Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

I'll bet he also didn't think about what happens if he front ends
someone while pulling the trailer. He will have a thousand pound plus
spear running right through that sheet metal bumper, right through the
door, seat and anything/body else in it's way...

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

cantrelm wrote:
>
> Richard, in your article you make a point of saying "I used Grade 5 bolts
> since ungraded hardware is not suitable for load-bearing applications. "
> You do realize that the bumper you are attaching to is only 3/32" thick and
> is not rated for load bearing applications....... This is somewhat of a
> contradiction don't you think?
>
> Tom
>
> "Richard J Kinch" <kinch@truetex.com> wrote in message
> news:Xns9756BE3F3DDE8someconundrum@216.196.97.131. ..
> > Grumman-581 writes:
> >
> > > Perhaps his next project should be to design a real bumper for his TJ
> ...
> >
> > Bad idea. Bumpers are weaker than the frame so they absorb impact energy
> > instead of bending the frame. You put a heavy bumper (or a frame hitch
> for
> > that matter) on the back of your car, and many collisions are going to
> > result in frame damage that would have just been a simple bolt-on swap of
> a
> > new bumper.
> >
> > On a previous rear-ended TJ I was able to replace a crunched back bumper
> > with a $25 OEM item from eBay (surplus to somebody's aftermarket upgrade)
> > with hand tools. The other guy had $1000s in damage.
> >
> > I wonder if people buying all those macho aftermarket bumpers understand
> > that they've *given up* a lot of their crash protection?

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

Stephen, I have to agree. I made a front brushguard for my Jeep and a week
after getting it on I got rear-ended and launched 4 feet forward and up
under the back of a flat bed truck. Only thing that it did to the Jeep was
scratch off some powder-coating on brushguard. The guy that hit me had to
have a new grill and hood. Had it not been for my guard I would have had to
have all that too.
Here is a pic of guard.
http://www.cantrell.com/scrap/jack1.jpg

Tom


"Stephen Young" <sjyoung1@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:4RUBf.449$2O7.137@fe07.lga...
> Richard J Kinch wrote:
>
> >
> > I wonder if people buying all those macho aftermarket bumpers understand
> > that they've *given up* a lot of their crash protection?
>
> My 1995 K1500 has a brushguard/grilleguard mounted on the front. Bought
> the truck used & outfitted this way. Last year a silly juvenile female
> pulled out in front of me from a side street - her fault & she got
> ticketed. Totaled her Neon. I drove away with no radiator damage or
> drivability problems because that brushguard crushed sideways. Saved me
> big bucks & aggravation until I got it fixed.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

Stephen, I have to agree. I made a front brushguard for my Jeep and a week
after getting it on I got rear-ended and launched 4 feet forward and up
under the back of a flat bed truck. Only thing that it did to the Jeep was
scratch off some powder-coating on brushguard. The guy that hit me had to
have a new grill and hood. Had it not been for my guard I would have had to
have all that too.
Here is a pic of guard.
http://www.cantrell.com/scrap/jack1.jpg

Tom


"Stephen Young" <sjyoung1@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:4RUBf.449$2O7.137@fe07.lga...
> Richard J Kinch wrote:
>
> >
> > I wonder if people buying all those macho aftermarket bumpers understand
> > that they've *given up* a lot of their crash protection?
>
> My 1995 K1500 has a brushguard/grilleguard mounted on the front. Bought
> the truck used & outfitted this way. Last year a silly juvenile female
> pulled out in front of me from a side street - her fault & she got
> ticketed. Totaled her Neon. I drove away with no radiator damage or
> drivability problems because that brushguard crushed sideways. Saved me
> big bucks & aggravation until I got it fixed.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

Stephen, I have to agree. I made a front brushguard for my Jeep and a week
after getting it on I got rear-ended and launched 4 feet forward and up
under the back of a flat bed truck. Only thing that it did to the Jeep was
scratch off some powder-coating on brushguard. The guy that hit me had to
have a new grill and hood. Had it not been for my guard I would have had to
have all that too.
Here is a pic of guard.
http://www.cantrell.com/scrap/jack1.jpg

Tom


"Stephen Young" <sjyoung1@nospam.net> wrote in message
news:4RUBf.449$2O7.137@fe07.lga...
> Richard J Kinch wrote:
>
> >
> > I wonder if people buying all those macho aftermarket bumpers understand
> > that they've *given up* a lot of their crash protection?
>
> My 1995 K1500 has a brushguard/grilleguard mounted on the front. Bought
> the truck used & outfitted this way. Last year a silly juvenile female
> pulled out in front of me from a side street - her fault & she got
> ticketed. Totaled her Neon. I drove away with no radiator damage or
> drivability problems because that brushguard crushed sideways. Saved me
> big bucks & aggravation until I got it fixed.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

cantrelm writes:

> Richard, in your article you make a point of saying "I used Grade 5
> bolts since ungraded hardware is not suitable for load-bearing
> applications. " You do realize that the bumper you are attaching to is
> only 3/32" thick and is not rated for load bearing applications.......
> This is somewhat of a contradiction don't you think?

The bumper is suitable for load-bearing, for a suitable load.

One problem I understand with ungraded bolts sized about 1/2 inch or
smaller is that hand-tightening torque can stress the shaft close to the
working limit, leaving not enough strength for the applied load. This is
not an issue for the bumper itself.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

cantrelm writes:

> Richard, in your article you make a point of saying "I used Grade 5
> bolts since ungraded hardware is not suitable for load-bearing
> applications. " You do realize that the bumper you are attaching to is
> only 3/32" thick and is not rated for load bearing applications.......
> This is somewhat of a contradiction don't you think?

The bumper is suitable for load-bearing, for a suitable load.

One problem I understand with ungraded bolts sized about 1/2 inch or
smaller is that hand-tightening torque can stress the shaft close to the
working limit, leaving not enough strength for the applied load. This is
not an issue for the bumper itself.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

cantrelm writes:

> Richard, in your article you make a point of saying "I used Grade 5
> bolts since ungraded hardware is not suitable for load-bearing
> applications. " You do realize that the bumper you are attaching to is
> only 3/32" thick and is not rated for load bearing applications.......
> This is somewhat of a contradiction don't you think?

The bumper is suitable for load-bearing, for a suitable load.

One problem I understand with ungraded bolts sized about 1/2 inch or
smaller is that hand-tightening torque can stress the shaft close to the
working limit, leaving not enough strength for the applied load. This is
not an issue for the bumper itself.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

Mike Romain writes:

> I'll bet he also didn't think about what happens if he front ends
> someone while pulling the trailer. He will have a thousand pound plus
> spear running right through that sheet metal bumper, right through the
> door, seat and anything/body else in it's way

Between the coupler and the vehicle interior is 40 square inches of 3/8
steel, and a beefy frame cross-member in front of that.

In such a collision, I would expect the rubber boat is going to be ripped
off its hold-down straps, launch forward, hit the back of the car, bounce
off and pitch-pole over the car.

Of course, if you want to start postulating arbitrarily forceful
collisions, then some scenario is going to have a trailer axle or something
through my eye socket.

Please, I'm just trying to get my toy boat and waverunner trailer 6 miles
down to the beach.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

Mike Romain writes:

> I'll bet he also didn't think about what happens if he front ends
> someone while pulling the trailer. He will have a thousand pound plus
> spear running right through that sheet metal bumper, right through the
> door, seat and anything/body else in it's way

Between the coupler and the vehicle interior is 40 square inches of 3/8
steel, and a beefy frame cross-member in front of that.

In such a collision, I would expect the rubber boat is going to be ripped
off its hold-down straps, launch forward, hit the back of the car, bounce
off and pitch-pole over the car.

Of course, if you want to start postulating arbitrarily forceful
collisions, then some scenario is going to have a trailer axle or something
through my eye socket.

Please, I'm just trying to get my toy boat and waverunner trailer 6 miles
down to the beach.

Re: Bumper-mounted trailer hitch bracket for Jeep Wrangler TJ
 

Mike Romain writes:

> I'll bet he also didn't think about what happens if he front ends
> someone while pulling the trailer. He will have a thousand pound plus
> spear running right through that sheet metal bumper, right through the
> door, seat and anything/body else in it's way

Between the coupler and the vehicle interior is 40 square inches of 3/8
steel, and a beefy frame cross-member in front of that.

In such a collision, I would expect the rubber boat is going to be ripped
off its hold-down straps, launch forward, hit the back of the car, bounce
off and pitch-pole over the car.

Of course, if you want to start postulating arbitrarily forceful
collisions, then some scenario is going to have a trailer axle or something
through my eye socket.

Please, I'm just trying to get my toy boat and waverunner trailer 6 miles
down to the beach.