Bump It Offroad rear bumper (bolt-on), need impute from people who bought one.

[Newps]

I am in the process of putting together my order on a Bump It Offroad rear bumper. I am going to get the (bolt-on) one with a built-in receiver hitch. Dual swing outs, tire on driver side (if possible) and a ladder/two gas can carrier. I am not a 100% sold on the ladder. I will have a roof rack that I will stand on to shoot photos, carry surfboards, (maybe a roof top tent) and a cargo carrier (rocket box…etc).

So knowing what you know now and my list of requirements what extra instructions should I give Mike?
1. Seems like I need to upgrade the swing out latch bolts to grade 8 instead of grade 5? Or have them welded on?
2. The high lift base plate needs an extra piece of metal welded on to keep it secure?
3. Is there a CB antenna mount? I read that someone added a couple of tabs to mount lights.. etc. to the rear bumper.
5. End caps for the bumper to keep mud out of the wheel well opening?
4. I will also being towing a small trailer with this bumper. Tongue weight is about 300 lbs. Max gross vehicle weight around 2,500 lbs. So if there is anything lacking the hitch department now would be a good time to address it. I know Mike will not comment on the trailer rating. So I will just need to give him directions on what I want and not discuss what I am towing with it.

Feel free to add anything else I should consider before I make my order. Thank you for your impute.

 

[Griffin]

I just installed a BIOR HC and am happy with the purchase. You will eventually call Mike of BIOR and figure out real quick that he is easy to talk to and that he can build a bumper based on your specifications.

The HC requires cutting off the rear cross member but nothing "welded on". In fact, I am not aware of either bumper requiring any sort of welding to install (unless you just want to weld the thing on).

Hitch receiver is standard on both bumpers.

You'll see how stout the bumper/mount is once you get it on. No data available of course, but the darn bumper looks and feels capable of towing anything the factory hitch can. I personally would not worry about 2500 pounds.

 

[Newps]

I have Mike's front bumper and step sliders. You are right he is a great guy to work with. I am just looking for impute from others that have already bought one. I know if I was going to order my BIO front bumper again I would have done a couple of things differently. Trying to avoid that again and make sure I’ve considered everything.

 

[Griffin]

forgot to mention you can upgrade to a beefier spindle for added weight. The heavier spindles are suppose to hold up to a 37'' tire. Not that I would ever run 37s on my hundy, but the added weight capacity will help if at a later date I want to add aftermarket storage accessories. As you probably are aware, there's a ton of stuff that can be tacked onto the ladder and spare carrier.

something to consider i guess

 

[petrotk40]

The tire swingout has a cb antenna mount. I haven't had any issues with my latch bolts. I did fubar the ubolts, but that was my own fault.

 

[mechanixhorseman]

I am in the process of putting together my order on a Bump It Offroad rear bumper. I am going to get the (bolt-on) one with a built-in receiver hitch. Dual swing outs, tire on driver side (if possible) and a ladder/two gas can carrier. I am not a 100% sold on the ladder. I will have a roof rack that I will stand on to shoot photos, carry surfboards, (maybe a roof top tent) and a cargo carrier (rocket box…etc).

So knowing what you know now and my list of requirements what extra instructions should I give Mike?
1. Seems like I need to upgrade the swing out latch bolts to grade 8 instead of grade 5? Or have them welded on?
2. The high lift base plate needs an extra piece of metal welded on to keep it secure?
3. Is there a CB antenna mount? I read that someone added a couple of tabs to mount lights.. etc. to the rear bumper.
5. End caps for the bumper to keep mud out of the wheel well opening?
4. I will also being towing a small trailer with this bumper. Tongue weight is about 300 lbs. Max gross vehicle weight around 2,500 lbs. So if there is anything lacking the hitch department now would be a good time to address it. I know Mike will not comment on the trailer rating. So I will just need to give him directions on what I want and not discuss what I am towing with it.

Feel free to add anything else I should consider before I make my order. Thank you for your impute.

1. Definitely upgrade to grade 8 bolts. I was one of the unfortunate ones to discover this need after snapping off a cobalt extractor in the old one and having to weld a new tab.

2. I have had no issues keeping my Hi-lift secured with the provided base plates, but others have had issues. YRMV.

3. There is a hole on the top of the hoop for the tire carrier. I had Mike weld on an extra tab on the ladder swing out for a lower mount. If you go with a similar tab request that he makes the tab an inch taller as I had issues getting the cable connector to fit.

4. I have the hitch but I haven't had any opportunity to tow anything with it yet so I can't comment as to its actual strength but it seems like it will do the job.

 

[Jordan345]

I have the regular bolt on rear bumper from Mike. I wheel mine regularly and tow a 3500 pd pound without issue.. its plenty strong. The couple things I would change are to:

have a second tab welded for cb antenna. the original one behind the spare I use for a pole that carries a rigid led spot light.
I would box in the ends of the bumper to keep mud going back into the frame of the bumper.
get better quality latch hardware.. mine have rusted in a year
I would have it powder coated by Mike's contact, not have it shipped raw and do it locally (crappy powder coating = rust in one year.. its embarrassing and i'm constantly sanding and painting it)
I would try to fit a third container for water.. i have two fuel containers now.
i don't need the ladder and see no point.. you can't really access the roof for packing gear from the back, i use the tire and sliders for packing
i'm glad i upgraded to the heavier spindles.. add trasharoo, high lift and heavy 33's or 35's and its simply piece of mind
I've not been happy with the pins - they seem to jam easily and you have to be certain you've got it down into the hole before latching.. i fight every time with it..

these are minor issues, but most of all i've been disappointed with my choice to have it sprayed locally.. other than that, it has taken a beating off ledges and rocks and holds up well.

 

[3D FJ]

+1 on the closing if the bumper end caps but only for looks. Mud will get in there regardless.

Definitely another tab for a light on the second swing out.

Definitely have mikes guy powdercoat it. I've beat up his skids and the powdercoat still looks good. I had my rear shipped raw and I had it painted to match. As someone said earlier, rust.

The gas can mount... What kinda are you having? The basket for scepter like cans or rotopax? Have him make it on a swing out ( so swing out on a swing out) if you have a ladder. I went with a ladder and I am glad I did. I think it has a nicer look to it. Not to mention that I actually use it.

The pop pin.... See if you can ask him to get a t-handle type instead of the ball handle type. When the pin sticks, and it will stick, it's a lot easier to pull with a t-handle. mine used to stick, but then i removed them, cleaned them and used fluid film on them and no problems since. it's been about a year.

 

[mechanixhorseman]

When did he start offering heavier spindles....? That is something I definitely would have been interested in since I've ended up using a ratchet strap to provide extra support for my bike when its mounted on to the spare tire. I always felt the weakest point of the weight bearing portion was the steel used. I have a small amount of bounce in my tire carrier but it is not the spindle that is flexing, rather the metal surface it is mounted into.

Also I forgot to mention, I just trimmed down the factory mudflaps on the stock bumper to use as a cap to keep mud out. I could have spent time to make it prettier but it is a direct bolt on solution.

 

[Newps]

Wow guys this is the impute I was looking for. I spoke with Mike yesterday, he mentioned he really appreciates feedback. He is not very active on the forum because he spends all his time either building stuff in the shop or with his family. Can’t blame him for that. Seems like most people (myself included) post up issues on mud but do not e-mail or call him about it. I will relay all of these issues / suggestions to him.

I am going to summarize and address everything you guy have mentioned below. I am not going to quote each post in order to keep this post clean but I really appreciate your impute.

1. Seems like I need to upgrade the swing out latch bolts to grade 8 instead of grade 5? Or have them welded on? - Mike is aware of this problem and has already upgraded all new orders to grade 8 hardware at no additional cost. He can also weld on these brackets if you like at no cost. The only down side to welding them on is if you remove the swing outs you will still have “this” hardware on the bumper. I am going with the bolt-on style so that I can remove them if desired.

2. The high lift base plate needs an extra piece of metal welded on to keep it secure? - Mike has also addressed this issue as well. He has modified the resting plate for the highlift. He explained it to me but since I do not already have his bumper I was a little confused on what his exact solution was. He did mention that the problem was mostly with people running the 60” highlift version. There seemed to be two problems happening one was with the extra weight and leverage of the 60” and the other was with the base plate being slightly different on some models. He said he has a solution for it and that’s good enough for me.

3. Is there a CB antenna mount? I read that someone added a couple of tabs to mount lights... etc. to the rear bumper. - As mentioned earlier there is already and existing mount for a CB on the tire swing out. I am going to add two more. I could possible add a light above the spare tire as suggested. I will also want a CB antenna mount and a flag mount for places like Glamis and Pismo. I will need to get his impute and where I should place these.

4. End caps for the bumper to keep mud out of the wheel well opening? - Spoke with Mike about options. He does have two different options for people who would like to add this to their bumper. His reasoning behind keeping this open is so that you can get water in there to clean out any road or mud debris. No mater WHAT do you WILL still get mud back there. On my 4x4 Labs bumper it’s open too and I use to squirt out mud and dirt. I will not be adding these but for a cost you can. I “THINK” Mike said it was an additional $50 bucks, “CHECK” with him for pricing.

5. I did not ask Mike about towing because I do not want to put him in any sort of a liability situation. His bumpers are not rated for towing, enough said.

6. “Heavier spindles” – Mike will be going to a heavier spindle from now on. These new spindles are 1.5 inches instead of 1.25 inch, (CHECK WITH MIKE). They are however a much heavier duty spindle. There is an additional cost on these spindles, add $50 per swing out.

7. Power Coating – Bottom line Mike’s guy is good and price is included. I will be opting for a “semi gloss black” to match my sliders and front bumper (see photos in my build thread below) instead of Mike’s textured black. The only negatives with using Mike’s guy. Bumper could get scratched in transit and you can do add anything to it after you received it without having to sand and touch up that area. This should be a non-issues if you do your homework before and finite your order to exacting specs.

8. Ladder option – Still not sure if I am going to get this option. It’s an additional $200 on top the $250 for a dual can carrier. (Don’t forget its $300 for just the 2nd swing out arm.) I will want to access the roof to shoot photos but I can always just use the can carrier and the spare tire to get up. Another person mentioned it’s not a nice looking without it and that they do in fact use it. I would like it but want to keep the cost down if possible, this maybe my one compromise.

9. Swing out pin issues – I did not discuss this with Mike but will contact him about this issues. I like the idea of the “T” handle instead of a pin. Much easier to grab and get leverage on even if it does stick for any reason.
*Update* - Spoke with Mike he believes he has a "T" handle source that is long enough to work with his bumper and is also stainless steel to avoid corrosion. He will check tonight and let me know.

Alrighty then, that should cover everything that was mentioned. Keep the suggestions coming if you think of anything. A group buy for this bumper will be opening up today so if anyone is in the market for one now would be the time.

 

[yeti in ga]

I second the :
I've not been happy with the pins - they seem to jam easily and you have to be certain you've got it down into the hole before latching.. i fight every time with it..

I had someone weld in tabs for a removable panel cover.

I have the ladder and never use it. instead I mounted an army box on the second swing out and love it.

It is a great bumper and I have towed with it and would not hesitate to tow with it.

 

[Newps]

After seeing what you did it makes more sense now. Visually it will look better with end caps.

 

[KlausVanWinkle]

Didn't Slee or someone mention using Stainless steel pins and sleeves would solve the sticking problem? I remember him saying that BIOR used pins with sleeves that corrode vs an all stainless design.

 

[yeti in ga]

Didn't Slee or someone mention using Stainless steel pins and sleeves would solve the sticking problem? I remember him saying that BIOR used pins with sleeves that corrode vs an all stainless design.

Yes I did remember reading this also and I think that has a lot to do with what is going on. I need to get some fluid film and clean mine really good.

 

[mechanixhorseman]

I usually slather them with wheel bearing grease and take them out and clean them off once in a while.

 

[TrekboxX]

I think Mike is a great guy, good cust service, and his HC bumper is a great design. However, for the price of a rear bumper and the fact that there are bumpers out there with no issues- I think I'd expect a bumper with NO issues. No rattles, sticking, rusting(except normal wear), jamming, etc. I'd be very upset if I had to use a ratchet strap to stop rattles... Also, wasn't he making a fix for the spindle issue? I thought I read that here somewhere...

 

[fireball]

Where is Mike / BIOR located? Their website doesn't say.

 

[OregonLC]

Where is Mike / BIOR located? Their website doesn't say.

CO Springs me thinks.

 

[paflytyer]

Fort Collins. About 130 miles north of Co Springs..... Or 60 miles north of Denver.

 

[AimCOtaco]

I always thought he was in Greeley?

He's north of the springs and south of Wyoming for sure though