Cool..... although it doesn't look terribly sturdy. Should look good. It would be nice to make it tough too. I'm thinking a full bumper skin replacement like they do on the Liberty.
Some of you probably know that Westin Bull Bars are available, but I had a hard time finding one on the net for sale. Finally ended up at Truck Specialties, the only one I could find that listed them on the website. They are available in both chrome and powder coated black. They have them in stock ready to ship. Unlike the Romik bull bar, Westin's is predrilled for installation of off road lights.
Their web site lists the correct code numbers, but it is not yet set up to be ordered on-line. I had to call them at 1-888-765-1711. They are bit expensive at $419.95 (US) + tax if applicable in your state. Shipping is free. I ordered one today, should be at my house on Tuesday. Too bad I will not have my Nitro for a couple of weeks yet.
Below, stock code numbers, parts list, installation instructions for anyone interested. As you can see from the instructions, this is good for holding off road lights, but little else. (That mounting isn't going to hold up to much of an impact.) Oh yeah, I think it looks good too, so it'll be adding chrome to the front of an otherwise monochrome R/T. In a day or so, I'll be ordering the Mopar rock rails also. The two should look great together.
AirJunky, I have been looking over the Westin Bull Bar and the mounting. I have come to the conclusion that all of the Westin parts exceed the strength of the location that it is mounted to the Nitro. If you take a look up under your front bumper, in front of the lower facia, you will see the collapsible bumper brace that is directly behind the plastic bumper. This bumper brace is very thin. You can almost flex this material between your thumb and index finger. The Westin parts sandwich the lower section of this brace between two much thicker pieces of steel, see the diagram. While the bull bar mounts with only one bolt on each side to this bracing, it is a 1/2" dia. bolt. I have not got the bull bar mounted yet, but I believe the collapsible bumper brace is the weakest point of this entire mounting. The Westin Bull Bar is a quality product. The limitation is the Nitro itself. The bull bar and two lights should weigh only about 20 lbs. I would not want to attempt to mount anything heavier to this location, as an example, a full grill guard. There would have to be better mounting location for something like that. I hope to get this mounted this weekend. For anyone that wants a really strong front bumper, you will have to replace the bumper with something like an ARB construction, just be prepared for the consequences of adding that much weight to this chassis. Yes, aluminum would be the preferred material, or as an alternative, heaven forbid, reinforced ABS plastic would be stronger than what is there now.Cool..... although it doesn't look terribly sturdy. Should look good. It would be nice to make it tough too. I'm thinking a full bumper skin replacement like they do on the Liberty.
I am still waiting for my Nitro, but I also want to install a bull bar. I have not looked under the bumper, but is it possible to Weld or bolt some steel stock to these bumper braces to increase strenghth? 20-40 pounds of steel stock should add strength without changing to a 400 pound bumper.AirJunky, I have been looking over the Westin Bull Bar and the mounting. I have come to the conclusion that all of the Westin parts exceed the strength of the location that it is mounted to the Nitro. If you take a look up under your front bumper, in front of the lower facia, you will see the collapsible bumper brace that is directly behind the plastic bumper. This bumper brace is very thin. You can almost flex this material between your thumb and index finger. The Westin parts sandwich the lower section of this brace between two much thicker pieces of steel, see the diagram. While the bull bar mounts with only one bolt on each side to this bracing, it is a 7/16" dia. bolt. I have not got the bull bar mounted yet, but I believe the collapsible bumper brace is the weakest point of this entire mounting. The Westin Bull Bar is a quality product. The limitation is the Nitro itself. The bull bar and two lights should weigh only about 20 lbs. I would not want to attempt to mount anything heavier to this location, as an example, a full grill guard. There would have to be better mounting location for something like that. I hope to get this mounted this weekend. For anyone that wants a really strong front bumper, you will have to replace the bumper with something like an ARB construction, just be prepared for the consequences of adding that much weight to this chassis. Yes, aluminum would be the preferred material, or as an alternative, heaven forbid, reinforced ABS plastic would be stronger than what is there now.![]()
Bummer. I was hoping that the bar and little skid plate would help prevent the front fascia from cracking when going through deep snow. I read of someone on this forum who cracked his in the snow. From the looks of the bar it looks like it would help push the snow under the bumper to reduce the "plowing force"You can't get at this area to weld structural support. This is part of the energy absorbing barrier that limits injury to the driver in the event of a crash. Modifying this area also affects air bag deployment. ARB bumpers are manufactured to retain air bag functionality.
KenCary, I believe the brace is strong enough to support the 20 or so pounds of the Westin Bull Bar and two lights. Just don't expect the bull bar to offer any added front end protection. It can't do that on this vehicle with this type mounting. To get structural support for weight and strength, one would have to go back behind these braces and crumple zones and attach to the frame itself. To do that correctly, you would have to remove a lot of the front end pieces because they would be in the way. In other words, a complete new front bumper assembly like an ARB bumper.
In this case at least, it's an appearance thing.What are bull bars used for?