Bumpers i have built

[AKBroncoII]

I think I will call bullshit on that. But anyways. To each his own. Oh, and there is pipe out there made to way closer tolerances than DOM. Just an FYI.

 

[4literranger485]

It's easy to call BS if you're uninformed and sitting at a keyboard, but the fact of the matter is if all you intend on doing is taking your rig out for some mall crawling, go ahead and pipe it out. Also any pipe manufactured to closer tolerances then DOM would be much pricier, and they only put those strict tolerances on the I.D. which is useless for tensile strength gains. Here's some tidbits to enlighten you....

facts:

the SCCA only allows 4 types of TUBING (seamless, DOM, ERW mild steel, and chrome moly), these types carry SAE grades of 1010, 1020, 1025, and SAE 4125 or 4130 for chrome moly which are all much higher grade materials then commonly aquired black pipe

S.C.O.R.E. International does not allow the use of pipe in any approved roll cage

NASCAR and the NHRA also only allow cages made of TUBING with diameter and thickness based on weight

Tubing has a much greater tensile strength then comparable pipe


Cons of using Pipe:

measured by I.D. instead of O.D. like tubing, would require an entire different set of forming dies (who's saving money now?)

tubing is designed with strict tolerances on the O.D. and wall thickness, pipe is manufactured only to strict I.D. tolerances, and have much looser tolerances on the O.D.

when comparing similar lengths and diameters of pipe and tubing, the pipe weighs more.

pipe is harder and more brittle, therefore prone to cracking, making it SIGNIFICANTLY weaker during bends

Pros:
pipe is cheaper, if you want looks and no safety this is an excellent way to cut build costs

I build stuff for high speed desert trucks where safety is a large priority. I would not risk the safety of anyone i build for by using sub par materials. But in the end i'm not here to teach you metallurgy, i was just trying to showcase some of my recent work. I'm sure you'll build with whatever materials you see fit, why not just skip buying a bender and get all your pipe threaded for angled fittings? I believe Lowe's threads pipe for relatively cheap.

 

[Muddycowboy]

hey man im with ya im more about strength than looks isnt that what a bumper is for anyway. im going to get a bender and go with tubing for my bumper

 

[4literranger485]

sweet! nothing compares to the feeling after building your own stuff.....even if it looks like butt or breaks the first time haha

 

[Muddycowboy]

last i checked saftey and strength doesnt come cheap. niether does fixing other stuff when your bumper fails

 

[bobbywalter]

i would rather use mid/hi grade sch 40 for sliders and constant contact bumper areas on a trail rig, but i sure as hell would not use it and would prefer chromo on a race rig.


i can say for sure 40 holds up better then tube on the trail, dollar for dollar.

its not even debatable.....shit dont crease and dent nearly as easy dollar for dollar.

 

[bobbywalter]

oh yeah....your bumpers are very nice..

 

[4literranger485]

haha, thanks, i agree for sliders....i dont really use them but i could see using the cheapest steel you can get for something thats gonna bang on rocks all day. but as far as bumpers go....i make them out of mild. because you DO want a bumper to bend and give in a real impact, because if the bumper doesnt absorb the impact then something else does....i.e. the frame, suspension components, or you and your passengers. $150 dollars in materials to replace my bumper is far less then replacing an $800 i beam or a $1000 worth of shocks, or at worst someones medical bills

 

[JohnnyU]

While I'm not disagreeing with what you said, for 99% of the bumpers that are fabricated, pipe is more than adequate. ROPS and Chassis components are another story.