Re: 04 Rubicon

:> My warn bumper in the rear say's for "pulling not towing" - does anyone :> know :> what's up with that?

I have a DayStar Rock Krusher rear bumper on my 03 Rubicon, and it also has a sticker on it that says the built in 2" receiver is for vehicle recovery use only and not for pulling trailers. I would also assume it is to cover their butts since vehicle recovery would potentially put a lot more pull on it than any trailer a Wrangler is rated to pull.

: Sounds like they're trying to cover their butts...

Jeff Hendron 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon MatrixOne Support Skyjacker 4" lift, JKS Disconnects Agilent Technologies Fabtech Front Bumper, Rock Krusher Rear Bumper Co Springs, Colorado Rock Krusher Rock Rails, Custom Swingout Tire Carrier (719) 531-4319 33x12.50 Goodyear MTR's, Mickey Thompson Classic Lock Wheels jeff snipped-for-privacy@agilent.com Bush Whacker Fender Flares, Warn XD9000i Winch

That is for sure since trailer towing of the type a Jeep Wrangler is suited for doesn't really put much strain on a bumper.

Have you ever looked at how solid the bumper is bolted on or at what the bumper is bolted on to??? Only a few bolts into a cross member that really isn't very structural for a pull.

For towing, you need the hitch bolted onto the frame or major angle bracing to hold the cross member and bumper to the frame tails if you want to have the bumper structurally sound for pulling.

They correctly figure you are going to tear it off (stock bumpers with bumper hitches get ripped off all the time in an extraction, it seldom works out of mud) so figure it is safer to have a mud pit missile than a trailer on the highway going it's own way.

My $0.02,

Mike

Jeff Hendr>

True - the factory tow bar has substantial 1/4" angle bracing and bolts onto the frame in 6 places (two each side of the frame rails, and a bolt underneath each side). I wouldn't even give that pathetic piece of sheet metal the dignity of the name "cross member".

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

are you sure that's not three "hundred" pounds of tongue weight???

martin caskey millers island, maryland

L=2EW. Hughes III (=DFill) wrote:

weight,

it is fun to think about, though. what would you need to do to a wrangler to allow it to handle a #3000 hitch weight???

:-)

martin caskey millers island, maryland

L=2EW. Hughes III (=DFill) wrote:

I agree with the flimsy material they used across the frame rails in the back. I had 1/4" steel cut the same size and shape as what is already back there welded to the existing one and then have heavy angle bracing on both sides where the frame rails meet the plate in the back. They use the two holes in the frame near the back and two holes that go through the "cross member" and bumper.

Jeff Hendron 2003 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon MatrixOne Support Skyjacker 4" lift, JKS Disconnects Agilent Technologies Fabtech Front Bumper, Rock Krusher Rear Bumper Co Springs, Colorado Rock Krusher Rock Rails, Custom Swingout Tire Carrier (719) 531-4319 33x12.50 Goodyear MTR's, Mickey Thompson Classic Lock Wheels jeff snipped-for-privacy@agilent.com Bush Whacker Fender Flares, Warn XD9000i Winch

Yamaha WR250ZF

Dave Milne wrote: : True - the factory tow bar has substantial 1/4" angle bracing and bolts onto : the frame in 6 places (two each side of the frame rails, and a bolt : underneath each side). I wouldn't even give that pathetic piece of sheet : metal the dignity of the name "cross member".

: Dave Milne, Scotland : '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

:> For towing, you need the hitch bolted onto the frame or major angle :> bracing to hold the cross member and bumper to the frame tails if you :> want to have the bumper structurally sound for pulling. :>

:> They correctly figure you are going to tear it off (stock bumpers with :> bumper hitches get ripped off all the time in an extraction, it seldom :> works out of mud) so figure it is safer to have a mud pit missile than a :> trailer on the highway going it's own way. :>

:> My $0.02, :>

:> Mike :> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 :> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

It's a good idea. The LandRover rear cross member is a massive channel section effort, which the rear PTO came through. It was a lot more substantial than most bumpers !

I have to replace mine due to a pull with my bumper hitch and a strap that turned out to be a tow strap, not a snatch strap so it came up hard. Yanked the freaking cross member loose and it was only a YJ stuck in a snow bank! Got bailing wire holding it on right now......

I am going structurally strong with the cross member then I can add my spare tire carrier to it.

Mike

Dave Milne wrote:

Real Jeeps were made out of s***ty post war steel, and have a reputation for cracking their frames. LandRover at least recognised this and made them out of thicker steel... Have you tried drilling a hole in a TJ's frame ? Better dig out your cobalt ... it may not be so thick, but it's really hard.

Dave Milne, Scotland '91 Grand Wagoneer, '99 TJ

Well I am not Bill, but when they changed from the C channel to the double C or boxed frame on the CJ they screwed up big time.

The design is meant to flex like an open C can, when the boxed it they all crack in front of the rear passenger spring and in back of the front drivers spring. They also rot out bad from dirt and mud that collects inside.

TJ's aren't old enough to be able to tell what time will..... YJ's still rot out from collected crap bad like the CJ's...

Mike

Jerry Bransford wrote: