corners, spare tire, gate) vs. weight vs. price vs. moving the spare to the interior. Most of the aluminum bumper I have looked at are over 40lbs. so there's that. If I was to go that route maybe something like this from RuffStuff https://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/R2506-A . Just my 2 cents.

You build for what you want the Jeep to do. Mine needs a minimal bumper and it needs corners for reasons beyond the lack of bumper protection. And the spare will eventually go into the bed for reasons other than it's exposure hanging of the rear. Regardless, any bumper enormous enough to protect the spare tire is too enormous if a bumper.