towing a Jeep with aftermarket bumper

JimM68 wrote:
we towed a TJ with these for years clicky

I bolted them to my aftermarket bumper prior to bolting the bumper to the jeep.

The brackets that came with the Reese fixed-arm adjustable width 5000 lb. capacity towbar ($145 at Walmart) I used are very similar to those. I used that bar on various Jeeps over the years, both on stock and custom bumpers. Yes, I used adequate (1/4 inch cold rolled steel) back-up plates.
No problems.

we towed a TJ with these for years clicky

I bolted them to my aftermarket bumper prior to bolting the bumper to the jeep.

Thanks for all the replys! Looking at $2900 for avail towbar, and air force one brake system installed. Hope to have everything ready for Christmas vacation!

I've towed our Jeep for a number of years with a custom bumper. The bumper I have actually uses more bolts than the tow bar brackets would have used, and is quite a bit stronger.

Replaced the stock bumper on our 2009 wrangler with a Smitty built with 'd'ring points that I mounted a Reese rigid tow bar to. This allowed me to bolt directly to the two front frame points. Worked great with no issues for over 4000 miles of towing. Unfortunately, don't have jeep anymore.

We also have a Rockhard bumper. We have towed from Florida to Alaska, including the Dalton Highway. We have had no issues what so ever with towing and prefer the bumper to a baseplate for two reasons: it doesn't decrease our jeep ground clearance and we don't need a drop hitch on the motorhome.

I put a Rockhard bumper on ours. They have a bracket built for Blue ox. It screws into the frame where the bumper attaches. I wouldn't think bumper thickness would be an issue since it's not screwed into the bumper. Several of the bumpers I looked at had D rings in the way for this bracket and can't be used.

http://www.rockhard4x4.com/product_p/rh-8000-bo.htm

Mikeborny wrote:
Recently bought a 2015 Jeep Unlimited Sahara with a Barricade after market bumper. Blue ox said they only needed the plate thickness of where the "d" rings attached and the hole size for the d ring pin and they could modify a bracket. has anyone towed a jeep with the bumper and not the base plate?

Some years back my son-in- law towed a jeep with just the bumper , no base plate. On his way to the garage with the Motor Home for some repair and took the jeep so he could go to work from the garage in Ft.Worth the bumper came off the Jeep and was trying to pass him on the passenger side. Lucky for him the Jeep hit the curb and turned the Jeep wheels into the curb and stopped itself.

Mikeborny wrote:
Recently bought a 2015 Jeep Unlimited Sahara with a Barricade after market bumper. Blue ox said they only needed the plate thickness of where the "d" rings attached and the hole size for the d ring pin and they could modify a bracket. has anyone towed a jeep with the bumper and not the base plate?

Mikeborny,
Folks have been towing Jeeps with aftermarket bumpers for decades. Most of the needed info you're looking for has already been explained. After towing 7, and soon to be 8, Jeep Wranglers all over this nation, WITH AFTERMARKET BUMPERS for thousands and thousands of miles, without ever having ONE WELD FAIL, I will keep on doing it.

Many of the aftermarket bumper builders use a standard D-Ring shackle tab welded on to the front bumper, on each side. Well, Blue Ox makes an adapter that adapts their tow bars, to those D-ring tabs. Yep, they run about $250 plus or minus but, while in my opinion, that's a serious rip off, it is a BOLT ON deal and, once on, you're done and, are towing down the road.

Once you're at your destination, the adapter brackets are removed with the tow bar and, the D-ring shackles, if you have them, are back on.
Scott

Our 06 Wrangler has a Smittybilt bumper with D Ring attachments. I use the BO adapters to attach the tow bar. The adapters are expensive but well made and work fine. You need to know the diameter of the pins on your bumper D Ring, either 7/8 or 1 inch. The D rings should be welded on both sides of the bumper for max strength and make sure proper grade bolts were used to install it.