Rear Bumper Choices?? (7 Viewers)

[Spydaz]

Hey all, I have a delema here. I am ordering a ARB bull bar and am also looking to upgrade the rear bumper as well. What should i go with?? TJM looks nice so does Kaymar. I like the looks of the TJM but do i have to paint it or is it in black like the bull bar. How hard is the rear bumper to install?? Anyone with some info will be greatly appreciated!!

 

[Romer]

Hey all, I have a delema here. I am ordering a ARB bull bar and am also looking to upgrade the rear bumper as well. What should i go with?? TJM looks nice so does Kaymar. I like the looks of the TJM but do i have to paint it or is it in black like the bull bar. How hard is the rear bumper to install?? Anyone with some info will be greatly appreciated!!

I don't have a rear bumper but am currently doing a lot of research on it.
(someone please correct me if I miss anything or mis-state something)

There is Ken Hanna's:
http://www.hannaquality.com/index1.html

This is a quality bumper, but I am told you have to redo the exhaust. Some don't like the side protection, but I believe you can get it without the tubes.

There is Kaymar:
http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/Kaymar Rear Tow Bumpers 80 Series.htm

The sides don't give as much clearance and I have heard the tire carrier lock isn't as good.

There is one by 4 plus I know nothing about:
http://www.man-a-fre.com/parts_accessories/towbumper80series.htm

There is the 4x4labs:
http://www.4x4labs.com/products/bumpers.html

As I understand it, you have to take your rig to them and they have to remove a crossmember. Nice bumper from all the research I have done.

There is the TJM:
link on Slees sght:
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/products_rearbumpers_main.htm

Some people don't feel it is the same quality as the others.

Finally, there is the Slee Bumper:
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/bumper_main.htm

This seems to be the favorite.


I personnaly am leaning towards the Slee Bumper. I hope others chime in and give their opinion based on personnal experience.

Ken

 

[Romer]

Forgot one

Iron Pig:
http://www.ironpigoffroad.com/80bumpers.htm

Don't know much about them. Looks pretty beefy

 

[NorCalDoug]

I have Slee's rear bumper and love it. I picked it up before I knew that 4x4Labs was just down the road from me...otherwise, I would've gone to Luke -- he's located much closer to me than Christo is

If you're planning on hard wheeling with your 80, I'd recommend against the Kaymar. It's just not beefy enough for really hard wheeling -- and the rear end has a tendency to drag a bit more than the slee bumper. On the other hand, if you're not going to bash on slickrock in Moab or Sierra Nevada granite (or something similar), the Kaymar is just fine.

 

[Spydaz]

well what about the TJM?? Thanks for all the info on the bumpers but i just like the look of the TJM with the lights and all. I'm really not going rocking or anything with the LC i'm more of a Beach Surf Caster and occasional mud bogger. Thats about it. I may do some heavy offroading upstate NY in the winter but nothing like you guys. So thats why i think the TJM would be good.

I'm going to go with the ARB bullbar front winchless and then the rear bumper TJM or Kaymar.

 

[rgsiii]

That is a very good listing of bumpers. The 4x4Labs sounds nice, but it is too far for me to consider it an option. I like everything Slee makes, but I was concerned with vision on the passenger rear side being blocked by the tire. I decided to go with a Hanna and hopefully it will be here in June.

It will have a driver side located tire mount, a mounting spot for a Hi-lift jack and a location to put Jerry cans.

All of the mentioned brands seem to be good.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have a Slee on the 80 and love it. It is excellent and super tough. My 60 will get a bumper this year. I'm leaning toward the Hanna, to be picked up at Surf and Turf in November. Luke's bumper (4 x 4 Labs)is really great, but I don't want to cut the cross member, although if anything, it strengthens the design. It is the most refined bumper on this list and Luke is a first class individual.

 

[Spydaz]

So Is TJM a good bumper?? Just for Beach Cruisin??

 

[rgsiii]

You might want to call Slee and see how the TJM compares to the Slee bumper--they sell both. I believe they would give you a straight answer.

 

[Junk]

If you want a rock crawling bumper, I think the two choices should be Slee or 4x4labs. Out of those two I've seen more Slee. I've seen a lot of products that Slee puts out and they are all top notch.

I would not buy one from Ironpig. Sorry, but after seeing their bumper first hand I can assure you I would not buy one.

 

[Junk]

BTW, what you buy may heavily depend on where you live as shipping these things can cost $$$$.

 

[Beowulf]

Another thing to consider is the design of the recovery points. The Slee design provides for hefty 1" D-shackles and the rings go completely through the bumper and directly to the frame rails. The tyre carrier can accomodate a 37" spare and the entire bumper is built with heavy gauge high quality steel that is professionally powder coated.

It is expensive and worth every penny.

-B-

 

[alvarorb]

Tough as nails

I have a Slee rear bumper and love it. For 3 years I've wheeled my truck taking it to some pretty rough trails. During this time, that bumper has seen it's share of drags & bumps.
Last year when I had the sides of my truck coated with superliner I had to remove the rear bumper. It came right off, for a minute I worried that the frame might have suffered in the rear. No problems, just like new it came out and went back in with ease.
As far as the tire blocking the rear view. It hasn't been an issue for me.

I highly recomend it.

Regards

Alvaro

 

[firetruck41]

So Is TJM a good bumper?? Just for Beach Cruisin??

Not very popular on this board, as you can see , as most guys want some pretty stout equipment, a call to Slee was a good suggestion as they sell TJM.

 

[Exiled]

I have a 4+ prototype on my 60 and I really like it, but it does have a couple of shortcomings. One, the side protection could be better. Two, the spare tire is mounted on the driver's side. The latter may yield marginally better visibility than mounted on the passenger side, but for Cruiserheads of the "not petite" variety like me, it's a double whammy that really contributed to the infamous lean. I have a 35" mounted on a steel rim and when I'm sitting on the driver seat, the lean is pronounced, I think Slee had it right by mounting it on the other side.

I really like the Hanna and 4x4Labs versions, at least in pictures (never seen either one up close). The Slee one is really clean, too, and if my fellow Venezuelan Cruiserhead says it's beefy, then it is!

I don't care for the Kaymar, never have. Nothing specific, just don't like the look of it.

Junk, what specifically about the Ironpigoffroad bumper didn't you like?

 

[dclee]

I had a Kaymar on my 80 at one time. Went through the Rubicon twice and did fine (though obviously not as well as a Slee or equivalent). It drags mainly because it has an integrated 7000 pound rated tow hitch. Which actually makes it the strongest of all of them, without exception, in a rear end collision. Also, their design is the best if you'll be doing mainly expeditionary-type wheeling. As far as their latch being inferior, I beg to differ. In fact, IMHO from seeing and using all of the common latching systems, the Kaymar is the beefiest and most able to take major impact. But that does make it a bit of a bear to open and close, which is a downer if this is a daily driver and you are in the back cargo area all the time.

TJM is OK, though the steel is a bit thinner and I'm not sure I like the idea of rubber bumper caps (upside of all that is less weight). Advantage over the Kaymar is no integrated tow hitch. If you need to tow or put on a bike rack, just bolt on the factory tow hitch. If not, keep it clean and you get slightly better departue angle than the Kaymar.

That said, I currently have no bumper because I am in line for one of Luke's 4x4 Labs bumpers. Since this truck is no longer an expeditionary truck (at one time that was its sole purpose, which is why I originally had the Kaymar), it's gonna get a true rock-crawling bumper. Not only does Luke cut off the rear crossmember and shorten the frame rails by about four inches, but he also angles the bumper to the new departure angle, giving it the tightest angle around. And, of course, being that it's Luke, the build quality and stoutness are beyond reproach.

However, the 100 may one day get a Kaymar since it has now inherited the role of expeditionary and family camping wheeler...

My $0.02,

 

[beateryota]

tough as nails?????

I have a Slee rear bumper and love it. For 3 years I've wheeled my truck taking it to some pretty rough trails. During this time, that bumper has seen it's share of drags & bumps.
Last year when I had the sides of my truck coated with superliner I had to remove the rear bumper. It came right off, for a minute I worried that the frame might have suffered in the rear. No problems, just like new it came out and went back in with ease.
As far as the tire blocking the rear view. It hasn't been an issue for me.

I highly recomend it.

Regards

Alvaro

Correct me if im wrong,but I seem to remember you having troubles with the welds on the spare tire carrier breaking loose, and having to go to Luke at 4x4 labs to make a bracket to solve your tire carrier woes.if im not mistaken its not just an isolated incident,Luke has had several Slee bumpers with identical problems

 

[sleeoffroad]

OK, before the rumour mill takes over I can explain that. On our first batch of 20 bumpers we used a 1/8" wall rectangular tube for the carrier arm and the tube for the carrier portion was welded to that. We deemed it strong enough, but we had situations where cracks developed at the base where the tubes joined the arm. At that point we tried to contact all the owners of the bumper and offered to have it fixes and repowder coated. It is possible that we did not get everyone and also some people chose to just have it repaired locally.

After this came to light, we changed the tubing wall thickness to 3/16" and also added gussets to each tube to stop the vibration that caused the welds to crack. It was actually not the welds the cracked, but the 1/8" tube. The uprights on the tire carrier did not span the whole width of the top of the tube and the 1/8" material would actually deflect when vibrating and it would eventually crack.

We try to be perfect, but can not always be.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I have one of the later Slee ones and no issues at all. I believe Alvaro's was one of the initial batch, and I was with him the day we went to Luke's (4x4 Labs) to have it fixed. As usual, Luke welded a killer custom fab bracket on it and solved the problem. He literally did it on a Saturday evening with no notice. He is a really good guy.

It sounds like Slee inc addressed the problem early and solved the problem in a similar way. Luke's bracket is more elegant though.

 

[reffug]

OK since I guess no one but me has one, I do have the TJM and like it. If you don't rockcrawl and only do moderate wheeling it is a fine bumper. The only thing I wish it had but doesn't is a hi-lift mount but as I previously stated its a fine bumper and much lighter in comparison to the others.