Reviews for Quadratec Brute Strength Aluminum Rear Bumper for 18-22 Jeep Wrangler JL

I was looking for a full width bumper that lined up well with the Rubicon Highline fenders. The Quadratec Brute Strength Aluminum rear bumper fit the bill! I read the negative reviews prior to ordering, but figured with all the 5 star reviews that these were just outliers; I was right! The bumper is great and installed easily. You do need to align the bumper side to side, front to back, and up and down to get it perfect, and they do allow for adjusting. You may need to tighten the lower bolts before the side bolts or vice versa, etc. to get it to sit right, and it will if you have some common sense and a little patience. The thin brackets that hold the factory plastic bumper are replaced by heavy steel brackets, so don't fret, this bumper is bolted on well. Quadratec does need to check the weld splatter on the "flag" nuts as I did have to run the bolts in and out prior to install to ensure I wouldn't cross thread them. Also, if you're getting a free something with purchase like a light bar in my case, you'll probably have to wait a month or so before receiving it. Quadratec won't ship it until you're out of the return window as they've been getting returns without getting the free gift back. If you want a full coverage aluminum bumper that is pre-finished to match well with your unpainted Jeep plastics, then this is a great option.

I’m so surprised how easy the installation was! This aluminum bumper is very light weight compared to the OEM steel bumper. I’m loving the new look with the new bumper!

Light higher up than stock

Looks nice, light weight and seems easy to install.

EZ installation. Looks great. Light weight.

Nice build and the aluminum keeps the weight out of the rear.

Agreed. Easy install. Old bumper was harder to get off. A little tricky getting to the brake light harness. Basically had to dis-assemble the plastic outer shell. I get compliments and questions weekly about the new bumper. Check out my pic. Absolutely love it!

SHIPPING/PACKAGING
The packaging was fantastic. The box was stapled so tight, it was a bear to open. Once the box was opened, the bumper, brackets and hardware were all double wrapped. Each bracket was double wrapped and taped and then securely taped to the double wrapped bumper. There was zero chance of shipping damage. Unwrapped everything and took inventory. 100% there, no damages, no scrapes.

OEM STOCK BUMPER REMOVAL
Just follow the instructions. They’re detailed and laid out in a logical progression. I saved chasing the license plate harness out of the bumper for last though.

INSTALLATION
Again, just follow the instructions. Everything fit like it was meant to be there. Line up and center the bumper and then torque things down. The instructions don’t mention it but after a few days, a few tugs and a few vibrations, I’ll re-torque everything just to ensure it’s tight after everything has settled in.

IMPRESSION
Perfect fit, looks durable and easy to maintain. It doesn’t have a bunch of holes drilled in it for sensors or lights to weaken its ability to do its job. If you want flush lights in the rear bumper, you can hole saw through aluminum but I’d think twice before doing it. Aluminum is not known for bending a lot so adding a weak spot might not be a great idea. The bumper doesn’t just have slots for a trail jack but behind the slots, the frame mounting extends to take the weight instead of the bumper. I thought was a good idea since the brackets are held with 4 14 mm bolts and wrap under the frame.

CONCERNS
The bumper is basically “pinched” between the tow lugs and the mounting brackets. It’s not actually bolted to anything. Each tow lug is connected to its respective mounting bracket with 4 12mm bolts. I would not try to do a snatch and yank using just one lug if at all possible. After a tug, I would definitely recommend checking the tightness of the bolts to compensate for any stretch.

OVERALL
I’d buy it again. You will have to get creative for mud flaps as the traditional mounting brackets are removed to install this bumper.

Looks good

The packaging on this shipment was exceptional. Done in a way that it would be very difficult to get any damage in shipping so major points for that. The fit and finish on the bumper is also very good. The only gripe during install is mounting the bumper between the tow hooks and mounting points. It's just sandwiched between so you definitely need two people to keep it from swinging while resting on the mounts.

Docking one star because while it has a wider cut for oversized tire, it has just as little clearance between the tire and bottom of the foot area on the bumper. It might actually be less than stock so I will still be relocating the tire mount higher to fit a 35" tire.