Aluminum bumper or Steel?

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Permalink Reply by Dseven (iain) on February 22, 2015 at 10:36am

What's your objective for the bumper? Do you want it to look cool, or are you actually going to hit stuff with it? If it's just for looks, the alum one is lighter... but it's also softer, so will not take a beating like the steel one...

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Permalink Reply by Sonof40 on February 22, 2015 at 12:39pm

"..I'm probably going to offroad like once or 3 times a year but not heavy off roading...

Aluminum.  Easier on gas and suspension.

(IMO)

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Permalink Reply by tsy87 on February 22, 2015 at 5:46pm

I'm still not convinced the shackles on aluminum bumpers are up to snuff for certain recoveries. Even Demello said if you have concerns about strength, go for the steel. But I guess if you don't wheel much aluminum makes more sense. 

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hope on February 23, 2015 at 4:25pm

That's a good consensus, depends on what you plan to do with the vehicle. Tran is correct about recovery, you need strength to pull an FJ that's stuck.

Actually I am currently trying to solve a similar metals dilemma, Steel or aluminum for full skids.

Steve Hope.

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Permalink Reply by LT on February 23, 2015 at 6:29pm

Thanks for the reply..But for Skids I would go with steel...Skids take a lot of abuse..

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Permalink Reply by tsy87 on February 24, 2015 at 8:53am

I've heard of some people with mixed material skids.. like steel for the engine/trans then aluminum for the gas tank... 

Based on the damage I have avoided with my skids, the engine/trans should definitely be steel, but the transfer case and gas tank could probably get away with aluminum. 

And definitely a boztec diff skid 

/threadjack. 

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hope on February 24, 2015 at 8:14pm

OMG the Boz diff skid was the first thing I installed after a trip over LCT!!!

Steve.

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