i could be halfway to a whole new rear bumper.
Halfway. That's the keyword here, IMHO. While I'm willing to invest some cash in my ride... it's still an '02. I'm not going to put 5000$ for a front bumper, rear wheel carrier, etc.. on an '02 (if I had the DIY tools/skills, I'd do it) considering once the frame or body gets too bad, it won't be worth restoring and there aren't many in great shape anymore I could replace it with and transfer the upgrades... or even resell them to (Quebec winters are hard on cars... mine is still one of the better preserved ones I've seen in the area).
Still has a few significant pros:
- Can take it off easily for daily driving (let's face it... I can't overland every weekend
)
- Can transfer it to a eventual new ride that isn't exactly the same year/model
- Modular (can add/remove components depending on my needs for particular trip)
These are pretty good pros when you don't have a dedicated offroad/overland rig.
I do agree it would hurt the departure angle... but not by much. Currently my exhaust tip hits the ground before the bumper does, and I'm pretty sure it wouldn't hang much lower than the the exhaust (from the looks of it).
As for weight... wouldn't be much worse than a purpose-made offroad bumper. Perhaps a bit, but not by much...
