We are fickle with front bumpers and our TJU has seen a few so far, why not throw in another…A JCR Crusader Front Bumper we picked up from Quadratec. In this particular instance the choice of bumper makes sense in many ways, perhaps the biggest reason is that the bumper matches the recently installed JCR Crusader Rear Bumper. Similar to the rear the front is so well made, looks great and has so much function.
The integrated winch mount, tow tabs, jack holes, and auxiliary lighting mounts just make this bumper so complete. Oh, don’t forget the tasteful stinger hoop.
Preparation
JCR offers most of their products in finished or bare steel, this allows the Jeep owner to choose their look. We went with the bare so that we could make the bumper match the other painted components on the TJ such as the bumper and the rock rails. There isn’t much prep for paint, just a bit of cleaning to remove any oils and manufacturing residue. Like the rear bumper, we chose to paint the bumper in two steps. Inside first, installation on to the Jeep, then outside. This minimizes the potential for paint damage during installation.
Paint? We have used the Rust-oleum 2X Ultra Cover rattlecan paint with much success over time. The primer/paint combo allows the job to get done a bit quicker and is easy to touch up rock rash and trail scrapes. We use the black satin finish.
Installation
With the inner paint completed we installed the bumper onto the Jeep (after a bit of cleanup of the frame area) and prepped the front of the Jeep for protection from over spray. There are 6 bolts that hold the bumper to a TJ, 4 on top, 2 on the bottom. Install all the bolts before tightening and use some anti-seize to allow easy removal.
frame cleanup 
ready for bolts 
never seize on the bolts 
bolts 
tightening 
masking
Wipe down the bumper to remove any oils and apply several coats of paint. Then allow the bumper to dry, this is usually the hard part.
masking 
With the paint good and dry the Warn VR8 winch was installed followed by the 3″ KC LED Lights. The lights were wired to the factory fog light wiring.
What a great looking bumper that has so much function without being super massive or heavy.
jeepfan.com 2004 Wrangler TJ Unlimited Project
This JCR Mid Width Crusader Front Bumper is available from Quadratec. Side note: this bumper will fit the CJ, YJ and TJ.
