It's a solid bumper with great craftsmanship and the hinge is very sturdy. The latch mechanism is a high quality setup, however I called PSC about wanting to adjust the latch tighter and they have not included provisions for any adjustments. They continued to tell me that I can bend the striker pads in on the top and bottom of the latch to tighten things up. Having done this I can tell it's already bending back and loosening up. My fix is to add tabs to the swing out carrier that snub against the tailgate bumpers. By no means is this a rattley junk bumper. Regarding the original vs. the new version. The old version can take a hit from.. lets say backing into a tree without the tailgate getting loaded or bent. Whereas the new version will directly load the tailgate and is more susceptible to damage.
Good luck with your decision.
I looked into this bumper not too long ago, and I heard nothing but good reviews which included “solid construction" and "no rattles.” I really liked the look and the symmetry of that bumper over the linked one, but I ended up going with the linked bumper (Rockbrawler II) and absolutely love it. It is extremely well made and it looks fantastic. I ended up painting it myself because all the quotes I got were way more than I was willing to spend on powder coating. One word of caution is that this thing is HEAVY. The main package that contained just the bumper and the swing-out arm (hardware, mounting brackets and tramp-stamp were mailed separately) weighed 157 pounds! I suspect that the non-linked one would be just a tad over that, but not completely sure.
I got the linked version because the wife wanted it to be easy to open and close the rear when she went mall-crawling. It really is a slick design that works very well. Opens and closes just as easily as the stock rear - with the exception that I'm swinging a heck of a lot more weight (I have a 37" Nitto TG mounted on a ATX slab on there right now). My wife and 9 year old daughter have no problem opening/closing the gate on level ground, so it really is easy to get in the back. If you need to get into the back of the Jeep often, I would recommend the linked version, but as one poster had mentioned already, it does leave you somewhat exposed to rear damage if you back into something (no more so than the stock setup, though).
If it was just me driving the Jeep, I probably would have gone with the non-linked version, but now having the linked one I'm glad I went with this one.
I also have the "old-style" and 98% of the time I love it.
BUT, sometimes you have to push in the tire to get it to unlatch. Which is ok for me, not so much for the better half.
I also have a Hi-Lift mounted to this, and it does rattle on rocky roads.
Before pics: Jeep the new PSC bumpers (front and rear) are going on - 2013 JKUR - fenders are off as I am chopping them into flat flares
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Here are the boxes as delivered, the front Brawler Lite bumper is shipped bare - no box. PSC says shipping in a box would add too much to cost
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Brackets/hardware
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Rear bumper mostly out of packing box
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Tire carrier out of box
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Tire carrier pivot bearings
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If all goes well, I will be installing these beauties over the next few days and will post some during and after pics as well.
Stock rear bumper off:
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Test fit PSC bumper
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Test fit: side view
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Stock front bumper off:
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Test fit PSC front bumper:
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Now I need to drill 4 1" holes in the Jeep frame to mount rear bumper, ordered step drill bits from Amazon.
After final prefit, need to clean up parts, find powder coater (still trying to decide on color) then do the final install.
Don't need to remount vacuum pump, can just reach the bolts with a socket extension. The front bumper skid protects the pump and the sway bar disconnect motor very well. Do need to decide on front and rear fog/backup lights and do any necessary rewiring.
Yes the story about shipping the front bumper bare seemed a little odd to me too since the other stuff came in a box but the PSC guy said a box makes the part oversize and generates a higher shipping rate. I received no hardware pack or instructions with front bumper but bolts/nuts/washers are preinstalled on the bumper and install is obvious. The installation instructions for rear bumper talk about tapping in grease seals in the tire carrier pivot but no grease seals were included. Instructions may be outdated. Will call PSC for clarification.
Main thing is the bumpers look outstanding, fit well and went on easily working by myself. All the holes lined up well. They really look way better in person than in photos.
Will post some after pics when I get finished.
Looking great! Do you know if it's possible to have the new style rear bumper with the old carrier? I'd assume the spindle location is the same and all that is needed is the locking mechanism welded to the other side for the carrier
From what I was told by PS, the spindles are in different places. I had a the Rockbrawler I bumper and ask if the linked carrier would work on it and they said no.