Santiago's Revenge

Greg Friedman's Backcountry XJ

Bumpers & Winch

  • Custom 4X4 Fabrication Front Winch Bumper
  • Custom 4X4 Fabrication Rear Bumper and Tire Carrier
  • Warn XD9000I Winch
  • Custom Winch Theft Protector
  • Rear Receiver Hook
Custom 4X4 Fabrication was selected to provide front and rear bumpers, and the tire carrier. Greg felt the rear bumper and tire carrier are the strongest and best looking products available. The rear bumper also allows Greg to keep the stock trailer-hitch as well. He liked the ARB winch bumper too, but felt it was too expensive for what you get. After having installed all the Custom 4X4 products, Greg says the quality and craftsmanship is outstanding. Greg added the shackles and brackets to the front bumper.


Custom 4x4 rear bumper and carrier


Custom 4x4 front bumper
The Custom 4X4 Front Winch Bumper is setup for the Warn XD9000I winch, which happened to be the winch Greg wanted. He was concerned about how easy it is to steal a winch because it's mounted with only four bolts. Since it could be removed in a matter of a couple of minutes, he fabricated a locking device out of a 4" u-bolt that goes over the motor housing and through two holes drilled in the bottom of the bumper. He had a metal tab welded to both the u-bolt and the bumper with holes in the tabs for a padlock. This prevents the u-bolt from being removed when locked, and the winch can't be removed with the u-bolt in place.

Lighting & Electrical

  • Hella H4 Replacement Headlamps
  • Hella 4000 Cornering Beam Lamps
  • Moved Stock Driving Lights to the Tire Carrier
  • Optima Yellow-Top Deep Cycle Battery
  • Wrangler Product 140 Amp Alternator
  • ARB and Auxiliary Switches

Good Lighting is one of those things that Greg is fanatical about. For the street, Greg chose Hella 55W/60W H4 headlamps after trying the Hella Vision Pluses and the generic High-Output Halogen lamps. Greg says that the high-output halogen are a great budget alternative and that the Vision Pluses offered no significant advantage for the extra cost. The Hella H4s however, he says are outstanding and well worth the money. Some people are concerned about spending the extra money for headlights on an offroad vehicle when they so often get broken or dinged by rocks and other debris. However, the Hella's are made from much stronger glass than are conventional headlights. He says time will tell.


dash switches

For offroad lights, Greg chose Hella Rally 4000 cornering beam lamps. Greg describes them by imagining being in a narrow canyon and having everything around you illuminated. He says they aren't particularly bright, but the peripheral lighting is outstanding and it's not as obnoxious as pencil beams when coming toward other vehicles or people. The combination of the 4000s and H4s on high-beam are completely sufficient for his needs.

For rear lighting, the backup lights just didn't cut it for the trail. Greg simply moved the stock driving lights he had taken off when he installed the front bumper and mounted them on the tire carrier in the rear.

Greg's stock alternator went out recently and he took the opportunity to upgrade to a 140 amp Wrangler Products alternator to enhance his winching capability. He also replaced his old battery with an Optima Yellow-Top deep-cycle battery, also to enhance winch performance.

Greg purchased two factory auxiliary light switches and mounted them in the dash next to the steering column for the rear auxiliary lights and the ARB compressor. On the other side of the steering column he mounted the front/rear ARB switches. This really provides a clean factory look.


ARB switches


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