Much of the same joy we found as kids building things with blocks is what makes building Jeep 4x4s so much fun today. There are just so many different ways to go about modifying your rig, making each and every Jeep unique. The latest offering from Rugged Ridge helps keep that creativity alive with the new All Terrain Modular Front Bumper for the Jeep Wrangler JK. 

Whether it’s running a simple stubby bumper or adding different end caps and bumper bars, it’s all up to the Jeep owner to decide what looks and works best. The All Terrain Modular Bumper from Rugged Ridge stems from their Aluminum XHD Series. Keeping a similar design to the original XHD, the new All Terrain Series bumper is made from steel instead of aluminum. This makes the All Terrain Series more affordable (starting at $319.99) and appealing to Jeep owners looking for solid rock armor.

GOING MODULAR

At the core of the Rugged Ridge All Terrain bumper is the main steel bumper section.  From there, one can add Stubby Ends, an Over Rider bar, D-Rings, Winch Cover or Winch Plate. An all-new Double X Striker bar was also added to the lineup. 

We received an All Terrain Modular JK Bumper from Rugged Ridge to configure and build to our liking. Our friend Brian was very excited about helping assemble this stubby steel bumper. After all, the All Terrain Bumper would be installed on his Jeep.

We ended up building an All Terrain Series front bumper with all the available options, including their new Double X Striker bar. Most of the bumper can be assembled using a basic metric socket and wrench set. All the necessary assembly hardware is included and no fabrication is required for installation. It’s a direct bolt-on application.

The engineers at Rugged Ridge do a great job at using existing bolt holes on the frame and re-using factory parts such as the fog lights. Detailed step-by-step instructions provide illustrations and information for the entire installation, making this project a breeze. There’s also tech support available from Omix-Ada (parent company of Rugged Ridge) if you should get stuck (800-449-6649 or techsupport@omix-ada.com).

The factory Jeep bumper is removed to make way for the new Rugged Ridge steel bumper. The All Terrain Series offers an optional steel Winch Plate to secure a planetary recovery winch. The winch plate is held in place by a total of six bolts directly fastened to the Jeep frame.

On 2012 and newer Jeep Wrangler JK models with the 3.6L Pentastar V6 Engine, the vacuum pump will need to be relocated so the new All Terrain steel bumper fits. From what we could tell, relocating the vacuum pump on the 3.6L models would not be that big of a hurdle thanks to a bracket included in the Rugged Ridge Series bumper hardware. We skipped this step since the Jeep we are using is a 3.8L V6. There were no clearance issues whatsoever.

The Rugged Ridge All Terrain steel bumper is secured in place using a total of eight M12 bolts that fasten to the Jeep JK frame ends. The Double X Striker bar lower mounts are also secured in place by these same M12 bolts.

We didn’t have any issues during our installation. Fitment was dead on, all the bolts lined up with frame mounting points and on the bumper itself. Installation takes 1-2 hours.

THE DIRT

At first look, the All Terrain Series front bumper looks very much like its aluminum brother from the Rugged Ridge XHD Series. The All Terrain Double X Striker and removable winch plate are new to Rugged Ridge and were specifically designed for the All Terrain Series bumper. We like the lower profile of the Double X Striker—it’s subtle yet functional. The Double X Striker bar also incorporates D-rings into the lower mounting plate, making it a very nice touch. The overall attitude of the All Terrain Front Bumper works well with the Jeep JK grille and fender lines.

Weight wise, the All Terrain fully dressed with every option weighs in just over 80 lbs.  The All Terrain steel bumper alone is 35 lbs. To put things in perspective, the factory plastic Mopar bumper cover with frame bumper bracket is about 36 lbs. You can either keep the weight down or build up your bumper as big as you need it to be. That’s the beauty of modular. You’re in charge.

The All Terrain Modular Series front bumper is a great option for the Jeep Wrangler JK owner looking for a strong steel bumper that offers function and value. The level of customization this new Rugged Ridge bumper offers is only rivaled by custom fabricated steel bumpers—typically attached to hefty price tags. Save some money and time, modulate your next Jeep front bumper. It might be the most fun you’ve had since playing with building blocks.

SOURCES
Rugged Ridge
(770) 614-6101
http://www.ruggedridge.com/