TOMKEN
MACHINE Stubby Bumper and Winch
Plate
by Chad
Crowell
The front-end of your Jeep is very
important! While we invest so much money in drivetrain components
and other performance enhancing accessories, you can’t deny
that when you see another Jeep coming toward you on the road, you
always get a quick first impression by the front
clip…bumper? winch? winch mount? tow hooks? shackles? The
more of these items that are present, the more you can be sure that
the
Jeep is built up for real trail
action!
The impressive thing about Tomken
Machine’s Stubby Bumper and Winch Plate are that they look
really cool, perform tough, and enhance the off-road ability of the
Jeep. I got them for my TJ and have been very happy with the
results. Not sure how a front-end treatment can be so exciting?
Read on…
There are two styles of
after market bumpers, and both serve very important roles.
Unfortunately, a choice must be made between the two styles:
A large, bulky bumper that covers the entire
front end, from corner to corner, as wide as the Jeep. This type is
generally heavy and offers superb protection from rocks and
accidents all the way out to the fender flares.
A short bumper, barely wider than the frame
rails. While providing great protection for the center of the Jeep
from rocks and accidents, it leaves the fenders wide open for
damage. The benefit of this type of bumper, though, is that large
obstacles can be approached with the entire tread width for maximum
traction.
Personally, I like the second style in a front
bumper. Because this Jeep is being built more for function off-road
even though it is a daily driver, I am willing to trade the
potential of a wrecked fender on road for the enhanced rock
crawling ability this bumper gives off-road. The Tomken
Stubby Bumper is a perfect example of this style, offering great
approach ability, along with great looks and superb functionality.
Tomken's popular "Protec" line of bumpers have always been known
for their strength, function, and good looks. The "Stubby" bumper
is a shortened version of the front Protec bumper. This bumper
retains the rugged build of the Protec bumpers (1/8" heavy wall
2x4" structural tubing) and also has the tapered ends for better
clearance at the corners. This bumper is 42" wide, rather than 54",
like the standard Protec bumper.
The Stubby
has two mounts on the front of it that can double as D-Ring clevis
mounts or a tow bar mount. These mounts offer superb strength
because the front of the bumper is opened and the mount steel is
welded into the bumper, rather than just to the front of the
bumper. I chose to secure dual D-Rings to the mounts. I
ordered the factory fog lights with my TJ, and the Stubby bumper
has no provisions for mounting them. I ground away the paint on the
outside edges of the bumper and welded on tabs for this purpose. A
little primer and black paint and the fog lights fit perfectly. I
am also using the Tomken Winch Plate up front, and the bumper fits
on perfectly with the plate.
As a straight
replacement bumper, the Stubby works and looks great! It has a
durable, rich, black powdercoat and allows mounting of two tow
hooks and a steering box skid plate as well. Installation is a
snap: just remove the stock bumper (4 Torx bolts) and replace it
with the Tomken! What makes this bumper even more attractive is the
installation of the Tomken Winch Plate.
The
Winch Plate has the same sturdy construction as the Stubby Bumper,
using ¼" steel to support a winch on the front of the
vehicle. It fits nicely on the frame rails behind the bumper, and
works perfectly with the Stubby and a set of tow hooks.
The Winch Plate is predrilled for most major-manufacturer
winches, and my Superwinch S9000 bolted right up. I did have to
take a grinder to the back edge of the plate to make it fit around
the TJ’s above-the-frame-mounted swaybar, but the
modification was minimal and Tomken has adapted the plate to avoid
this problem.
The plate bolts on with seven
bolts: three on each frame rail and one underneath the center of
the plate. The front of the Winch Plate features a roller fairlead
mount and a mini brush guard. I must say, I get more compliments on
that brush guard than any other item on the Jeep. It gives the
front of the Jeep an strong, beefy look and protects the winch and
roller fairlead from minor damage.
Installation
Remove the stock bumper and frame
cover
Remove front bolts on swaybar
mounts
Place Stubby bumper on frame rails in place of
the stock bumper
Mount winch to Winch Plate using hardware
supplied with winch
Mount roller fairlead to Winch Plate using
hardware supplied with winch
Place winch and Winch Plate on frame rails,
over upper Stubby bumper mounting holes
Place
flat washers in any open space between winch mount plate and
frame
Place tow hooks over front mounting holes in
Winch Plate
Using Grade 8 bolts, bolt down tow hooks,
Winch Plate, and Stubby Bumper
Bolt down underside of Stubby
Bumper
Replace bolts in swaybar mounts going through
Winch Plate
Place bolt and nut into underside mount,
located in the center of the Winch Plate on its underside.
Tighten
Install 5/8" D-Rings or tow bar on front of
Stubby Bumper
Installation was simple, but did
require all bolts to be loose and snugged down evenly once all
bolts were started. Here is the finished look. It really is
impressive! The bumper has served me well for quite a few months
now, proving its strength and usefulness over and over. I drilled
and tapped the bumper for my license plate mount, but the bumper
could otherwise hold about one gallon of air for an air tank as
well.
Safety Note: When bolting down heavy
equipment that works under load, such as a winch, ALWAYS use Grade
8 hardware and double check that all bolts are tight. Grade 8 bolts
are marked with six small lines on the head of the bolt (Grade 5
has three lines).
Tomken Machine
Dept. ORC
36580 U.S. Hwy. 24 North
Buena Vista, CO 81211
Phone: (719) 395-2526
Fax: (719) 395-4037
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