Runck bumper opinions?

[bigwalton]

First off: I don't care what you guys think

However, when I mentioned to someone at an offroad shop that I had a pair of original Runck bumpers that I was going to be putting on the Scrambler, he was very interested and thought it was "retro-cool" and very "old school".

I'd never heard of these before, someone had to tell me that they were Runck (they have the "R" caps in the tubular uprights on the corners).

I was just curious what people thought of them. I just pulled them off of the -5 I'm parting out, so they're ready for blasting or grinding and then some black Hammerite. I really like that the front one has the upper bar to protect the winch...

One issue is that the rear one has a plate that you cut a hole in the crossmember for... it then bolts to the side of the frame in two places for extra support. I don't really like the idea of cutting a large (almost the complete height of the crossmember) hole in the piece that supportsthe back corners of the tub (especially with my hard top). Any thoughts on this? I'm thinking of cutting it off and gusseting the other side of the plate that just bolts to the normal bumper mounts (it's a piece of angle with the plate in question on the one end closest to the center of the Jeep and is just open on the other...)

Oh, and yes, I know they're heavy

I'll get pics of their current, rusty-assed state tonight.

 

[Jeremy]

Runck

We first saw them at IOK (Indiana, ohio, Kentunky) 4 wheel drive Assoc that sponsored the gravel rama In 1975, First bumper with overside spare tire carrier, May be the first aftermarket bumper. Dad cannot remember if they are 3/16 to 1/4 inch steel. Protected body from trees Dads cj6 was not paid off when we saw them and had disappeared by the time dad had spare cash for them.

 

[bigwalton]

So yer saying they're beefy???

I'm not sure how I'll like the way that the front one wraps around, I'm more fond of the shorter bumpers that stop before the edge of the fender (like the Warns).

Going to get pics now...

 

[bigwalton]

pics

Here's the two of them, in bad need of a grinding/blasting.

Here's a shot of the right side mounting bracket. You're looking toward the center of the Jeep. The plate that goes through the crossmember is facing you. What I'm thinking of doing is cutting that off at the mounting plate (forming a gusset on that side) and welding in a plate on the open end of the mounting bracket, closest to you to "box in" the bracket... thoughts?

This would still allow me to get a wrench on the bolts from below to install.

 

[bigwalton]

Inspiration!!!

I thought of the way to do this! I'll need someone to help that can weld, but there's a simple way to make this an ULTRA STRONG setup with just a little extra 1/4" plate.

Cut the current bracket flush with the bumper mounting bracket/crossmember:

Then, since the cut piece of the plate has the correct holes to line up with the frame holes behind the crossmember, use it to build a bracket that will back up the crossmember, effectively sandwiching it between two 1/4 plates. I could even weld nuts to this to allow for easier installation. I'd build a triangular gusset to span the angle formed by the two plates and weld that across the top of the new backside bracket.

Combine this with a new gusset on the open end of the bumper's bracket and it would theoretically be stronger than the original... me likie! AND no cutting of the crossmember... I'm actually reinforcing it! WOOHOO...

 

[mulescj8]

Bumpstops

Eric............glad your staying "old school". ............lol those bumpers where the godfathers of "bullet proof" bumpers............almost indestructable!......nice find on those man...........bring them over here and i'll do what ever mods you need on them for nothing.........i'll even buy the beer.............clean them up and even throw one of my world famous rattle can black paint jobs on them for ya...........you know i have a spare room,bring your pup and i'll throw something dead on the grill wheter it wants to be cooked or not!(no not your pup) either beef,pork or some kind of a grazer-JC

 

[Crossbones]

Old School

Eric those will look great on the Postal. My tire carrier Runck has been painted 3 times in five years.

Answer to PM. Brackets bolt to the frame & go inside of the crossmember.
Bolts then go thru the bracket & crossmember into the bumper. Another bracket bolts to the frame & goes over the crossmember and another bracket goes from the bumper under the crossmember. I'll post a pic. of the install
instructions this weekend.

Robert

 

[mulescj8]

lost in cyberspace

Robert glad you have resurfaced.................Where ya been?.........come on over with Eric and we can set around the fire and drink a cold one!

 

[Crossbones]

HEY JC, I'm sure you could get those bumpers mounted real quick for Eric...
and they'll look good too! Thinking about attending Windrock this year if I can
get my winter project finished. That's evolved into D44 front & rear, 4.27 gears, Eaton e-lockers, front drive shaft & so on. Also new SS dash with Autometer gauges.
Have you seen this new double blade circular saw from Sears. Blades turn in opposite directions and cut metal like a dream
Robert

 

[bigwalton]

Man, free Fab, free Beer and Free meat! That is one solid offer you got there JC!

I may get a start on cleaning these things up tomorrow... not much to do now that the -5's all apart and the postal's at the shop. Regardless of what I do to mount this thing, I'm not going to be cutting a hole in the crossmember, so I'll chop that part off.

I thought it was quite funny when the guy at Tarheel Offroad started in on how old school these things are... I was laughing out loud at him. I found the Runck Enterprises website and a review of their tire carrier bumper, that thing looks BEEEEEEFY! I saw the mounting system that they used and that Robert described.

Without the tire carrier, I won't need near that kind of strength, I really think that my bracket modification will do the trick nicely.

 

[mulescj8]

HEY JC, I'm sure you could get those bumpers mounted real quick for Eric...
and they'll look good too! Thinking about attending Windrock this year if I can
my winter project finished. That's evolved into D44 front & rear, 4.27 gears,
Eaton e-lockers, front drive shaft & so on. Also new SS dash with Autometer
gauges.
Have you seen this new double blade circular saw from Sears. Blades turn in opposite directions and cut metal like a dream
Robert

Robert that is one "SWEET" saw and i need to add that to the arsenal of hacking tools-LOL

 

[MrBeep]

Runk Bumpers

Hello Eric. I have a Runck rear on Jannies Rubicon and a "Fake Runk" on the front of it also. Fritz Runk started making the bumpers, rubrails and rolllbars for CJs in the late 60s. I have the first front bumper he made. It wieghs in around 125lbs. The outer sections and posts are to protect the fenders and rear corners from tree and rock attacks. You have the winch bumper with the hoop to protect it. There is also a standard (no hoop) and a "Plow" (4 center posts) model.

Fritz sold his business to his nephew a few years ago but still goes to the shop about every day. He is still active in the IOK four wheelers and I see him about every month. Three of my Scramblers have his bumpers on them now and my new coil sprung 8 will have them also. They are plenty stout enough to "Tail Drag" so you don't have to cute off the purty part of you CJ.

Link: http://runck.com/

Later

Toby

 

[bigwalton]

Thanks for the good info Toby! I didn't get to start grinding on them yet, I may see what it takes for the body shop that the Scrambler's at to blast them for me, I could see that taking a WHILE on my own with a wire wheel...

Funny that I end up with the winch bumper a the same time as the winch... I may just put those on first before messing with fixing the front end. I'm THAT excited to see them both on there!

Mine's not quite 125 lbs. but it's definitely beefy!

 

[bigwalton]

14 years later and I’m bumping this thread because I’m finally stripping down and redoing the front Runck. I got way lucky with these bumpers not knowing what they were on the -5 that I parted out. One of the best decisions I’ve made to decide to keep them, I get more comments on them than anything other than the wrong-side steering wheel.

Pulled this for SEMA to throw on the Rugged Ridge winch bumper. That was just the excuse I needed to finally rework this. In 05 I wire wheeled and Ospho-ed it but i was in a rush and painted it too fast. That resulted in areas where the primer/paint wouldn’t stick well.

Will do better this time but it’s still getting the same hammered spray paint finish, I’ve loved how well it touches up.

Lots of grinding later:


Crazy to think it’s been 14 years!

 

[spankrjs]

Almost as cool as a 42RLE

 

[bigwalton]

Almost as cool as a 42RLE

Jeez, just go drag race someone

 

[designerRob]

Their website is no longer active.

 

[DeLuke]

This has got to be the oldest thread to be revived! I bought a Renegade CJ7 back in 2004 with Runck-style front and rear bumpers. They do not have the R on the posts but otherwise nearly identical. Mine had a slightly different bull bar configuration. I loved the design. They were super heavy duty and the vertical posts would be great protectors of the corners. Loved them so much that when I sold the Renegade in 2015, I kept the bumpers and swapped them onto another Jeep.

Since then, I've become much more obsessed with factory presentation. A couple weeks ago, I finally took these bumpers and some Bestop semi-circular side steps off the Laredo and went back to factory. I'm probably going to sell the bumpers and those side steps if anyone is interested.

 

[bigwalton]

Their website is no longer active.

I think the company went through some “difficulty” and is no more.

 

[bigwalton]

Oh yeah, that’s better. Going to have to strip and paint the Warn mounting setup too if I’m doing all this...

Figuring out some “rollers” to install on top of the bumper to keep my soft shackles from sliding sideways. With no shackle mounts and me not wanting to mess with adding anything major structurally, I’ve been simply putting my soft shackles around the main square tube (like you see here) near the bumper mount. There’s nothing to keep it from sliding sideways though and I want to fix that. I have a t-case drop kit I never used that make for sweet rollers/bumpers I think.