Review on 🚗 Rugged Ridge 11540.10 XHD Bumper: Winch Mount for 07-18 Jeep Wrangler JK in Black by Ryan Person

I'll probably be rejected by all 5* reviewers but I'd like to give an alternative view here. Installed on JKUR 2015. What's good: The bumper has been modified to accommodate the extended electric stabilizer bar cut-off bracket. This was a problem with previous models. The vacuum pump's moveable mounts worked well, despite manufacturing modifications to the mount that no longer conformed to the instructions. It has great lines and is ruffled for the most part. Bad: The packaging is not up to standard. This is a 70 lb bumper wrapped in 1/8 inch thick foam and placed in a box with 1 inch styrofoam edging with all parts wrapped in bubble wrap inside the bumper frame. Mine had a bent roller guide plate and the powder coating was worn off in several places. I shouldn't have sent back such a heavy piece, so I adjusted and touched up the curves. But the extra $5 package will go a long way on this $400 product. Second, the process of moving the vacuum pump required an extended 3/8 inch hose. I don't know if this is a change for 2015 models but there was no way to get enough play to move the pump as instructed. So $10 for gas and an hour to go to an auto parts store to get a 1.68 foot hose. This part should be in the box. Third, it's subtle, but they cut tech and design. There's a big addition to the instructions that warns about off-axis loads on D-rings and that they're only rated for 8,500 pounds straight pull. If you look at the design , you'll see that part of the problem is that the D-ring bolts are too short. The bolts are against the floor and the nuts are only half tightened. These are nylon locknuts, but the nylon doesn't even touch the threads. means several things: 1- the locknuts don't "lock", 2- the threads of the bolt are sheared when pulled out, not the shank of the bolt (this significantly weakens the assembly), and 3- the nut is only half-tightened, which at tensile load on the screw (e.g. off-axis load) will fail prematurely. $5 for correct length screws greatly improves assembly. There are other small design and quality issues, such as B. the lack of gussets on the guide plate (it will sag inward due to off-axis stress), parts of the bumper frame showing through at the top, etc. People might object and this is what they say. It's only $400 and you get what you pay for. I reply that it's low tech, 70 pound "Made in China" steel that could sell for $150 if they shipped it to Harbor Freight. The reality is that this is a $400 product and an optional option almost as expensive as handmade products in the US (see ShrockWorks) but is NOT intended for those who genuinely intend to USE the product in real recovery situations . I didn't just buy it for the looks. Would I buy it again? Maybe just because I like the idea of changing components as my mission changes. But it frustrates me because there are small things MFG could do to improve the engineering and design with little to no retooling.