Hanson Offroad

Great product and exceptional service. Thank you to the HANSON team! After a couple years of saving I finally purchased a front winch bumper from Hanson and they exceeded my expectations. Bumper was it perfect condition, shipment arrived on time and the sales team let me know where the bumper was during the production process. Couldn't be happier with my purchase. I'll be going back to them for a rear bumper very soon!

ZJ bumper/carrier: I'd been looking at this bumper/carrier for several years. It's the most aesthetic ZJ bumper I've ever seen--either aftermarket or home-built. Nothing else matches the ZJ lines. My only concern was towing capacity (and shipping to AK). After contacting me about a minor snafu between Amazon's shipping price and the actual cost, the owner worked a solution that didn't cost me anything extra, and shipped it on time. AND it arrived early, approximately 6 weeks after ordering. It was packed EXTREMELY well, and arrived without a blemish. After seeing it in real life, I also had zero concerns about the actual towing capacity; there's enough steel that it should exceed Class III standards if empirically tested. (Hanson confirmed it was not tested to failure; it's rated Class II to be extremely conservative. I have no doubt that the subframe will tear out before the bumper fails.)

I had the following minor installation issues:
- The ends of the frame horns were a hair too close; just enough that I had to grind 1/8" off the inside of each one. It wasn't a big deal to hit it with a grinder, and the bumper slid in easily. Hanson is investigating their jig to see why mine was slightly off.
- I had to ream out the holes in the unibody where the frame horns meet the factory subframe holes. Hanson is likely going to add this as an installation instruction.
- A bolt on each side, where the exterior bracket bolts directly to the bumper, had minor interference with a welded internal support. The actual holes still lined up and the bolts went through. I am sending Hanson some pics.
- Most of the hardware was 1/4"-1/2" to short, so I spent $14 at Lowes.
- The tailgate opening radius needed slight trimming to avoid the tailgate.
- Hanson recently stopped including the factory trailer wiring hole, but I didn't know I could special-request it. I used a 2" hole saw and four self-tapping screws.
- Hanson forgot a plastic cap end-cap for the top of the tire carrier. After calling to let them know about the minor issues, they offered to send it, but I wanted (and already had) welded bar stock on top to provide antenna mounting locations.

Even with the minor issues, the craftsmanship and attention to detail in the subtle angles along the sides and back still make this the most striking bumper on the market, and I have zero regrets about my experience. Installation just took me a couple more hours than anticipated. I haven't even had it installed for 24 hours and already received numerous compliments on it. The greasable poly bushing (double-shear!) means rebuilding it will be easy when it eventually wears out, and the latch is a door-style that "pops" the carrier open with one finger, and closes securely by just pushing it closed rather than needing a lever, which makes my wife happy when she needs the back for the dog or has her hands full with groceries. The carrier closes securely with a satisfying "click," and does not rattle whatsoever. After doing the bumper, I'm already considering the matching skid plate from PureJeep.

Seriously, this bumper will outlast the unibody. The fitment issues don't take away from the rest of the bumper's details, angles, subtleties, strength, and ease of opening/closing, which is why it still gets 5 stars. You can find cheaper options, but the price for what you get still makes the Hanson bumper the best value.