AEV Front Bumper Released For JT Gladiator!

[2020 SCRAMBLER]

@jwilson2899 and @JRobes thanks for the input on the winch plate to frame rail bolts. Was thinking the frame rails would be heavy enough gauge and strong enough but good point that I don’t want to risk pulling them inwards...

I’m also working on an AEV-inspired round tube bed rack at the moment...and already sleeving the points where I’m drilling through the tubes for accessory mounts (seal up insides of tubes and prevent from deforming the tube). Didn't occur to perhaps sleeve the frame rails...

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[2020 SCRAMBLER]

Finished re-painting the AEV JK bumper, swapping the JT fog light harness and JT fog lights, and upgraded the fog light bulbs.

Installed the bumper assembly and winch mount with all new hardware from AEV.

Will run the OEM Gladiator Rubicon skid plate for now.

The bumper hoop I ordered from Maximus 3 is on back order and likely will get canceled. I’m not feeling like I need it at this point.

Still need to re-paint the plastic crush can covers. And install the Warn recovery hooks. And buy a winch too...lol.

Not only do I really like the way it looks, but it would have been hard to buy anything new for less than what this cost me (~$500 = bumper, winch mount, skid plate, new AEV hardware, Warn tow hooks). And being stamped steel it’s super strong.

 

[2020 SCRAMBLER]

Oh and if anyone is interested, here’s another one of these used AEV JK bumpers for sale...slightly more than I paid.

 

[Veloruche]

Spotted this AEV Rx with Baja Designs LP6 up at Rubitrax in Boone. This is the first time I have seen another brand of lights mounted to this bumper.

 

[jwilson2899]

Finished re-painting the AEV JK bumper, swapping the JT fog light harness and JT fog lights, and upgraded the fog light bulbs.

Installed the bumper assembly and winch mount with all new hardware from AEV.

Will run the OEM Gladiator Rubicon skid plate for now.

The bumper hoop I ordered from Maximus 3 is on back order and likely will get canceled. I’m not feeling like I need it at this point.

Still need to re-paint the plastic crush can covers. And install the Warn recovery hooks. And buy a winch too...lol.

Not only do I really like the way it looks, but it would have been hard to buy anything new for less than what this cost me (~$500 = bumper, winch mount, skid plate, new AEV hardware, Warn tow hooks). And being stamped steel it’s super strong.

It came out awesome! Makes me miss the one from my JK even more lol.

 

[Montana Brian]

Quick update on my used AEV JK Moab / Call of Duty bumper. (AEV’s Tubeless JK front bumper). Not fully installed yet as I sanded and painted the main bumper over the weekend and letting the paint cure for a few days.

But the big update is the winch plate installation. It fits! Only requires 2 minor brackets to be trimmed on the Gladiator and no drilling!

So here’s the winch plate and the fairlead plate:

You don’t need the vacuum pump bracket for the JK, so feel free to leave this part off:

You’ll need to test fit the winch plate (bottom section in above pics) and mark your frame extension brackets for trimming. It almost fits the Gladiator chassis and frame rails, but has minor interference from two brackets that will need to be trimmed. Note sections in front of black line:

^pass side

^driver side

This is all that had to be trimmed:

After trimming off these sections with a cutoff wheel, the winch plate will side back flush with the frame horns (the area where the 8 bolts attach the bumper to the frame).

The winch plate barely touches the rubber hanger for the electric sway bar disconnect motors (Rubicon only?) and the bracket that holds the rubber hanger could be persuaded back a little but I just left it alone.

There is already a 1/2” hole through the lower extension on the frame rails to bolt down the winch plate. No drilling!

Next pic I’m just mocking up the bolt lengths to pass through BOTH sides of the frame horns extension (AEV only bolted to the inner sides of the frame rails...have to think passing through both sides of frame rail is a stronger mounting method. I’ll be buying Grade 8 bolts, nuts, and washers to complete the install:

Also note thick gold round washer used to shim the space between the winch plate and the inner frame rail. These are thick grade 10.9 offset center hole washers from another project (‘89 Ford Thunderbird Supercoupe rear IRS) that I had laying around.

The reason for the offset washer will be apparent as you look to install some form of shim. Either a few grade 8 washers stacked and trimmed or a 1/4” thick steel plate section trimmed down would also do the trick. You effectively want the winch plate to have no room to move side to side once tightened down and when the winch is pulling.

With the winch plate loosely fitted its easy to bolt the fairlead plate to the front of the winch plate and the 8 mounting points at the ends of the frame horns.

When done at this stage you effectively have a stubby bumper.

Here’s a link to AEV’s Winch Mounting Plate Installation Instructions

Next step for me is installing the bumper along with fog lights and fog light bulb upgrade!

It's been a few years, and I do not see any post from you showing a winch mounted in your bumper. I just did this install on our JT with a JK AEV bumper, it's skid plate, bumper spacers, and frame mounted recovery points. As well as some diamond tread to cover the gaps on top of the ends of the bumpers. Kind of wondering if I'll have to fabricate my own winch mount since it's a JK bumper with spacers on a JL/JT frame. I can't imagine either mounts lining up properly. Where are you at with yours? Did the winch fit, and you just didn't like it so removed it?

 

[DarthAWM]

It's been a few years, and I do not see any post from you showing a winch mounted in your bumper. I just did this install on our JT with a JK AEV bumper, it's skid plate, bumper spacers, and frame mounted recovery points. As well as some diamond tread to cover the gaps on top of the ends of the bumpers. Kind of wondering if I'll have to fabricate my own winch mount since it's a JK bumper with spacers on a JL/JT frame. I can't imagine either mounts lining up properly. Where are you at with yours? Did the winch fit, and you just didn't like it so removed it?

To be fair, until you no one has posted in this thread since 2021

 

[Montana Brian]

I joined specifically to revive this thread to see if the OP or anyone had successfully mounted a winch in the JK AEV bumper, without spacers

 

[WestwallNF104A]

I joined specifically to revive this thread to see if the OP or anyone had successfully mounted a winch in the JK AEV bumper, without spacers

Why don't you just call AEV and ask them? They are very helpful and truly know the subject.

 

[2020 SCRAMBLER]

OP or anyone successfully mounted a winch in the JK AEV bumper, without spacers

No winch installed yet.

See my other thread for other bumper updates.

Are you using DV8 JK to JL bumper spacers?

What did you do to get the AEV skidplate to work on the Gladiator?

 

[Montana Brian]

I am using the DV8 spacers. The AEV skid bolted to the bumper, but I had to cut off the outside inch piece at each end to clear the clevis mounts I installed. I welded a piece of angle iron to the back bottom of each frame extension, that lined up with a mount hole on each side of the plate, so didn't Even need to drill into it.
I riveted a piece of diamond tread aluminum on to the bumper, over each hole in front of the fenders

 

[Montana Brian]

I suspect that they would prefer to sell me the proper parts, rather than tell me what I can modify, and how to modify it. Probably a liability issue. Manufacturer didn't like that I welded expanded metal on top of the tube steps on my Wrangler. A necessary modification after my dog slipped while climbing in her leg dropped through the gap as she fell backwards. I'm sure she would have snapped the leg if I didn't catch her. I mentioned it to them as an idea to provide dog safe steps.

 

[2020 SCRAMBLER]

“I am using the DV8 spacers.” I’ll probably do the same when/if I ever buy a winch…

“The AEV skid bolted to the bumper, but I had to cut off the outside inch piece at each end to clear the clevis mounts I installed.“ Think I bought the same style mounts as you. But I didn’t install as I was in a rush that day and hoped to find another style that required no modifications….

“I welded a piece of angle iron to the back bottom of each frame extension, that lined up with a mount hole on each side of the plate, so didn't Even need to drill into it”. Good idea…I should do the same thing. The AEV skid plate integrates into the bumper and has to make the overall AEV bumper even stronger.

“I riveted a piece of diamond tread aluminum on to the bumper, over each hole in front of the fender” I’m not sure just how tight the AEV bumper aligned to the fenders on the JK. It looks like OEM fitment on the JT so the openings didn’t look off to me. Plus, I don’t get a lot of mud and other slush coming back over the front bumper…it all slings off 180* in the opposite direction from tire rotation.

 

[cgm]

thanks guys for posting the install of your aev cod bumpers... i have seen a few pop up on the marketplace. i'd like to try out this mod over an ebay rubicon 10A bumper.

 

[2020 SCRAMBLER]

thanks guys for posting the install of your aev cod bumpers... i have seen a few pop up on the marketplace. i'd like to try out this mod over an ebay rubicon 10A bumper.

Go HERE starting with post #12 for more details on my AEV bumper install…only mod I had to do was slightly trim 2 of the Gladiator’s unused tabs welded to the Jeep’s frame to fit my winch plate.

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