Off-Road Ranger I
Smitty Built rear bumper Jeep XJ
- Thread starter Cpl J
- Start date
Influencer II
No experience, but I've looked at that option for the JKU. I can't speak for functionality, but I can speak for durability. I have the SRC Gen II front bumper and it's stout. No rust and the powder coating is holding up well after a couple of years of abuse. Some Smittybilt stuff is junk, but I've been very happy with this bumper. Wish I had more info for you.
Off-Road Ranger I
Hey,Thank you for the info. and nice rig.No experience, but I've looked at that option for the JKU. I can't speak for functionality, but I can speak for durability. I have the SRC Gen II front bumper and it's stout. No rust and the powder coating is holding up well after a couple of years of abuse. Some Smittybilt stuff is junk, but I've been very happy with this bumper. Wish I had more info for you.
Influencer II
Thanks. My rock sliders and winch are Smittybilt as well. I've been very happy with fitment and performance. But I've read quite a few bad reviews when it comes to their seat cover and stuff like that. But honestly, I think for the money, their products are a good value.
Off-Road Ranger I
I was looking at their rock sliders as well, I am going with a ARB front bumper.and that rear SRC bumper,
I'm currently looking for/researching options for front and rear bumpers for my XJ. Did you pull the trigger on the ARB and Smittybilt bumpers? I'm curious to hear your experiences with fit/finish and any issues with the install. I've been looking at JCR Offroad's stuff but haven't seen anything in person. Thanks!
Hi, I just installed a Smittybilt front bumper and winch on my XJ, went on pretty easy. Looks nice. I would recommend making holes in the back of the bumper for the power wires for the winch, I didn't. Routing the wires would have been much cleaner and easier if I did and especially if you go with heavier gauge wires. Also you will lose about .75"- 1" in ride height with the bumper and winch which will also affect you alignment. I brought mine back to the previous height with a coil spacer.
Rich
Good to know, thanks for the info. Was the ~1" drop just due to the weight of the bumper and winch?
Yeah, the winch and bumper are heavy for sure, I'm sure not just Smittybilt.
Also it was visually noticeable after Bumper winch install and if I went to the front and lifted, I could easily lift it about almost an inch myself. I removed the isolator (.75") and added a 2" spacer and it looks right again. Internet jury seems mixed on whether the isolator is needed or not, but I'm watching it. Get it where you want it, and get it aligned after. I didn't but I took some measurements (there is some good home alignment info for Cherokees on the web too) and it looks good. I have a 4.5 RC long arm lift. started with the short arm, I like the long arm a lot more.
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I've heard that everyone with the long arm kits like them better and the ride really improves. I didn't think I'd wind up liking my XJ so much when I first inherited it so I just put an OME kit on it since most of the suspension needed to be replaced. I'll look into a long arm kit when the time comes to replace any of the suspension parts next time. Did you have a lot of cutting or fabrication with the RC kit, or was it pretty much bolt on?
You have to cut off the lower short arm mounts, no going back... that was the most nerve racking part.
One of the things I liked, is the length of the long arms are adjustable. RC tells you you can fit 32" tires with a 4.5 lift and they won't rub with stock flares but I'm sure they would have. But once I put the bumper on I had plenty of room on the forward side of the flare to lengthen the long arms, moving the wheel away from the back of the flare at the same time better centering the axle under the spring and bump stop.
One of the things I liked, is the length of the long arms are adjustable. RC tells you you can fit 32" tires with a 4.5 lift and they won't rub with stock flares but I'm sure they would have. But once I put the bumper on I had plenty of room on the forward side of the flare to lengthen the long arms, moving the wheel away from the back of the flare at the same time better centering the axle under the spring and bump stop.
Our son had one on his XJ - got it because of price. He used it but was not happy with lot of little details, ended up have to do a few mods to get it to his liking. I do not remember what though (sorry) just the thoughts shared around the camp fire at night.Has anyone have any input on this rear bumper
urbanoverland
Rank II
Traveler III
I installed the Smittybilt rear bumper and tire swing on my XJ. Very strong and functional but depending on the age of your rear suspension, be prepared to install new leaf packs. I lost about an inch of rear suspension when all installed.
I installed the front and rear bumpers. I found the front bumper was easy to install on my 2001 XJ. My suspension did not change but I had upgraded to the factory heavy duty suspension front and rear. The install on the rear bumper was another issue. It is a two person job. I had to modify the latch mechanism with stronger bolts and lock washers but once that was done it has been good to go. If you have any inkling in adding a fuel tank skid plate do it at the same time as most skid plates require the same mountings. The bumpers are very stout. The tire carrier works great but the fuel tank carrier is picky on the type you can fit.
