Bestop High Rock Narrow Front Bumper

Sunday, November 6, 2011

My Review of HighRock 4x4™ Narrow Front Bumper by Bestop®

Originally submitted at 4 Wheel Parts

1997-06 TJ Wrangler and Rubicon;3/16" laser cut steel;E-coat undercoating and textured black powder coat;Sturdy winch plate accommodates most standard-sized winches
Developed specifically for the hard core rock crawler, the HighRock 4X4™ Narrow Front Jeep Bumper features tapered ends of t...

High Rock Bumper Review

By Mattik from TX on 11/6/2011

Overall I like this bumper better. It looks great and gives the Jeep a more aggressive appearance. I've had several comments since I put it on. Additionally, I am sure the compact design of this bumper will improve offroad capability and it doesn't impede corner approaches, and even a straight approach should be improved by the highly tucked front edge of the bumper.

I like the integrated winch plate design, and the included d-right mounts will give me all I need to finish out equipping the front recovery provisions on my TJ.

For the money I would say I am very pleased with this bumper.

for more infor and pics, go to my blog:

www.bthighrockreview.blogspot.com

Bestop High Rock Front Bumper Review

I just set up this review of my new Bestop High Rock Narrow front bumper. Pics will be posted soon.

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Original Condition of the Jeep
When I bought my '04 TJ Unlimited, it had an upgraded front bumper on it. It was an ARB with grill hoops and integrated winch plate. This bumper looked cool, but I decided to replace it after it caused some approach angle issues on a Jamboree trip in 2010. You can see pics of this bumper in my Llano 2010 and Ouatchita 2009 slide shows on the main blog page.

Choosing a New Bumper
I looked for a while to find the right bumper to suit my needs. I wanted to be sure the new bumper was less bulky than the original, but still had provisions for fog lights and a winch. After some searching I stumbled across Bestop’s High Rock series bumpers.

I ultimately chose the High Rock Narrow Front Bumper
because I liked the apparent efficiency – just enough to house the required equipment without sacrificing any clearance or approach angles.

Ease of Installation
Aside from my habitual neglect of reading instructions, this bumper went on extremely easily. I did have to take it off 3 times (need to follow instructions) to install the winch / winch plate correctly, but even at that, it went on in about 2 hours. That includes the removal of the old bumper.

I was impressed with the ease of installation. Six simple and reasonably easy to reach bolts, and I have a rockin’ new look.

The only part I’m uncertain of is that there is a little “play” between the top side mounting bolts and the bottom bolts. I had to start all the bolts and then tighten slowly from top to bottom to make sure I achieved an even alignment. I would have though some sort of spacers would be included to help tighten up the fight and provide a better / easier alignment.

First Impressions
Overall I like this bumper better. It looks great and gives the Jeep a more aggressive appearance. I’ve had several comments since I put it on.

Additionally, I am sure the compact design of this bumper will improve offroad capability and it doesn’t impede corner approaches, and even a straight approach should be improved by the highly tucked front edge of the bumper.

I like the integrated winch plate design, and the included d-right mounts will give me all I need to finish out equipping the front recovery provisions on my TJ.

For the money ($249) I would say I am very pleased with this bumper.