How many bumpers have you been through?

Recovery points, weight savings, and stubby bumpers are the advantages I see to changing a bumper.

Another one is changing angles. My motobilt stubby has the recovery points high on the bumper unlike my old mopar rock crawler which had them low and under - making them not only harder to use but also an added hang up point. On the rear you can save around 3.5" off the back too - which depending on how vertical you like to get can be the difference between pulling cable or backing out for another line.
 
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Another one is changing angles. My motobilt stubby has the recovery points high on the bumper unlike my old mopar rock crawler which had them low and under - making them not only harder to use but also an added hang up point. On the rear you can save around 3.5" off the back too - which depending on how vertical you like to get can be the difference between pulling cable or backing out for another line.

Good point! I had forgotten how low hanging some of the bigger front bumpers can be. That can definitely make a difference when climbing steep inclines!
 
Recovery points, weight savings, and stubby bumpers are the advantages I see to changing a bumper.
don't forget aftermarket bumpers are generally a bit tougher...of the 4 used Jeeps I've purchased, (1 CJ7, 2 YJ's, and a TJ) 3 of have had the front bumpers bent in on the passenger side (which didn't save the fender from getting bent as well), and the 2 YJ's had the rear bumperette things flattened out...only my CJ had clean factory bumpers front and rear
 
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1 so far, and I still have. I didnt have a rear bumper when I first got my jeep. I didnt know any better and picked up a smittybilt. I am going to try and pull it this week to sell along with its tire carrier. Its a big bulky thing
 
I like the look of the front bumper but the experience @DuncLJ had in post #9 makes me a bit nervous about them in general. They might be a little thin.
Yeah, I liked the look of it at first also. It didn't last long though. Like I had said before, I nudged it against a boulder doing a tight 3 point turn on a trail. Very low speed, like the lag between shifting from forward to reverse.
It cracked thru 2 spot welds on the inside and caused a visible crack on the outside bend about 2" long.

I still have the bumper in the boneyard.
The inside only had 3 small spot welds. The bottom weld broke off and the crack went thru the middle weld.

fishbone1.jpg



Outside was cracked all the way from the bottom to the center. I filled the crack with JB Weld until I got a new bumper.

fishbone2.jpg




Moral of the story..... I wasn't impressed by the Fishbone.
 
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2 heavy homemade steel bumpers.
sold the 1st set frt n rear for $250.
made more, just sold the front for $100.
now the Savvy sits under the winch, nice and light and compact.....should be the last 1 i need.

just got a message the other day the kid that bought the last 1 hit a deer last wkend. and he had to message and thank me for making it sturdy. no damage to the bumper or his jeep just a dead deer. says that bull bar put the deer down so fast that he had driven over it by the time he realized what happened.
 
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Fishbone looks to me to be the same bumpers as EAG, Hooke Road and others. Comes from the same factory with some minor tweaks for each 'brand'.
 
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Mine came with an EAG stinger. I don't like it. I want a stubby for front and rear. I'm likely to go with Fishbone or Poison...seems decent enough for the price.
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I picked up a Poison Spyder stubby last year on a Black Friday sale. It was a quality bumper.

x6GxOV2.jpg
 
would you say it’s much higher quality than fishbone?

I've never seen a Fishbone bumper, so I can't speak to its quality. The Poison Spyder bumper comes raw steel and has to be painted, but the quality is top notch. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one.
 
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