Tjm bumper and body lift gap
 

I'm looking at getting a TJM bumper, and I have a 2" body lift. How does the gap look, and is there any way to either make the gap smaller or just move the bumper up 2" to match the body lift?

Waskillywabbit has an ARB with a 2" BL and has the gap. Check his pics at drawhorn.org With the TJM's, I think you can get brackets to reduce the gap to 1", but I don't know if you can go the full 2" or if you'd even want to.

Where do you get the brackets, are they custom made or does TJM sell them

Gap
 

I don't mind the gap and it doesn't show up on a black rig like it does on other different colors. I'll eventually perhaps fab some custom mounting brackets, but for now, the gap ain't no big deal. I say go for it since your rig is black.

:guitar:

just get some custom brackets made at a welding shop. not a big deal.

i did, and it looks good. no gaps for me. :D

I cut the brackets that came with the bumper and raised it, then added more bracing, when I welded it up.

you can slot the holes in the brackets so you can mount the bumper higher on the brackets. I haven't done it but I seem to remember somebody on this board doing that back when I got mine back in May of 2003.

That was me. I slotted the brackets in the bumper and raised it an inch. I had to notch the bottom of the bumper to get it to sit level but that was no big deal. Even after rear ending someone( :chair: ) really good, the bumper stayed in place and saved my whole front end.

There are some adjustment slots already in the TJM that will help some. Like elnip said you can cut those slots more but if you try to go 1 or 2 inches the bottom of the bumper will hit the mounting bracket and you will have to cut something out, but it can be done much easyer than raising an ARB. One thing to keep in mind, if you plan on using a winch, the bumper mount will see more stress on it as a result of raising the bumper and winch farther away from the frame. You are increasing the moment arm (leverage) the winch puts on the mount. One thing you can do to help that is when winching use a snatch block back to a tow hook and that will cut the stress to the bumper mount in half.

Thanks for the help, I think I'll be ordering one soon, I've never seen the brackets on a TJM bumper, so hopefully I can figure it out after I order it. If anyone took pictures of where they slotted the brackets that would be helpful. Thanks again.

Slotting holes
 

I spend all day 5 days a week working on stuff like this in a fab shop, so I know what I'm talking about. I wouldn't just slot the holes if you plan to use the winch. If they had intended for you to be able to move the bumper up and down it would have come with accomodating holes, more slotted than they are. If you want it done right, get somebody to fab you up something custom, either from scratch or reinforcing the mounts you got after you modify them. Otherwise, IMO, you are asking for problems later on and compromising the strength and safety of the bumper and nullifying the reason you bought it.

:guitar:

Come on, some people don't get that stuff done free Brian. Fab shops aren't cheap so if you do what you suggest the guy might as well add a couple hundred extra bucks to the whole order if he wants it to look good. I got the impression he wasn't going to be adding a lift and after rear ending somebody at about 25 mph in mine and barely budging the thing, I can rightfully say he won't have a problem. After all, the bumper isn't even supposed to be used on vehicles equipped with air bags so in my opinion, just putting one on is risky.

hehe, have you used your winch yet? just wondering because I haven't seen you post about it yet. maybe I missed it though.:beaver:

Bumpers
 

In AL you aren't even required by law to have a freakin' bumper, so I guess I'm just above your average bear! :hillbill: I like my gap for now and you are right, fabbin up some custom ones to work right will be some work, but that's why it's nice to have friends who are expert welders and do it for a living. It is amazing what a six pack will get you these days! :welder:

I've used the winch (3) times thank you very much and none of them were in my driveway! :booty:

The TJM isn't airbag compatible? tsk tsk tsk

:guitar:

I didn't realize he had buddy's that were expert welders, sorry. I wish I did, he's lucky out there in Colorado.

nope, it's got a sticker on it that warns so.

you didn't take pics of the winching, I wanted to see that stuff.

I saw your namesake
 

Lots of tongue in cheek today eh? :moon:

Down on Orange Beach they had a big sign on the main drag that said "KAISER" Realty and I thought of you each time I passed it...

Next time I winch something, I'll take a picture just for you and post it larger than life! :booty: (2) were of a friends truck who got stuck once in his front yard in gopher holes, you think he would have learned the first time and the last one was a 10x10 storage building on skids at the church.

How's the Huntsville shopping?

:guitar:

yea, we used to rent a house called The Crows Nest at the end of west beach from that company every year then we switched to Meyer and my mom started getting a condo between the pear and the bridge every year instead. now it's an elevator ride and around a pool to get to the beach. just not the same as where the beach was private.

"lots of tongue in cheek" - nahh, I was just messing with you cause I knew it get the crack hairs up.

Ask and you shall receive. After installing a 1 inch BL I decided to raise my TJM up too. Here is a pic of the start of the slot cutting process. I'm adding 1/2 inch of adjustment to the slots. http://community.webshots.com/photo/...57661283SOWwBn

Here is a close-up of the tool I used: http://community.webshots.com/photo/...57661333bXQtzC It was very fast cutting, this would take a long time with a grinding bit but this carbide bur that I got from Travers Tool Co., shaves steel like a saw goes through wood. Warning: Those shavings are like little needles only sharper, touching them is like touching a cactus, WEAR SAFETY GOOGLES and gloves, even long sleeves would be a good idea. Even after wearing gloves I still had to pull a few tiny splinters out of my hands with tweezers.

Here is a pic of the slots with another 1/2 inch adjustment. http://community.webshots.com/photo/...57661785NawhBf That should give me about a 1/2 inch gap now, about perfect. I would'nt want to enlarge the slots much more than this, as you can see, you will run out of room real quick. I haven't got the bumper on yet so I don't know if there are any interference problems yet.

I'll post a pic of the bumper back on when I get it.

I did have a little interference problem here on the mount http://community.webshots.com/photo/...57765684BgLUnQ.

Once that little corner was cut off on each side there were no more problems. Here is the gap now with a 1 inch BL http://community.webshots.com/photo/...57765725hxZrqO

I've had to go back and cut that corner as well. It made the last little difference as well. :bounce: