Cheap tubular bumper vs stock bumper in a wreck?

Moab

Moab

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I'm contemplating putting this...

sb-76721-2_2608.jpg


...on my Jeep. Solely for the purpose of avoiding worse accidents. (OK. They look cool too. Mind you I'm not using them to pull anything out. They're just for looks. Although the rear tubular bumper in this set is tow rated to like 5000lbs(?).)

My theory is it's better to have something hit your $200 tubular bumper and bend the crap out of it. Rather than have them shove my fenders, grill, hood etc. into my engine bay - if I just used my stock bumper.

Seems like I'd walk away the better for having used a $200 tubular bumper that sticks out and saves the Jeep from further damage(?). Rather than run the stock bumpers.

But then I thought of frame damage. But assume that the cheap tubular bumpers may not have the strength the do that? And that they'd crumple and take the worst of the beating? Any thoughts? Or am I out to lunch on this?
 
Guaranteed you’ll do more damage to the other guy (and protect your TJ more) with that gnarly tube bumper.
 
I dont have the picture but smittybilt has something similar, someone posted pictures after a wreck and it was just a thin, hollow tube. Even if you do hit someone that thing isnt going to protect anything.
 
I just replaced my front and rear bumpers with some EAG bumpers. My front is solid stubby not all tubes like the one you show. It's this model...
71B4O-X0GkL._AC_UL436_.jpg
Bottom line is I was really surprised at how light the stock bumper was when I removed it. I could easily lift it with one hand... the replacement was a two person job to lift and hold while aligning the bolts. I can't see the stock offering much safety or protection above or beyond most any aftermarket bumper including the one you show.
 
Having just gotten rear ended about two hours ago, steel bumpers (or really any bumpers) help over stock. I got rear ended going about 3 miles an hour coming off a stop light. I ended up with no damage, the other guy (a chevy trailblazer) had damage to his hood and grill from I assume my tire and bumper. He didn't even want to file a police report.
 
coherent said:
I just replaced my front and rear bumpers with some EAG bumpers. My front is solid stubby not all tubes like the one you show. It's this model...
View attachment 91272
Bottom line is I was really surprised at how light the stock bumper was when I removed it. I could easily lift it with one hand... the replacement was a two person job to lift and hold while aligning the bolts. I can't see the stock offering much safety or protection above or beyond most any aftermarket bumper including the one you show.
Click to expand...

I have that smittybilt and it's the same, it's heavy and surprisingly pretty well made, from what I can see is that part where you bolt this one to the frame is the same thickness than the OEM one the tubes are then welded to it, but I might be wrong.
I actually have a question to the engineers of this board, I always thought that softer bumper would behave like crumple zones and absorb the impact instead of sending it to the frame, is it wrong? Shouldn't a bumper be actually hollow or at least engineered to crumple under a certain impact?
 
It seems to me that in an accident, if you are not going to get into the crumple zone, the greater the surface area that makes contact with the object hit the better. If that is correct, tube bumpers offer very little surface area and would be subject to collapse before anything gets transferred to the frame.
 
Here’s mine filled out with a winch. It looked alright. I’ve since gotten rid of it because I didn’t like how far it stuck out from the front.
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As far as durability, I feel like it would have destroyed anything it came in contact with.
 
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I have the same bumper up front, I'd place odds on doing more damage to whatever you hit than what you may incur, speed dependent of course. This will be far better than an OEM bumper in that regard either way.

Side benefit... You can tie things to it for short trips. Darn TJ just isn't conducive to bringing certain things home from the hardware store but I've been know to lash things across the rear facing spurs on the outside of the front of the bumper for a short jaunt home. And yes, we live in a rural area, folks are used to seeing "Clampett moving techniques 101" in use. (No, my match rifles do NOT ride out there, that's what folding stocks are for).

20190418_183612.jpg
 
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If you have the skills and time a homemade bumper can be made for less money and probably much better quality. You can get a cheap tube bender at harbor freight that will do the job. Just a thought.
...unless you don't have a welder then I'll shut up haha
 
theRealCrazy said:
....
I actually have a question to the engineers of this board, I always thought that softer bumper would behave like crumple zones and absorb the impact instead of sending it to the frame, is it wrong? Shouldn't a bumper be actually hollow or at least engineered to crumple under a certain impact?
Click to expand...

Jeep figured that stuff out with their bumper and the requirements from that time. Once you go aftermarket, you throw that aspect of the engineering out the window.
 
After lots of exposure to them and having seen parts of them few owners would, I wouldn't install a Smittybilt bumper if they paid me to.

I was going to post the photo in TJ Enthusiast's #14 post above but since he already did, here's another fine Smittybilt bumper after its tire carrier snapped off where it was only surface welded to the top of the bumper. That amazing design doesn't even have any bearings where the swingout it mounted onto the tube that broke off the bumper. It has nothing more than a post with a hollow tube slipped over the top of it for the carrier to be able to open and close. Cheapest design I've ever had the displeasure of seeing the inside of. Smittybilt strikes again.

Smittybilt tire carrier fell off.jpg
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
After lots of exposure to them and having seen parts of them few owners would, I wouldn't install a Smittybilt bumper if they paid me to.

I was going to post the photo in TJ Enthusiast's #14 post above but since he already did, here's another fine Smittybilt bumper after its tire carrier snapped off where it was only surface welded to the top of the bumper. That amazing design doesn't even have any bearings where the swingout it mounted onto the tube that broke off the bumper. It has nothing more than a post with a hollow tube slipped over the top of it for the carrier to be able to open and close. Cheapest design I've ever had the displeasure of seeing the inside of. Smittybilt strikes again.

View attachment 91282
Click to expand...
I got the smittybilt tailgate cover and while its nothing to brag about it does its job.... any of their products intended for any type structural importance yeah no
 
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