Would you remove the front frame support for a better WINCH bumper?

[XK N00b]

Well I'll keep pushing for the most extreme option LMAO but I would guess that is no big shocker either LOL. I just read the other thread the one previous to this and what criket was talking about plating the front sub frame is what I was refering to as well. Just boxing it out with steel making it stronger to handle the stress of being yanked on. I'm sure this well mess up the way the Jeep suppose to act when it's in a accident and stuff like that because it won't crumple as designed after that.

I thought about how it would behave in an accident having been reinforced. The car wouldn't bend as engineered, but something's got to give and (call me selfish) I would rather it be the other guy.

[Sal-XK]

I'm torn. The bumper prototype looks great. I have no doubts this will be a high quality product in it's final form. I want to go with Sal and say "Yeah, lets go extreme heavy duty with it." But I also have reservations about cutting into the frame of the Jeep. I would need to see the replacement bracing and how it's mounted. How would a bolt on brace behave when the Jeep is out and being bounced and flexed and under stress? I've also seen the pictures of the jeep with the torn off front end, so I agree that there has to be a better system for mounting a winch to these vehicles that would hold up to the strain of being winched out of the mud, water, sand, etc. I may have to see one mounted that's been out and used and abused, and a follow up tear down to see how the structure is holding up before pulling the trigger. I know it may be overly cautious, but I don't think the wife will let me buy a third Commander anytime soon, so I'd need to be sure. There ya go, if you can sell it to my wife, I'll buy it!

There are a few members already running this mod doing this was new about 7 months ago but not new anymore. What were doing is taking out a piece of the unibody that is very strong in one direction ( left to right) but if pulled in the other direction like being yanked on is week. Every thing you put on the unibody has to have its load spread out as far as possible or the thin metal will just buckle and bend and even tear. You couldn't just put a single bolt in there and yank on it like a normal frame, on the unibody you will just pull the bolt straight out. So by taking this piece out and I would prefer to weld a piece back in but even bolting some steel in it's place your making that entire section tons stronger than it already is but in both directions. if you're going to have a bumper you can yank on as hard as you want and not worry about it being torn off I feel this is the only option. I think our wives would be a lot more upset if we spent thousands on new bumper saying how we needed it for wheeling and stuff and then ripped off doing the things we said we needed it for. I know my wife would not be happy and say what did you buy that thing for then.

Sal... what's with your font? Can't see it very well in black stealth settting..

I don't know what I did but I hit the font button on accident and tried putting it back I thought it was close but guess not.

[Sal-XK]

I want to add that are unibody is stronger then most unibody's I've delt with. I was impressed on how thick it was in some sections.

[LWM]

I thought about how it would behave in an accident having been reinforced. The car wouldn't bend as engineered, but something's got to give and (call me selfish) I would rather it be the other guy.

I was in a crash on the freeway this past spring. The car I hit and the car that hit me were both totaled. Thanks to my steel bumpers I still have my Commander.

[criket]

Sorry about the confusion on the "subframe", that's just what I call it. Sal descibed waht I meant pretty well.

MY vote is yes I'd remove the thin piece, install something thicker and stronger, hopefully add a steel bumper to it, and while I'm at it add steel plates to the frame from the front to the firewall (for stability across many situations)

[Matt]

I'd like to remind everyone (because i think a lot of guys may be new since we had this thread a while ago) that by cutting that crossmember like jon is suggesting, we can hopefully end up with a bumper along the lines of this (which is the best winch bumper ive seen for an XK yet):

[pjmjr508]

I'd like to remind everyone (because i think a lot of guys may be new since we had this thread a while ago) that by cutting that crossmember like jon is suggesting, we can hopefully end up with a bumper along the lines of this (which is the best winch bumper ive seen for an XK yet):

Thats the bumper setup I want

[Holaday07 4.7]

I like that, minus the winch. I dont really need one, and if I did I would want a reciever for a multi mount. With that design though you could probably have one for a winch that needs the cross peice removed, and one without that does not. Everyone would be happy then, and it would be cheap from a manufacturing standpoint too.

[cico7]

Thats the bumper setup I want

I would like a side view to see how it sticks out.

[Matt]

I would like a side view to see how it sticks out.

Based on those lights, looks Like it doesn't stick out any further than the stock bumper