Here's another tale of an AEV front bumper surviving without damage.
Within a week of taking delivery of my AEV Jeep I was pulling into a new building's parking deck. They hadn't gotten to painting the thankfully dry fire hydrants yet and I didn't see one and ran the damn thing over as I swung wide to turn into a parking spot. Its was protected by a steel guard rail about 24" tall and 24" inches square. The hydrant was four or five inch steel pipe coming through the deck. Bent the gaurd rail over to alomost the clearence of the front skid and sheered the mounting bolts for the gaurd rail on the side I hit, which were imbedded in the deck. Folded over the hydrant... Damage to the supply piping on the next deck down too, and ripped out some of the hangers.
Only a few small scratches in the AEV bumper. One small 1/2" long tear in the AEV skid plate. I was shocked. So was the facility manager for the building's primary tennant, which owned it as well. He was a Jeep guy too.
Also, the AEV powder coating is by far the best I have ever seen.
The only shortcomoing of the AEV front bumper is that it won't accomodate a Warn Powerplant winch.
That ARB bumper is nice looking too.
The best features of the AEV rear bumper are: 1. the tire carrier not only carries a 37" tire without shake or rattle but opens with the tailgate too; 2. The tire carrier carries the tire high enough that the tire clears a UWS reciever mounter "hitch hauler" with 6" tall sides; 3. the bumper features a flat "step" in the center rear between the frame mounts which is wide enough to stand on to access a roof rack or to reach the far ends of the cargo area.
But AEV's suspension transforms a JK!!!
JPK