Factory bumper mods

Did a bumper delete and installed the Hitch, not sure if ill modify and re-install the OEM bumper . painted the sub frame to match the hitch finish. Need to decide how much to cut off the front bumper

JEEP TJ REAR Bumper 2.jpg
 
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I have the angled plastic ends on mine as well... Have been thinking about cutting it to this length, too. I'd really like to retain my fogs (shifted inside the hooks), but I think that tube behind the bumper would interfere with the mounting. Thoughts?
Leave enough on the end of the bumper to install the fogs in stock location? Or remove the bumper, install the fogs between the frame over the front crossmember tube, then re-install bumper?
 
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Stubby front by about 4" per side. Added Factory end caps
180B9378-A94D-4318-A1B1-B9A2DD962344_1_105_c.jpeg


Removed the milk jugs from the rear, added end caps and added LED aux lights controlled by Auxbeam S-Pod style switch panel
70D09718-9514-46B1-9C20-984E557657D6_1_105_c.jpeg
 
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When I was building my Wrangler pickup, I wanted a factory look but I also wanted a step bumper, and I needed a factory-looking place to mount the license plate, so I modified a factory bumper into a step bumper.

This would also be a good mod to allow a large spare to sit lower on the tailgate, it could fit in the step space and by lowering it provide more visibility over the spare out the back (might make the step space a little wider for this application). More recent Wranglers (JK's for example) have a recess in the bumper so the spare can sit lower, so modifying a TJ bumper like this could accomplish the same thing.

RetroBumper.jpg


RetroWranglerHT4.jpg


I can provide more details on the mod if anyone wants to do it.
 
When I was building my Wrangler pickup, I wanted a factory look but I also wanted a step bumper, and I needed a factory-looking place to mount the license plate, so I modified a factory bumper into a step bumper.

This would also be a good mod to allow a large spare to sit lower on the tailgate, it could fit in the step space and by lowering it provide more visibility over the spare out the back (might make the step space a little wider for this application). More recent Wranglers (JK's for example) have a recess in the bumper so the spare can sit lower, so modifying a TJ bumper like this could accomplish the same thing.

View attachment 331236

View attachment 331237

I can provide more details on the mod if anyone wants to do it.
your jeep looks bad ass sir!
 
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That's gonna look good, I like that look myself too.
It's got a small twist on the drivers end from where I slid sideways climbing a rock step up, it's hard to notice, but stands out to me :ROFLMAO:
I figured I could cut that out and with a Tomken winch plate it would look good.
 
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When I was building my Wrangler pickup, I wanted a factory look but I also wanted a step bumper, and I needed a factory-looking place to mount the license plate, so I modified a factory bumper into a step bumper.

This would also be a good mod to allow a large spare to sit lower on the tailgate, it could fit in the step space and by lowering it provide more visibility over the spare out the back (might make the step space a little wider for this application). More recent Wranglers (JK's for example) have a recess in the bumper so the spare can sit lower, so modifying a TJ bumper like this could accomplish the same thing.

View attachment 331236

View attachment 331237

I can provide more details on the mod if anyone wants to do it.

I'd be interested please

I did these drawings as part of the design process for the pickup.

StepBumper1.jpg


StepBumper2.jpg


The center step section is made from 1/4" steel plate, welded together. The factory bumper has a section cut out of it that's the same length as the step, and the bumper sections attach to the step section with bolts. I didn't weld the bumper sections to the center section because doing so would ruin the powder coat on the bumper sections. All I did was touch up the cut ends of the bumper sections with black paint - I did this over 10 years ago and the bumper still looks great so for my use painting the cut ends was the right way to go. If you wanted more strength you could weld the bumper sections to the center section and refinish everything.

The center section bolts to the rear frame crossmember using flathead screws countersunk into the back steel plate of the center section.

A view of the unfinished center section:

StepBumper3.jpg


I did the bumper mod before I cut the LJ in half to turn it into a pickup, so here are some photos of the bumper on the stock LJ. The step is centered and the factory spare mount isn't, so the spare and the step don't line up exactly but that's ok because the bumper on the stock LJ was temporary. If you were doing this bumper to allow a larger spare to sit lower on the tailgate you might want to a) position the step section so it's centered under the spare and b) make the step section wider so the spare could fit lower into it.

StepBumper5.jpg


A closer view. You can see where the license plate lights are, but the plate isn't installed yet; that was done when I did the rest of the pickup conversion.

StepBumper4.jpg


If there's anything that isn't clear from the above, I'll be happy to provide more information.
 
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I did these drawings as part of the design process for the pickup.

View attachment 331909

View attachment 331910

The center step section is made from 1/4" steel plate, welded together. The factory bumper has a section cut out of it that's the same length as the step, and the bumper sections attach to the step section with bolts. I didn't weld the bumper sections to the center section because doing so would ruin the powder coat on the bumper sections. All I did was touch up the cut ends of the bumper sections with black paint - I did this over 10 years ago and the bumper still looks great so for my use painting the cut ends was the right way to go. If you wanted more strength you could weld the bumper sections to the center section and refinish everything.

The center section bolts to the rear frame crossmember using flathead screws countersunk into the back steel plate of the center section.

A view of the unfinished center section:

View attachment 331911

I did the bumper mod before I cut the LJ in half to turn it into a pickup, so here are some photos of the bumper on the stock LJ. The step is centered and the factory spare mount isn't, so the spare and the step don't line up exactly but that's ok because the bumper on the stock LJ was temporary. If you were doing this bumper to allow a larger spare to sit lower on the tailgate you might want to a) position the step section so it's centered under the spare and b) make the step section wider so the spare could fit lower into it.

View attachment 331912

A closer view. You can see where the license plate lights are, but the plate isn't installed yet; that was done when I did the rest of the pickup conversion.

View attachment 331913

If there's anything that isn't clear from the above, I'll be happy to provide more information.
Well designed and well done! Thank you. Curious if you did anything where the 1/4" plate comes together at the 90 degree angles?
 
Well designed and well done! Thank you. Curious if you did anything where the 1/4" plate comes together at the 90 degree angles?
I ground 45-degree chamfers on the edges to be welded to provide good penetration for the welds. I only welded it from the back side to keep the front side looking good, so the chamfers were only on the back side (the non-visible side of the joints).