If you can imagine...

[whissiswheelin]

thanks have had mixed opinions based on the decreased approach angle with the bumper but I am okay with it cuz I usually just play in the bush/mud and not so much rocks....another thing to keep in mind when your designing your bumper FRITZ.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Here's what I ended up with. 1/2" plate, 2 1/2x2 1/2x1/4" square tube, 3/8" gussets, 2" sch 40 pipe, found some 1/4" scraps to weld to the frame, with a 3/4" bolt welded to a nut, welded to the inside of the plates. 3 pieces are used to box the frame ends in. Welded all the way around. Used the 6,600lb lugs. Had to buy the tube and the pipe.

Painted it with rustoleum colorshift. IIRC "galaxy blue". Glass-blasted all the parts as I went along to avoid leaving grinder marks (left the spatter on too for the most part, and I find it less ugly than grinder marks, it is my truck after all). Did a final blast before primed with (all Rustoleum products) the rust-eating brown, black base coat, color-shift, and then a clear coat. Shouldn't rust till I hit something and F-up the paint job. The pictures (especially after the resizing) don't do the paint justice, it looks sharp. Also, the final pic was doing touch-ups, I did paint the backside just in case you were wondering.

Overall, I like it, and think it looks pretty good. For the effort, money, and time, it's really good. The guys at work all liked it. Maybe one day I'll take the time to cut/turn the pipes a few degrees, cap them, and put the vertical pieces in to protect from brush. As it sits though, it'll push like a sumo wrestler. Now I just need to buy a winch and I'll make a winch plate to fit that hitch.

Sorry that I forgot to take pictures of the final assembly before putting it on the truck. Maybe I'll do that tomorrow.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Oh, Whiss, I like your bumper. Just saw the pictures. Last time I went to this thread they didn't come up or something, just noticed it now.

Why did you take the OE grill out?

 

[whissiswheelin]

Your Bumper turn out real nice Fritz! Good Job.

I took the grill out because the winch took priority and because it was too weak and broken in some places to just cut sections away around the winch. I am planning on doing a custom grill with the perimeter being made from L1"x1"x1/8" and the inside being expanded metal or similar. Also having thoughts of adding a section of the grill by making a shroud around the winch with thin plate to make sure the cable doesnt by chance damage my radiator.

 

[whissiswheelin]

BTW...if you have access to oxy fuel torches you can heat and bend that pipe most any way you would like just by heating it red hott!!!

A large pipe wrench works well for leverage.

 

[Tominator]

Your Bumper turn out real nice Fritz! Good Job.

Looks wicked too!

You could use that hitch to hang the whole truck from a tree! Drip dry if you like!

 

[Bennybooster]

Get rid of the tubes, they look awful. Like a total after thought, your welds look good. Aesthetically though it looks ridiculous

 

[-Nathan-]

^says the guy with no bumper lol

I have to agree though....looks well built, but is ugly as sin.

 

[whissiswheelin]

I agree that it is not the sexiest bumper on TRS but he did acomplish what he was trying to get outta it..."A disgustingly ugly, overbuilt, slightly too heavy, and definitely well functioning bumper." I agree that the top tubes should be bent and tied into the bottom or slightly shorter but I am sure that he will do that eventually if he gets sick of looking at it or enough people razz him bout it but none the less i think he didnt do to bad of a job for the first try.

 

[FritzTKatt]

Thanks guys. I do like it as it sits, once i get the time, i do plan to add some sections that wrap around the sides to protect the turn signals. I do believe that i very well could hang the truck from it, safely. The 3/4 bolts (2), are 20k strong, and the lift lugs are 6.6k each. Half inch plate will hold strong. Also... the welds look like crap lol. I was in a hurry, usually they are much better, remember i do this for a living haha.