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Aftermarket Wrangler Bumpers


eastbournesmiths

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eastbournesmiths

Having now done a lift kit, added rough terrain tyres and a few other mods I am looking at changing the giant lump of a plastic bumper that sticks out the front of the JK.

 

Looking on Buzz and Jeepey websites all aftermarket bumpers are shown with the wording "sold for off road use only".

 

I like the look of the 10th Anniversary Rubicon bumper best and even when this is a Mopar official part (as advertised by Buzz for a JL or Gladiator) it still includes the off road use only clause.

 

As this is my daily driver does this mean fitting such a bumper prevents me using the JK on the road and will result in an MOT fail or not getting insurance?  

 

On eBay Kitt Tuning in Romania produce an adapted version of the Rubicon bumper which some sellers claim to be UK spec and adds an end section to the bumper which fills the gap between the top of the bumper and the fenders (as on the stock bumper). I have tried to find more clarity on what constitutes a road legal aftermarket bumper for a JK but cannot find anything definitive and are even more confused with issues such as airbag crash cans (whatever that means?)

 

Any advice from JOC Members who have already changed bumpers would be greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks. Peter   

JK bumper.jpg

JL Bumper.jpg

Kitt JK bumper.jpg

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Hi, don't take my word for this you must do your own research!

About 6 years ago I was planning to build my own front bumper for an XJ. A 'friend'  suggested this was not legal and it would not pass an MOT. 

 I did a bit of digging. I spoke to an inspector of MOT garages who was a friend. He said it was rubbish. However you were not allowed to have any sharp, rough, protruding surfaces etc and if you did it would be a fail.

I had a free legal advice line with my insurance so I rang them as well. They confirmed in a similar way but said you could possibly face a claim against you if someone you drove into made a claim against you, if you had made it your self. They also said that in this world of litigation lots of companies put in all kinds of clauses the sole purpose of which was to try and protect themselves against legal action when they were providing goods or services. However in real life these clauses would have to be tested in court to see whether they were worth the paper they were written on!  At the end of the day you were just a layman buying an item from an expert, small print or not!

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I did build my own front bumper for my TJ and any vehicle post 1999 had to comply with EU regulations and type approval etc.  However prior to 1999 it seems you can build your own, followed the same route with our campervan re towbar.

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Aha, cheers OT, memory (old gits any way!) is not always best!  My XJ was a ''98!  

 However I would still dig into the latest info or buy the bumper elsewhere.  We are given a lot of baloney everywhere these days,  in the best interests of back protection!

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I agree with digger. It’s a bit of a vague area and often it just depends on who is doing the MOT as to whether they think it will pass. I think basically it’s ’no pointy or sharp bits’ there are some Mad Max bumpers out there that are a bit close to the mark but many people on here, myself included, have fitted after market steel bumpers with no problems at all from insurance, police or MOT. I am fairly sure the ‘for off road use only’ disclaimer is just so the supplier can try to wash their hands of it should anything go wrong. One of the guys who used to be on here was fitting a steel front bumper to his KJ a few years ago and was part done and unfinished when he had it MOTd, he told me that to get it to pass he cable tied a length of plastic guttering to it and they reckoned that was fine 😳🙈

Not sure about the relationship to the vehicle year, you look at a Land Rover Defender front bumper it’s basically just a flat length of steel. I have heard though that a ‘loophole’ if you want to call it that, is that it’s fine to have a steel front bumper if it is a winch mount…….even if it doesn’t actually have a winch mounted. 🤔

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I am no expert, but I suspect the "offroad use only" caveat is being applied because the bumper in question is not certified as safe and does not carry an "E mark".  Therefore it is not, as far as I know, legal to sell it for onroad use.  Chances are nothing bad will happen to you unless you end up involved in a serious accident... unless... If ypu are involved jn one and somebody gets seriously hurt no idea of what the consequences are.

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11 hours ago, otruk said:

I did build my own front bumper for my TJ and any vehicle post 1999 had to comply with EU regulations and type approval etc.  However prior to 1999 it seems you can build your own, followed the same route with our campervan re towbar.

I'm not sure that is right, I think it is the date of the modification that is relevant.

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Another slant on this -

I was told if it had a winch fitted then it was a winch mount, so anything goes. If no winch then could be issues. (the winch doesn't have to work! Such is the nonsense)

Mine has passed MOT every year with no comment, and he is a strict assessor!

There was something about 'bull bars' years ago, with 2007 being a cut off as to whether they were legal or not, but that was just bull bars. So fit a winch on it and shame the devil!

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31 minutes ago, jerryg said:

Another slant on this -

I was told if it had a winch fitted then it was a winch mount, so anything goes. If no winch then could be issues. (the winch doesn't have to work! Such is the nonsense)

Mine has passed MOT every year with no comment, and he is a strict assessor!

There was something about 'bull bars' years ago, with 2007 being a cut off as to whether they were legal or not, but that was just bull bars. So fit a winch on it and shame the devil!

I found it odd that there is no simple set of answers on this, so have been trying to piece together more.

 

From what I have read a winch mount is deemed a practical addition, whereas the bumper is about vehicle protection.  On that basis, adding a winch plate to an existing bumper where the winch plate is intended only to allow the winch to be mounted should not an issue.  But replacing the whole bumper with a new winch bumper would be different, there the function is, at least in part, amending the frontal protection of the vehicle.  That is then where the ‘E mark’ comes in, as any replacement bumper (even with the additional functionality of allowing a winch to be mounted) is about protecting the vehicle.  I suspect the sales volume of aftermarket bumpers makes the cost of getting an ‘E mark’ uneconomic, so they get sold as being for off-road use only.

 

I suspect the various bodies are leaving this area unclear on purpose so as to try and limit after market bumpers, etc. being used.

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I know for tow bars if the vehicle is pre 1998 (sorry put 99 in the last post) the towbar needs no E marks, had this confirmed by DVSA and have had 22 years of towing with no MOT issues.  I guess as suggested no pointy bits and your ok.  I had to have an SVA test on a motorbike which involved pushing a manakin against the bodywork to see if it would catch, so applied same theory to the bumper.  I would expect that any vehicle from 1999 onward would be required to conform to necessary type approval including aftermarket bumpers.  UKTJ you did mention the modification date being relevant, I have just made a towing frame for my Jeep to pull behind a camper and because of the age of the Jeep the modification ie A frame has to conform to the age of the vehicle ie 1997 so pre european standards, did have a chat with DVSA with regards this and the honest truth is the enforcement team seem to not have a clue.  And there own law just says that the brakes have to operate and your good to go.

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Had this bumper on my jk few years now with no problems with mot or police,but as said in a major accident it could be different.

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spookie the aardvark

Reading all the comments on this thread has been a real eye opener, and some very important questions have been asked. it would seem there is no clear answers even from the professionals (DVSA). My WG has a receiver hitch fitted to the front and back and there have never been any questions about what they are used for during various MOTs - I guess all they worry about is if they are tight to the frame.

The back one is made by Curt, has a weight limet sticker on it but no CE mark. As this was designed to fit my Jeep and for use in the States I am guessing it is way better built than anything you can get over here.

The front was made by HK Offroad and is built like a battleship and I could possibly pull a house down with it, but no weight limet sticker on it.

I use them primarily as extra recovery points but I do have a towball insert for the rear receiver and I would have no issues towing with it

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I have had conflicting information on this over the years from official sources. My interpretation so far is as follows:

 

1. Vehicles registered on or after 24 November 2009 must comply with EU type approval regulations concerning frontal protection systems. If the vehicle's bumper has been designed to comply with these regulations it cannot be replaced with a non-type approved part.

 

2. DVSA advised that a winch bumper that provides sufficient additional strength to a vehicle for the purpose of self-recovery winching could be fitted but it must satisfy UK construction and use regulations and be equipped with a winch. Otherwise, it is not a winch bumper. Another DVSA adviser also believed that if a winch required removal of a frontal protection system from a 2009+ vehicle then the replacement winch mount+frontal protection system must be compliant to be legal. My view is that if Jeep UK offer a Mopar winch bumper as a factory fitted option on a brand new vehicle then that bumper is probably OK. If they don't, then perhaps a company like ARB may produce a type approved alternative for the vehicle model. If there is no type approved winch bumper, then the EU says you can't have one.

 

3. We have left the EU. Write to your MP and make a good case for why the British version of this law should be amended to include an exemption for all dual purpose road & off-road use vehicles that require an ability for self recovery. While you are at it, also make a good case for making US receiver hitches legal in the UK.

 

4. By a Jeep registered before 1 March 2001 to save yourself from having to deal with all of this BS.

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spookie the aardvark
2 hours ago, V said:

While you are at it, also make a good case for making US receiver hitches legal in the UK.

How illegal are the reciever hitches in the UK V?

I have two fitted to my 2002 WJ and this is the first I have heard they might be illegal, I know others in the UK Jeep community also have them fitted some to later Jeeps

As i said in my earlier post never had any problems when it comes to MOTs with them fitted. Would very much appreciate your take on it 👍

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You cannot legally tow with a receiver hitch in the UK no matter the age of the vehicle. However, you can tow with a receiver on a commercial vehicle, ie. pickup.

 

Edit: To clarify, it’s legal to have a receiver, and it’s fine for recovery. You just can’t use a receiver to tow.

Edited by AlexK
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spookie the aardvark

Thanks Alex, not heard that before so interesting 👍

Not sure what the reason for that ruling would be as the reciever hitches are a lot stronger than any tow bar for sale over here, and the Americans tend to tow stuff a lot bigger/heavier than we do with no issues 🤔

Could this just be a case of the EU not liking the idea because it comes out of the States?

It would also to be interesting that you can use a recovery point in reciever hitch to be recovered but should never use a towball for the same purpose. Does seem like someone in authority (govenment) don't have any idea.

Edited by spookie the aardvark
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I don't think US receiver hitches are illegal in the UK. Only towing with one is illegal. I didn't know about the any age part that Alex mentions. I have assumed that the prohibition was only for vehicles registered after the towbar type approval regulations came into force. In the past I have seen UK registered CJ's with receiver hitches towing camping trailers so I guess it may be a more complex issue if a CJ is fitted with one in the USA before it is imported to the UK, or the owners just didn't care. A visiting US registered vehicle is permitted to tow with a receiver hitch under the United Nations visiting vehicles treaty.

 

Receiver hitches can be used for a number of things including bicycle carriers, shackle mounts, and portable winches. I have got one on my 2001 XJ. There are plenty of legitimate uses other than for towing. If law enforcement complains about the proximity of a trailer socket to a receiver hitch, then it is there just for the trailer lamp board that goes on your cycle carrier as the bike obscures the number plate fixed to the bumper.

 

If you have a cover on a front hitch and the hitch is mounted below knee height, I am fairly certain that it doesn't fall within scope of any pedestrian safety regulations, like after-market front fog lamps. I can't remember the exact height. I believe it is mentioned in the BIVA preparation handbook.

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spookie the aardvark
4 minutes ago, V said:

In the past I have seen UK registered CJ's with receiver hitches towing camping trailers so I guess it may be a more complex issue if a CJ is fitted with one in the USA before it is imported to the UK, or the owners just didn't care.

Cheers V much appriciated 👍

It could be the owner didn't care or didn't know, much like myself, or may have been relying on the police not knowing the difference between a receiver hitch and a tow bar without getting underneath and taking a good look.

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I want to use a swivelling NATO pintle hitch mounted in my receiver hitch, but I keep getting conflicting info from towing specialists. Because I have also had conflicting info from DVSA in the past re bumpers, I expect if I write to them for a definitive answer, I'm sure it will be pot luck on the day what the answer will be. Officials seem to sit on the fence until a prosecution establishes a legal precedent.

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spookie the aardvark
1 minute ago, V said:

I want to use a swivelling NATO pintle hitch mounted in my receiver hitch, but I keep getting conflicting info from towing specialists. Because I have also had conflicting info from DVSA in the past re bumpers, I expect if I write to them for a definitive answer, I'm sure it will be pot luck on the day what the answer will be. Officials seem to sit on the fence until a prosecution establishes a legal precedent.

You have to love it when the people who make the rules don't understand them and can't/wont give a simple answer to a simple question.🤔

I have heard somewhere that you can't use a NATO pintle hitch unless your in the army................... but there again I have seen civilian Land Rovers with them on so they can pull a Sanky trailer

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My '93 XJ has an EU type approved tow bar, plated for 3500Kg maximum towing limit. I have a three position height adjustable drop plate that my 50mm ball hitch is mounted to. The large trailer and tow-bar supplier I bought it from said that there was no problem fitting it to the XJ as the drop bracket just makes it a commercial towing application. It is not a pickup truck.

 

Practically every Land Rover Defender or Discovery that tows with a 50mm ball hitch has the same brand of drop bracket. If I didn't have the drop bracket, I would snap the ball hitch going over humped bridges when towing. My Jeep was registered before the 1998 regulations and is Private Light Goods tax class so perhaps that has something to do with it.

 

I would like to know what happens when there are no more type approved tow bars to be found for a particular vehicle? The XJ has been out of production for 20 years, at some point I am not going to be able to buy a replacement. My Jeep is on its second tow bar. Modern towbars come powder coated and rust away under the paint whereas the Jeep it is bolted to is still fine.

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Receivers are brilliant pieces of kit, in my opinion, but the EU doesn’t like them and that’s where most of these regs come from. I have a vague recollection that the original objections stemmed from most receiver attachments having only one securing pin and the EU insisted on two points at all times. It’s bizarre, though, that commercial vehicles are exempt.

 

I had a rear receiver on my last TJ and a Mopar bike rack to go with it. Perfect way to transport a couple of bikes, secured and loaded in less than a minute.

 

Its possible that non-EU type approved vehicles are dealt with differently, that’s an area I’ve not looked at before. If I ever manage to own a CJ-8 like I promised myself, I’ll find out then.

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i have had a receiver hitch on my jeeps for the last 14 years, never had a problem, and as said a very simple and versatile piece of kit. 

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spookie the aardvark
On 26/09/2021 at 23:21, AlexK said:

Receivers are brilliant pieces of kit, in my opinion, but the EU doesn’t like them and that’s where most of these regs come from. I have a vague recollection that the original objections stemmed from most receiver attachments having only one securing pin and the EU insisted on two points at all times. It’s bizarre, though, that commercial vehicles are exempt.

 

7 hours ago, frosty said:

i have had a receiver hitch on my jeeps for the last 14 years, never had a problem, and as said a very simple and versatile piece of kit. 

Would whole heartedly agree with both comments. A tow bar and ball is a "one trick pony" ie can only be used for towing. A receiver hitch allows so many more attachments to be used.

 

As I have said before Alex, the EU didn't think of the idea and it comes from America, what more excuse do they need to stamp on it.

At Summer Camp I got well and truly stuck in a puddle - took two Jeeps to winch me out (winch hook connected to my front recovery point mounted in the receiver) and later helped to pull anther guy out of the same puddle, tow strop from my rear recovery point to anther Jeep and both of us pulling him out. In both cases no damage done to Jeep, reciever hitch, securing pins or the recovery points.

 

Going by that I would be more than happy to tow a trailer and know it wasn't going to go "Missing in action" half way through the trip.

Thanks EU I am soooooooooooooooooo glad we left 🤣🤣

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