Jeep Wrangler Rubicon Build - Bumper and Winch (Poison Spyder - Brawler Mid / Warn Zeon 10s) 👊
This Jeep is becoming the Jeep I have always wanted. Capable, but not overbuilt - still a daily driver... a mall crawler that will actually see some action.
I am super stoked on this update to the Jeep. However, one aspect I had not anticipated the full impact of, is how the handling would change from putting that weight out on the front of the Jeep. I have planned on a 2.5" lift from the beginning. But, I need to have the roof/ceiling of my garage raised to a "normal" height before I get the lift - so... here we are.
Fortunately I live close to a 4 wheel parts location.
I had stopped by to pick up some survival/emergency gear - but... the have a pretty great display of some serious hardware sitting there taunting you. They had the Poison Spyder - Brawler Lite and some SmittyBilt options on display. It was a tough call, but ultimately I decided to go with the Poison Spyder for a few reasons - primarily I wanted to have the winch on top of the bumper, rather than *in* the bumper. That option seems more robust and strong. And I like Poison Spyder.
Here is a shot taken about 2 hours after I purchased the Jeep.
Removing the bumper was surprisingly simple. Like - seriously.
Installing the bumper, on my own - since I was really impatient, was not quite as smooth... but, I learned a few things and the next bumper I install will be a snap. Poison Spyder ships the bumper with the mounting hardware already in the bumper (and I assume the bumper is built around the bolts, as I don't see how you could get them out). They are held in the bumper plate with some squash washers and are fairly rigid. This will likely present a problem, they won't line up with the holes in your Jeep frame. I had to use some channel locks to work them back and forth in the bumper so that they were able to be moved and aligned while the bumper was being installed.
I should probably get some better photos - again, I was impatient.
I'm still on the fence on how I feel about a hood-mounted hi-lift jack. Off-road seems OK - I am really uncomfortable having 90 pounds (or whatever) just hanging out there on the highway. Some sort of tailgate mount setup is in the Jeep's future.
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