A bumper is a significant part of a modern car safety enhancements – while airbags, seat belts and anti-lock brakes protect the inside of the car, the bumper is the large obvious shield that is both your car’s primary anti- impact protection and a major part of its character. More of the latter, than the former since 1973 when a federal government issue decreed that a car bumper should be able to absorb the force of a 5 mph crash at minimum. While modern bumpers have upped the bar to about 8mph at average, there has been a period during which, due to bumpers being made predominantly of steel and relying on hydraulics, customers used to prefer buying vehicles equipped with flimsier protection due to their better appearance. Vengeance Front Bumper

Nowadays, the considerations when manufacturing bumpers go in several major directions –productions costs, durability to mitigate damage during a major impact, durability to endure minor impacts without shape deformation, appearance, and last but not least – aerodynamics and weight. This has led to the evolution of a rather complex systems involving steel frames as support, hydraulics and springs to help absorb shock and a thermoplastic cover to balance costs and appearance. Thermoplastic is reported to easily deform however and thus often requires cosmetic repair jobs. There have been arguments made in favor of solely thermoplastic bumpers (for example a study called “Abusive Testing of Thermoplastic vs. Steel Bumper Systems” by Gilliard, B. from 1998), but they are still not trusted by customers. Black Steel Elite Front Bumper

As far as top brands go, Aeries and Smittybuilt bumpers are considered top notch. Regardless of brand however a prudent buyer’s thought process should always inquire about what features are favored in a certain choice and what are sacrificed and compare this combination to his vehicle’s specifications for an optimal match.  Black Steel Elite Rear Bumper