Bumper build

[pingpong]

For a while now I have been talking baout making some bumpers. Well I am actually going to go through with it now. Tommorow I will be prototyping my first bumper. All the brackets will be CNC Cut. As will the bumper parts.

 

Here is a pic of the fab shop cutting the bumer brackets out on the table

 

 

 

I will be posting more pics tommorow of the bumper build.

[DJM/78]

Cool , I'd like to see what you come up with .

[pingpong]

Think it is going to be nice.

 

The main body is 2x4x1/4.. the clevis mounts are made from 2x1 flat bar, and it will be recessed into the bunper all the way to the rear. Also the reciever Hitch will be recessed mounted as well. I will be taking a bunch of pics.

[pingpong]

Well Jon came down from maryland yesterday and we built a bumper. It definately took longer then we expected.

 

 

Here is a pic of the brackets eddie cut for me, and they worked pefectly.

 

Hopefully Jon will upload his pics... and you all can see what my fab work looks like.

 

 

Of course as any welder knows.. the pretty text book welds are always behind where you can't se them, and the visisble one don't always turn out perfect

[jpnjim]

Well Jon came down from maryland yesterday and we built a bumper. It definately took longer then we expected.

 

 

Here is a pic of the brackets eddie cut for me, and they worked pefectly.

 

Hopefully Jon will upload his pics... and you all can see what my fab work looks like.

 

 

Of course as any welder knows.. the pretty text book welds are always behind where you can't se them, and the visisble one don't always turn out perfect

 

 

Brackets look beefy :yes:

 

Can't wait to see it done. :cheers:

[pingpong]

I didnt take any more pics on it.. maybe Jon (combatcamera) will post up his pics.

 

The brackets were cut out of 1/4 plate.... I think That is plenty thick.... BUT Eddie says he can cut them out of anything up to 1" think steel, But I hate to think How much they would cost cause he would have to drill each hole instead of plasma cutting them.

 

 

 

 

On A side not, A limited porduction run of bumpers will be on the horizon. I have enought tubing to build 3 like I did and one flush mount one... so we shall see.

[combatcamera]

It's my truck that Pat was building the bumper, and yup, it did indeed take longer than what was originally planned for. But, that's OK. It's solid bumper, and looks pretty good too.

 

The brackets that mount to the frame were pretty much carbon copies of the original bumper mounting brackets. As such, getting them tied into the frame was just a matter of putting the original bolts in and tightening them down. Though, wrestling the completed bumper on there and in place was another matter. I mean, the bumper is built great, it's just a large and bulky item that needs to be shifted around a bunch to get it on and in place.

 

Here are the brackets as mounted to the frame:

 

 

See, just like from the factory. And you can also see how the brackets are then tied into the bumper itself. Pretty much welded onto a large piece of angle iron, which is then welded to the bumper itself. It's a pretty large hunk of metal that ties the bracket in the bumper itself, so there is a lot of weld surface.

 

 

Another image of the bracket tie-in. This also shows the clevis mounts and receiver hitch and how they are welded in on the back end as well. Plus, it also serves as a way to share Pat's "pretty" welds, since most of those were on the back of the bumper. But really, I'd much rather have ugly welds that are strong than pretty welds that don't hold up.

 

And one other thing visible here is the custom license plate bracket Pat made. I had just planned on using zip ties to attach said plate to the bumper, but Pat quickly put together this plate bracket that slides into the receiver hitch.

 

 

Another view of the bracket for the license plate. While it was great that Pat took the time to assemble the bracket, my plan is to figure out a different way to mount the license plate. And, looking back now I think it would have been better to mount the receiver hitch a little closer to flush, or flush with, the bumper itself. But, hmm, whatever, still dig it as it is though. At the time I kept thinking that we had to leave room for the hole the pin goes in that holds the towing ball bracket in place. Didn't occur to me at the time that, well, that hole could be moved etc.

 

 

Just another view of the bumper. It left Pat's as bare metal, but today, I primered it up and then painted the puppy.

 

 

Here's what it looks like all painted and on the truck.

 

And just another view of it and the truck. The bumper itself is actually cut to mach a TJ, so it's a few inches shorter than the Comanche. But, I think it still works well and looks nice too.

 

 

OK, no rear bumper in this photo, but another photo of the truck itself.

 

The above photos show the finished product, below is Pat building it. And really, in his above post where it says "we" built a bumper...well, Pat built it. I just stood around, shot a few photos and tried not to get in the way.

 

Pat welding in part of the bumper.

 

Cleaning the bumper surface to weld in the back part of the receiver.

 

Cutting the angle iron to attach the bumper brackets to the actual bumper.

 

Measuring out placement of the bumper bracket tie-in points.

 

And welding in the tie-in point.

 

Knocking off slag after welding in a clevis mount.

 

Tapering the ends of the bracket tie-in point. See those out of focus black things that look they they don't belong in the image? That's slag that just happened to land on the lens.

 

Cutting off the end caps on t he bumper.

 

Welding the end caps in place.

 

Measuring out placement on the back of the truck.

 

Pat in his workshop.

 

That's it. All in all a good time. And a nice bumper too. I'd buy one from him..oh, wait, yeah, I guess I already did. Hmmm...well, perhaps a front bumper in the future.

Anyhow, any questions about metal working or welding, as Pat. I only know how to spell welding.

[pingpong]

Thanks Jon for posting the pics... Man you can take some good pics.

[combatcamera]

Thanks for the comments about the photos. Always good to hear. I've been trying to get out and photograph folks doing their thing out on the trails as well, but no luck as of late. Things haven't been working out schedule-wise.

 

Jon

[Incommando]

I have the factory step bumper and I am not happy with the departure angle hit the truck takes with it on there. If this improves much on that, please shoot me a price if you decide to sell the others you can produce.

[pingpong]

I have the factory step bumper and I am not happy with the departure angle hit the truck takes with it on there. If this improves much on that, please shoot me a price if you decide to sell the others you can produce.

 

 

It all depends on how close you want it... The one I built for jon is about 1/2 off the body and his sheetmetal from the body hangs down way lower. I wanna say it is about 1/2 or so below the tailgate line. Depending on what you actually want... I can build a flush mount one that would be even with the tailgate, and tuck up between the bedsides.

[Incommando]

Yep... That sounds like the way to go. Max. clearance. The rear overhang reminds me off my FSJ's...toooo long.

[pingpong]

SO which styel would you like?

[Incommando]

"I can build a flush mount one that would be even with the tailgate, and tuck up between the bedsides." That sounds great. And a reciever could be recessed to the point that the cross pin would be accessed from behind the bumper, with the front opening almost flush to the face of the bumper with just the larger square "ring" sticking out....

[pingpong]

Yeah I can do all that. Let me get some measurements, and get the bumper Blank cut and Make one up. It wil take a few days to get a blank made.. as I am working 12 hr shifts at work.. and the shop that does my cutting is an hour away.

[Incommando]

Dang! You really follow that "I'll sleep when I am dead" philospophy, don't you?

[pingpong]

SOmetimes I do. It all depends. an example would be june 17/june 18. I got up at 4pm friday, worked 12 hrs, got off work went to the plasma cutters, then came home and went to a MUdbog. I finally went and laid down at 1030 pm sat night. SO up like 30 or so hrs :nuts:

[Incommando]

Have you done any "ciphering" on this?

[pingpong]

what you mean? I go Saturday to pick up some more bumper blanks... BUt they will be going on my rigs :yes: So Have I made an improvement or two to the design.. Kinda.

[wranglercory]

nice write up on your build. I hope to start my front bumper soon can't wait!!