Do It Yourself Rear Bumper

We all know how the stock Samurai bumpers are little more than glorified light brackets. If you take your zook off the beaten path - you should think about making a change. There are many aftermarket manufacturers that offer a strong alternative to the stock bumpers. But if you are the 'Do-It-Yourself' type, there is another alternative. 

*note* If you want to do something similar, but lack the access to drilling or cutting tools necessary to cut these holes, you can pick up a 'Bumper Blank' from Glenn at Rocky Road Outfitters at a surprisingly low cost. 

I chose to use three lights on each side to make it easier to wire with the stock harness. I also cut out the center hole for a 2" receiver that I planned to flush mount for a clean look. The steel was going to be beefy enough to take the abuse, but I was worried about the small area between each light. If a rock were to hit the light I could replace it on the trail if I needed to, but if that small section of metal in between got hit there would not be be much support behind it. The answer to this problem was welding in a 3/8" support rod in between each light. Click on the four frame picture to the right to see how that problem was solved.