MtnLuvr's (Declassified) Off-Road Bumpers and Rock Sliders

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2011 1:04 am

Started my week-long wheeling test-out of my KK Off-Road Armor in Moab Pre-LOST Pastafari 2011:

I was quite pleased the difference wheeling my KK today on Fins & Things, Klondike Bluffs and Tower Arch trails around Moab versus last spring. The additional approach and departure clearances afforded by my bumper designs made a HUGE difference. I know there were many instances today where the OEM bumpers would've made contact with a rock face or the ground yet today my KK Off-Road Bumpers didn't.
:BANANA:

Feeling like my hard work developing Off-Road Bumpers for the KK which create maximum approach and depature clearances, especially along the critical wheel path, is paying off. Later after getting some photos from kskj, I'll be able to show the benefits of these clearances in action.

The Heavy Duty Rock Rail Sliders held up great too. It was last year in Moab that I bent up the simple 2-cross-bar mounted RRO sliders I used to have (which then caused me to have to have some super-heavy duty mount sliders built to complete the full armoring of my KK). :JEEPIN:

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2011 1:15 am

Looks good! :JEEPIN:

DoubleK · **Posted:** Mon May 23, 2011 1:21 am

MtnLuvr wrote:

Started my week-long wheeling test-out of my KK Off-Road Armor in Moab Pre-LOST Pastafari 2011:

I was quite pleased the difference wheeling my KK today on Fins & Things, Klondike Bluffs and Tower Arch trails around Moab versus last spring. The additional approach and departure clearances afforded by my bumper designs made a HUGE difference. I know there were many instances today where the OEM bumpers would've made contact with a rock face or the ground yet today my KK Off-Road Bumpers didn't.
:BANANA:

Feeling like my hard work developing Off-Road Bumpers for the KK which create maximum approach and depature clearances, especially along the critical wheel path, is paying off. Later after getting some photos from kskj, I'll be able to show the benefits of these clearances in action.

The Heavy Duty Rock Rail Sliders held up great too. It was last year in Moab that I bent up the simple 2-cross-bar mounted RRO sliders I used to have (which then caused me to have to have some super-heavy duty mount sliders built to complete the full armoring of my KK). :JEEPIN:

my plan is to head to MOAB this summer :JEEPIN:

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Wed May 25, 2011 1:32 am

Another day wheeling in Moab Pre-Pastafari 2011 and proving out that the maximum high-clearance approach and departure angle designs of the Front Winch Bumper and Basic Rear Bumper make a dramatic improvement wheeling the KK. It is so nice to be wheeling in Moab again but without having my KK's bumpers contacting and getting beat to heck on various rocks and trail obstacles.

:JEEPIN:

After this week in Moab, I'll post some action and close-up photos taken by others on the trail crew while I was wheeling my fully armored TanKK.

chardhin · **Joined:** Sat May 28, 2011 5:14 pm **Posts:** 3

wow just read this whole thread. what you have made is awesome.

hrogi · **Posted:** Tue May 31, 2011 6:47 pm

Liberties should come stock with this.

and a V-8 that gets 30 MPG on the trail...... :POPCORN:

JWilk · **Posted:** Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:10 am

Amazing work!! That front bumper is Awesome!! I Just bought my wife an 08 KK two days ago w/ 22K on the odometer. I have always been a wrangler guy but we couldn't afford a 4dr wrangler. But now that we have another jeep the first thing I started looking into was bumpers and rock rails. I am very disappointed by the lack of selection (I guess I have been spoiled as a wrangler owner) but your designs are perfect. I can't wait for some pricing info. I am sure it will be easier for me to get the expense approved now that it's for my wife's jeep and not mine :wink:

Keep up the good work and keep the posts coming. I had to register just so I could subscribe to this post!!

Smetna · **Posted:** Wed Jun 15, 2011 9:40 am

Hey guys,

Who makes those body-color headlight covers Mtn has on the TanKK???? I must have those!!!!!

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Wed Jun 15, 2011 5:06 pm

Smetna wrote:

Hey guys,

Who makes those body-color headlight covers Mtn has on the TanKK???? I must have those!!!!!

I plan to sell the KK headlight covers when I start selling KK off-road armor. I went through great trouble to locate and import from Europe. Hang tight.....

--------------------------------------------------------
Sent from my phone using Tapatalk

FDez · **Posted:** Wed Jun 15, 2011 8:47 pm

You're such a tease. :goink:

UOGod619 · **Joined:** Wed May 11, 2011 10:12 pm **Posts:** 8

That's one sick ride!! Though the roundness of the headlight protection bugs me it still looks great. I would like to purchase a front bumper when you start producing more as well as the headlight cover.

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 2011 10:57 am

Sagerist wrote:

Seriously, your KK should be the model of what all KK's could aspire to be! When I first got mine in '09 the first thing I looked into (other than obviously getting rid of the stock wronglers) was finding some sort of bullbar that didn't look ridiculous on it was we have a lot of suicidal deer and elk where im at. Your design accomplishes everything you could ever want/need! Good work and can't wait to hopefully slap that badboy on my rig! :JEEPIN:

Thanks man. It was nice to meet out in Moab, although sorry the lunch arrangements didn't work out more integrated :oops:

. Hopefully next summer you can have some "badboys" on your KK and we can wheel in CO.

Igor wrote:

Two and half years I was looking for a dream to my Cherokee. Unfortunately or luckily, ARB thinks too long or stopped to think any more. They even stopped to answer on my e-mails. Hope this would not effect significantly on a cost evaluation and a final price :roll:

. ARB

As much as I don't like the "park bench" design of the ARB front winch bumper that sticks out an incredible amount really hurting approach angle, if they would've made one for the KK before I had to design mine, I would've bought one just to save the extreme time and cost I spent getting mine developed. I would've appreciated at least a little responsiveness from ARB instead of basically hardly, if ever, responding. Their loss :twisted:

Now I've got a better KK front-winch bumper than they'd ever come out with.

dieselenthusiast wrote:

Looks good! :JEEPIN:

Thanks. You and the Mrs. should get to see it up close and personal later this summer.....

DoubleK wrote:

MtnLuvr wrote:

Started my week-long wheeling test-out of my KK Off-Road Armor in Moab Pre-LOST Pastafari 2011....
:shock:

I was quite pleased the difference wheeling my KK today on Fins & Things, Klondike Bluffs and Tower Arch trails around Moab versus last spring. The additional approach and departure clearances afforded by my bumper designs made a HUGE difference. I know there were many instances today where the OEM bumpers would've made contact with a rock face or the ground yet today my KK Off-Road Bumpers didn't.
:BANANA:

Feeling like my hard work developing Off-Road Bumpers for the KK which create maximum approach and depature clearances, especially along the critical wheel path, is paying off. Later after getting some photos from kskj, I'll be able to show the benefits of these clearances in action.

The Heavy Duty Rock Rail Sliders held up great too. It was last year in Moab that I bent up the simple 2-cross-bar mounted RRO sliders I used to have (which then caused me to have to have some super-heavy duty mount sliders built to complete the full armoring of my KK). :JEEPIN:

my plan is to head to MOAB this summer :JEEPIN:

Post up some info on your plans and be sure to post some photos of another KK rockin' :JEEPIN:

this part of the country. If you're gonna be driving through Kansas City, PM if you want to try to meet somewhere for a bit to check out my KK off-road armor.

chardhin wrote:

wow just read this whole thread. what you have made is awesome.

Just read the whole thread :shock:

that had to take awhile given how long it is now. Thanks for the feedback.

hrogi wrote:

Liberties should come stock with this.

and a V-8 that gets 30 MPG on the trail...... :POPCORN:

Sure would've been a lot more convenient to at least have had some type of option for serious off-road armor. :JEEPIN:

JWilk wrote:

Amazing work!! That front bumper is Awesome!! I Just bought my wife an 08 KK two days ago w/ 22K on the odometer. I have always been a wrangler guy but we couldn't afford a 4dr wrangler. But now that we have another jeep the first thing I started looking into was bumpers and rock rails. I am very disappointed by the lack of selection (I guess I have been spoiled as a wrangler owner) but your designs are perfect. I can't wait for some pricing info. I am sure it will be easier for me to get the expense approved now that it's for my wife's jeep and not mine :wink:

Keep up the good work and keep the posts coming. I had to register just so I could subscribe to this post!!

I too was disappointed by the lack of KK off-road options....part of my decision in 2007 to lean seriously toward the Liberty (and thus KK for new) was seeing all the options in 2006-2007 the KJs had for off-road armor and enthusiast mods. Then the economy tanked, many owners that would've gone to the Liberty for 4-door versatility went to the 4-door JK Wrangler (released in 2007) and thus the KK wound up with lower sales numbers and potentially even a smaller sub-set of owners that were enthusiasts that were interested in actually taking their 4x4 off-road. I spent years contacting off-road aftermarket companies to no avail. Thus, I wound up having to take matters into my own hands and design and get built the off-road products I wanted. If only I had more time, besides getting batch production pricing together, there are tons more items I have generally worked out and want to detail design and build for my KK..........

UOGod619 wrote:

That's one sick ride!! Though the roundness of the headlight protection bugs me it still looks great. I would like to purchase a front bumper when you start producing more as well as the headlight cover.

Thanks.

8457

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:43 am

Ok, before I quickly post up some pics of the benefits of my improved approach and departure angle KK Off-Road Armor, here's some quick (mostly "poser") shots from my May trip out wheeling in Utah as part of Pastafari 2011:

I've always liked Moab in the spring....the desert isn't blazing hot and you get the beautiful contrasts of the desert with the snow-capped La Sal Mountains in the background.

Of course, in the Moab area, unlike the midwest where I live, the rocks are so dry that you get amazing traction since it is like driving on sandpaper:

(I thought this was a pretty interesting shot, thanks Taylor

, showing a unique perspective on my KK front-end armoring and KK-integrated Rock Rail Sliders)

..and let's not forget the Heavy Duty Basic Rear Bumper on the long-tailed KK:

(beautiful scenery to explore and as photo backdrop)

and a little rear flexing....at one of our stops, I stopped with my driver's nose diving which created a little passenger rear flex from the JBA 4" A-a-S lift, plus it gives a different perspective on the fit, finish and integrated trim-out of my Heavy Duty Basic Rear Bumper. Although, I left the OEM rear wheel well lines uncut to see if they'd maybe act a little like mud flaps....not certain if they're helping much in that regard :lol:

.

Speaking of the rear bumper, since the large group part of Pastafari 2011 was 4-days/3-nights backcountry, hauling all your own water, spare fuel, food, camping gear and usual off-road supplies, here's a shot of the back of my KK as used (and prior to packing up my campsite) at Panorama Point (Wed 05/25 evening and Thurs 05/26/2011 morning).

As you can see in the above photo, my high wheel-path clearance Heavy Duty Basic Rear Bumper design offers multiple advantages. Since with the KK we're stuck with OEM vehicle structure sticking out back so far for the under-tail spare area (and maybe for crash worthiness too), having the Jeep scuff plate integrated into the top of it, besides making the appearance look more integrated with the vehicle, also provides a good no-slip surface for stuff placed on top of the rear bumper. You can also see the CB antenna mount provision being used. Biggest feature I'd want point out in this photo is how with my placement of the rear recovery shackle tabs outboard of where most others have placed theirs, you don't have the rear shackles, or tabs, as points you're going to hit with your legs when you are loading or unloading gear or cargo from the back of the KK's (larger) cargo area. The chamfered and rounded edges of the bumper design also smooth things out so there aren't any sharp edges to cut you or bang into. With the receiver hitch assembly centered, and with its itegrated tapered skid bars/safety chain connection points, I have yet to run into the receiver with my body when accessing the KK's rear cargo area. The sealed tow plug connectors, which has connectors for both 7-pin and 4/5-pin, did a good job keeping water/mud and dust/dirt out of the connections.

After wheeling my TanKK around Utah for a week, I am super pleased with the performance of my mods, including my Heavy Duty Armor. Now on to a post about the benefits of improved wheel-path approach and depature clearances.....

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 2011 11:54 am

Before we get into approach and depature clearances, here's a couple quick photos showing why Rock Rail Sliders between wheel wells is good armor protection:

With a trail crew often on the move, many of the single rock/outcropping obstacles I cleared in the critical wheel path didn't get photo-documented, but you can see from these two action shots how having slider rails extend out past just a Rock Rail tubing extending between wheel well rocker flairs definitely help protect the lower panels of the KK's doors.

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 2011 12:34 pm

Wow, 300th post in this thread :shock:

and approaching 8,500 thread views.....

Ok, for those that have followed this entire thread and/or already get out and wheel their KK, you probably already understand why you want maximum approach clearance (at the front) and departure clearance (at the rear) in line with the wheel path. The wheel path is critical because when wheeling, you generally want to put your tires up on the obstacle for multiple reasons, including so you know where it is, maximize underbody clearance and to help protect underbody components hanging the lowest, like the rear differential, lower shock mounts, etc. Thus, if you can't get your front wheels up onto an obstacle (or to the ground when coming off a large obstacle or decline descent) without your bumper contacting, then your Jeep body (e.g. bumper) is going to take some damage unless you retreat, can avoid the obstacle, etc. Ditto for the back end, although it typically doesn't keep you from getting up onto an obstacle, or down off a large one, as the front could constrain you (since most people wheel driving forward :wink:

) thus the rear is more likely to take a hit coming off an obstacle that you were able to get up and onto (or come down off of if sizable decline). So, enough background on why clearances in the wheel path are critical...now for some photos of my Fully Armored KK making use of its high wheel-path approach and depature clearances while wheeling out in Utah this past May:

First up, crossing a small crack, first using approach (front) clearance, then getting clear with depature (rear) clearance (taken from Klondike Bluffs' trail):

Don't try this with an OEM bumper -- only my maximum approach clearance bumper and radiator/PS cooler skid plate can do this without any contact to the rock.

Stuffin' the driver's side rear tire as the passenger side rear tire flexes and drops into the crack.

Gettin' clear.

Another example of both improved approach and depature clearances (from Fins & Things Trail):

Without such improved approach clearances, what do you think would happen to any other bumper in this situation?

Thanks Taylor for the great action shots

Now that the front is down off the obstacle or decline, what do you think would happen to the OEM rear bumper in this situation?

And last example I'll post of situations where both approach and departure clearances are important (takend at Ken's Climb off Fins & Things):

Approaching the climb (so need approach clearance)...

...now starting the climb, so need departure clearance at the back.

Now, few random approach clearance only shots:

Note how you can still see the front driving surface of the tire below the bumper's high wheel-path clearance?

(wow, the KK's tail is long, but here's a good shot showing how much the clearance is maximized, after have the exhaust back-redone too)

Now time to climb a little ledge on the trail....

..first getting one front wheel up on it....

...now both front wheels up on, so now to move forward...

...to get the back wheels up on it....

...now that fully up the ledge, time to move on forward on the trail. :JEEPIN:

Some random departure clearance only shots:

Getting rear wheels down off the ledge obstacle...

...fully down and clear of the ledge obstacle, without dragging my KK's rear bumper :BANANA:

(Thanks Scott for the action photos

).

Thanks yal'll. I'll continue to post as time permits as well as advise any updates once any notable updates are available.

E2 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 26, 2011 9:37 pm

Looks like you cheated, I see rocks at the bottom.

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Mon Jun 27, 2011 9:05 pm

E2 wrote:

Looks like you cheated, I see rocks at the bottom.

Can't tell if you're serious or just harassing me....

In case you wanted an answer.....no rocks were placed for my KK while wheeling in Moab this May. bugnout and I were typically at the end of our 9-vehicle group and typically always took the most challenging line. I was constantly challenging the clearance of my KK during this trip so see how much better it was with obstacles than it was in Moab 2010.

If you were referring to this photo:

MtnLuvr wrote:

...

...fully down and clear of the ledge obstacle, without dragging my KK's rear bumper :BANANA:

(Thanks Scott for the action photos

)...

well, that photo was taken (during Pastafari 2011) when we were coming back out of first night's camp area on the way to The Dollhouse. From this day's trip report, you can see the below which is the same spot where we had a vehicle get stuck on the way in the day before and the only way to get them up and over that ledge was to stack some rocks.

MtnLuvr wrote:

....

METCRD shows why rock rails are a good idea on rocky trails.

After audiboy86 provides a little tug backward to get METCRD's KJ unstuck from high centering (again, skid plates another need when rock crawlin') so ihatemybike can add some rocks to help METCRD clear this obstacle. ihatemybike (yellocoyote's husband) was great about jumping out to offer spotting when required.
...

Hope that addresses your observation.

Ryn7 · **Posted:** Tue Jun 28, 2011 4:21 am

Those are very impressive bumpers you have designed for KK's.
Absolutely gorgeous looking.
You have greatly improved the look of the second generation Liberty!

palehorse0809 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 8:35 am

Good morning all,
I want one of these bumpers. I have looked all over the net. I have even put my kids to look for it and finally, YOU have made me the ALMOST happiest man in the world. As soon as I know where to order from and the cost, Then will I become the happiest man in the world.

jdizzle · **Posted:** Wed Jul 06, 2011 2:26 pm

Hey MtnLuvr, thats a limited right? Did you paint the chrome or did yours come without it? I was wondering if there was some way for me to get rid of all this chrome on my limited.

MtnLuvr's (Declassified) Off-Road Bumpers and Rock Sliders

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