Installing OR-Fab's HD Bumper For Jeep Cherokee XJ's

Upgrading the factory bumper on your Jeep Cherokee XJ is a great way to increase the vehicle's departure angles on rough terrain while also improving its overall appearance. OR-Fab's HD bumper, PN 83250, fits 1981 to 2004 model Jeep XJ Cherokees and is manufactured in the U.S.A. from 3/16-inch steel plate.

The bumper is designed to withstand hard bumps and scrapes while also protecting the bottom rear quarter panels of the vehicle. OR-Fab includes . The bumper includes 1/2-inch thick mounting brackets, high-grade hardware, and is easy to install as it replaces the factory bumper with minor modifications.

OR-Fab PN 83250 Rear HD Bumper For Jeep XJ's 

Installation begins by unbolting the factory bumper and removing the mounting brackets that attach it to the vehicle's body. The new OR-Fab HD bumper, PN-83250, can be used with or without an aftermarket hitch, but in this case, we removed the hitch as it was not going to be used by the owner.

Because OR-Fab uses heavy-duty brackets to secure the new bumper, a small notch on the rear sheet metal has to be made to accommodate the thicker bracket frame. The instructions indicate where the cut needs to be made.

The brackets are installed with the bumper mounting nuts and hardware supplied in the kit. The bumper is heavy-duty, but it can be lifted into place by a single individual and bolted into position.

Once installed, it's easy to see how the bumper is designed to easily slide off rocks and ledges while protecting the rear quarter panel of the vehicle. A small hitch-mount is also built into the center of the bumper, to allow for an anchor strap to be attached to it.

The bumper also features a heavy-duty wrinkle black powder coat finish and comes with two heavy-duty D-ring mounts and two D-rings in the kit. The accompanying photos below, demonstrate the installation step-by-step. For more information on this and other OR-Fab products for Jeep XJ Cherokees and Jeep JK Wranglers, visit their website at www.orfab.com.

Begin the upgrade by removing the factory bolts that secure the OE bumper to the vehicle.

Remove the factory bumper to access the bumper brackets.

The thin factory bumper brackets won't hold up to serious abuse, so they too must be removed.

The bumper works with or without a factory hitch, but the outermost bolt must be removed.

Because the OR-Fab uses 1/2-inch thick steel plate bumper mounts,
a small notch must be cut from the sheet metal.

With the hitch removed in this application, you can see the notch that was cut
to make room for the larger bumper bracket.

The heavy-duty bumper bracket is designed to take hard hits and hold the bumper in place
without bending the factory sheet metal around it.

The new OR-Fab brackets are installed with the
lower bumper mounting nut brace and spacers.

The OR-Fab HD bumper is then lifted into position
 over the mounting brackets.

Heavy-duty hardware is included and attaches the bumper to the mounting brackets.

The brace is also bolted to the frame, providing greater mounting strength. 

The finished installation with the supplied D-rings provides greater tire clearance and departure angles for this Jeep.