Bumper Hardware & Replacement Parts

Three kinds of parts in one category

This category mixes three different jobs. The first is cosmetic repair: plastic end caps for a factory Cherokee XJ or Wrangler TJ bumper that have faded, cracked or gone missing. The second is modular bumper hardware: the wings, standard ends and brackets that let an aftermarket center section such as the Rugged Ridge XHD or Smittybilt Stryker be built out to full width or left as a stubby. The third is the supporting hardware that a new bumper forces on you: brake vacuum pump relocation brackets for the JK, parking sensor relocation brackets for Silverado and Sierra, and body-specific adapter kits that fit one bumper design to another body, like the Smittybilt bracket kit that puts a JL rear bumper on a Gladiator.

Factory-style end caps and bumper ends

Factory caps are specified by side and position. A rear passenger cap for a 1997 to 2001 XJ is a different part from the front driver cap on the same truck, and the 1987 to 1990 XJ used yet another bumper. Paintable black caps let you color match; textured black caps are meant to be left as is. On the Wrangler JL and Gladiator, the stock Rubicon stubby bumper takes bolt-on end caps that widen it to full width, so a pair of factory caps is a cheap way to add coverage to the tires. Dorman and Crown both make direct replacements, and the Crown stubby end caps for the TJ fit either side.

Modular bumper ends and wings

Modular systems let you choose the width. A center section alone leaves the tires exposed for maximum approach angle on rocks; adding standard ends or angled wings protects the fenders and adds light tabs or tie-down points. The catch is that ends only fit the center they were designed for: Rugged Ridge XHD ends fit the XHD center for the CJ, YJ, TJ and LJ, and Smittybilt Stryker wings fit the Stryker front bumper. The part names rarely say which bumper they fit, so check the compatible bumper in each listing before buying.

Relocation brackets and adapters

• JK Wranglers from 2012 to 2018 carry a brake vacuum pump canister on the frame rail right where many winch bumpers mount. A relocation bracket moves it, and some bumper makers require their own bracket; Rough Country, for example, specifies its bracket with three of its front bumpers.
• Late model pickups have parking sensors in the bumper. Replacement bumpers often need sensor relocation brackets to keep the system working rather than throwing fault codes.
• Adapter kits let one body use another body's bumper design, such as the JL rear bumper on a 2020 to 2022 Gladiator, bolt-on with no drilling.
• Intrusion beams for 2019 and newer Ford Rangers are a special case: offset beams restore the crash structure while allowing larger tires once the factory beams are trimmed.

Fit and installation

Confirm body code, model years and two-door versus four-door, since Unlimited and two-door Wranglers share most bumper hardware but not all. For factory caps, compare the mounting tab locations on the old cap with the new one before removing it from the package. For brackets that move a brake pump or sensor, follow the included routing instructions and avoid stretching vacuum lines or sensor wiring; add length with the correct connectors rather than pulling harnesses tight. Where fasteners are reused, replace any that are corroded, use anti-seize on steel into steel, and torque bumper mounting bolts to the bumper maker's specification. Anything that carries a winch or a recovery point should be tightened by a shop or an experienced installer and rechecked after the first few trips.