I will probably be viewed as the skunk that came to the party.

One thing to remember is that in any collision above a certain threshold, something has to give. In other words, you can make the bumper very strong, and the mounting bolts very strong. It will then be the body or the frame of the Xterra that will sustain the damage.

The factory bumper setup is designed so certain parts are "sacrificial". The bumper is weaker than the mounting brackets and mounting bolts. The brackets and bolts are weaker than the frame, and so on... The frame should only sustain damage after all the other parts have been deformed beyond a certain point ("sacrificed").

I cannot think of any situation where you would want the mounting bolts to be loose. This would make them more likely to shear, and not perform to factory specification. Use a torque wrench to set them properly.

My comments above are not intended to be critical of any particular brand of equipment. There are many choices in the marketplace; research them carefully. :rolleyes: