Lots of factors to consider, some have been touched here.
One that hasn't is application, meaning how one uses their 'Zu. I'll go out on a limb and say that most 'Zu's aren't rock crawlers, but are trail rides (OK, really, most are commuters that never see dirt/rocks/mud). By trail rides, I mean that the truck is used primarily as a daily driver, and gets ocassional use on trails, be it hunting, fishing, camping, or site-seeing off the pavement.
IMO, these trucks don't need "crawler" armor. They need something durable, attractive, and inexpensive. Granted, these are relative terms, so I'll elaborate:
durable--more substantial than OEM bumpers.
attractive--simple design with minimal angles/contours and
appendages. Less fab time and material cost
translates to lower finished product price.
inexpensive--least definitive category, I know; factor
margins for fixed and variable costs,
and profit...I'd like to see some offerings
under $200.
Dreamland? Maybe. But then that may be why if you browse the 4x4 forums you see all kinds of home-fabricated bumpers, sliders, and miscellaneous other bits. I'll know for sure only after I build (another) one myself.
The last bumper I built met two of the above criteria. 11 years ago I built a front bumper for my Samurai, in about two hours with $10 worth of scrap tube, angle iron, and expanded metal. Durable--yes; attractive--no, not even close; inexpensive--yes.
Example of what I'm talking about--see Strawmyers' rear bumper on his 'Zu. Durable, inexpensive, and attractive.
There's a guy on ebay selling Cherokee "crawler" bumpers for around $200 for a pair, front and rear. Others selling bumpers for various makes/models in that range or slightly more, with more "features", and what appears to be competent construction. (That's the big "if" with buying home fab, versus buying from a reputable mfgr, versus making it ones self).
Two factors inherent with home fabrication--"built not bought" carries some weight; the pride of doing it ones self, and second--you get precisely what you want--exact dimensions, features, materiel composition, location of accessories, and mounting/attachment method.
I think the trend in armor is moving to home fabrication b/c more enthusiasts are acquiring skills and tools to do these projects, and manufacturers cannot profitably produce a product that is inexpensive enough to outweigh the other factors. In other words--building it myself, getting it exactly how I want it, though it will take some time and energy, but will save lots of money, is more desireable than spending $500-$1000 to get a manufactured bumper identical to the one on the rig down the street, delivered next week.
