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 Bulletproof
Manufacturing has a slogan, which reads, "You break it,
we bought it" so we decided to put their stuff to the test!
We loaded every option we had up on the Project TJ (other than the tow
bar) and headed out to Lower Heldorado, one of Moab's heaviest hardcore
trails, to see how much abuse these bumpers would take.
 The
rear end was loaded up with a BFG 33x12x15" Mud Terrain on an 10"
steel rim, two d-ring shackles, two jerry cans, both with 4 gallons
of gas in each, a Hi-Lift jack, the Ricochet Rack, a cooler, and our
camera equipment. That's a lot of gear!
The front
bumper setup had two d-ring shackles, a Ramsey winch, and an airtank.
 We
actually tried to bust up the bumpers, if you want to know the truth
of the matter. When someone makes a claim that they have a product that's
built tough, we like to find out if they mean it or if it's just a bunch
of hot air.
We rammed
the bumpers into Volkswagon-sized boulders, slammed them down off of
rock ledges, and even leaned our Jeep over on it's side on the rack,
all in the name of good, honest, rockcrawling and product testing. Yes,
you read that right. At one point, during the trail, the TJ went over
on it's side and was supported by nothing other then the top of the
Ricochet Rack. It was quite impressive, indeed. We slowly drove out
and with proper throttle and steering, got out of the predicament with
very minor quarter panel damage, a bent license plate holder, and nothing
more than a little bit of powder coat scratched off of the rack! Nothing
that a little spray paint couldn't fix!
 So
the bottom line of all this, was that after hardcore testing, and now,
also, long-term testing, the Bulletproof bumpers have passed our tests
for ease of installation, functionality, and durability. There are also
many ways you can set up the systems. For example, we don't always use
our Richochet Rack unless we are traveling far from home. We also don't
always carry jerry cans, so we have a "stubby" tire mount
that tucks the spare in closer to the tub. All the options are quick
and easy to do, as well.
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We
ran around Moab with our good friend, Eric Hanson. His red TJ
also has Bulletproof bumpers front and rear. Notice, he does not
run jerry cans or the Ricochet Rack in the rear. Eric's tire could
be tucked even further in toward the body if he had the stubby
tire mount.
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The
front setup can accomodate up to four off-road lights. Eric and
I both just run two each. The bumpers have tabs pre-welded for
all four.
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Again,
notice how the rears are the same bumpers and swing-outs, but
can run with or without the jerry cans or Ricochet Rack.
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The
Ricochet rack is height adjustable and will accomodate up to a
35" tire.
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