just finished new rear bumper

[schaffer]

I wouldn't mind having a bumper like that for my 98.


Be willing to make another?

 

[Jason]

Nice work. I would adapt a cheap FWD bearing for the pivot.

 

[r1hatman]

Looks good. Mad fab skills!

 

[LIMA BEAN]

thats actually just the front of the truck that the rear bumper was being built for, but yes, i made that one too. i used the same size channel and diamond plate for the front and used a bolt on brush guard from a full size chevy that i reworked to tightly fit the channel. then i used a tube kinker to bend the tubes to protect the headlights (its all in the build thread if you have lots of free time). it took me a couple of weeks to build from scratch, mostly because i spent alot of time mocking up and brainstorming an original design, but the rear only took me 2-3 days because i already had a basic design to follow so all i had to do was mock it up and then make sure the gaps were all acceptable before welding. i recieved the trailer spindle and bearing kit ill be using for the new pivot from the UPS man yesterday, so all i need to do now is get ahold of the right size tube to house the spindle and bearings and re-fit the swing out and start welding.

:EDIT: i just ordered a machined pivot tube from trout industries - thanks lima bean!

Glad to help, keep the pics coming of the upgrade. Are you going to weld on a thicker piece of plate in the pivot location underneath? I sure would and cut a hole to poke the spindle through so you can weld it top and bottom,seen a few fail from flexing and work hardening the metal.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

there is already a 1/2 plate welded to the bottom side of the diamond plate as well as another piece of angle iron tieing the pivot end of the bumper back into the main mounting rail, but i will definately be adding another plate on the bottom to better secure the spindle. now that ive got all the right parts for the pivot i just have to make sure to build everything right the first time. oh yeah, i made the license plate light braket last night but i didnt take pictures as i figured ill take plenty when i rebuilt the swing in a few days.

 

[gman]

nice bumper the spare tire rack is nice
good work

 

[LIMA BEAN]

there is already a 1/2 plate welded to the bottom side of the diamond plate as well as another piece of angle iron tieing the pivot end of the bumper back into the main mounting rail, but i will definately be adding another plate on the bottom to better secure the spindle. now that ive got all the right parts for the pivot i just have to make sure to build everything right the first time. oh yeah, i made the license plate light braket last night but i didnt take pictures as i figured ill take plenty when i rebuilt the swing in a few days.

Great look foreward to seeing it should be bulletproof this time, the spindle pivots are the only way to go.

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

*EDIT* copied from build thread
today was the first day of my week off and im already off to a productive start. i got the new pivot welded to the bumper, got the tire swing welded to the pivot, and then got everything disassembled and put a coat of paint on it.

i started by removing the bolt from the original pivot and then torching out the hole until it was big enough to put the pivot spindle into.

next i took off the stock bumper and put the new one on so i could square up the pivot spindle and get it tacked in place.

once the pivot was where i wanted it i got the tire swing shimmed and squared and then tacked it onto the pivot tube. after i opened it up for the first time i realized there was a definite need for a stop to keep it from swinging open too far.

here ive got everything mounted up and am just making final adjustments to the license plate light bracket. i also clearanced the holes for the back up lights a little bit more so that they install easier after it gets painted.

once i was satisfied with the way things fit i removed it to finish welding it and then prep it for paint. since i had to cap the top of the vertical tube off to keep out the elements i decided to make it serve a second purpose, its also a bracket for my CB antenna.

after an hour of wiping every inch down with wax and grease remover its time to paint!

following railman's advice, i ground down the paint on the stop and welded on a gusset to make sure that in the event of a latch failure the tire wont swing into the side of my bed and bend it all to hell.

after letting the welds cool off i gave it a quick wipe down and put the second coat of paint on.

with the paint drying i shifted my focus to leveling the front end, which went fairly quickly but also pointed out a need for longer brake hoses. as long as i dont allow the front end to go into full droop ill be ok, but this is something that will hopefully be remedied in the next couple of days. i ordered a pair of grade 8 3/4" x 10" bolts to replace the original 8" long ones. i know they make stud extenders to achieve the same effect, but this seems like an area that i dont want any room for error.

using all of my 1/2 impact extensions i was able to easily remove the spring retaining nut by going through the coil spring from the engine bay.

i measured the springs just for future reference, they are skyjacker 132s

after i got all my tools put away i took thumper for a test drive to help settle the front end. i think i nailed the look i was going for and the fact that theres still some rake to it tells me that i wont need to put longer shackles on the rear after mounting the bumper.

i wanted to get pictures up last night but by the time i was done screwing around in the garage it was too dark to get a good picture of the finished product. the truck sits almost perfectly level with only an inch difference between the front and the rear (32" front and 33" rear). Yesterday i finished painting the bumper and once it was dry i mounted it and then assembled the pivot bearings and seals and greased them up. i had already pre-wired the license plate light so all i had to do was make a disconnect on the vehicle side wiring so i can remove the bumper quickly and without cutting any wires. today i got a late start but managed to remove the bed and start on the cab corner repairs. i also stripped down the Hi Lift to get it ready for paint so hopefully in the next few days it will be sporting a new black paint job.

now the process of removing the bed begins, starting with getting the leaves out of the bed!

and heres the cancer i have to cure tomorrow

the picture perfect hillbilly yard

thanks for looking!

 

[schaffer]

Looks so good...nice work.

 

[LIMA BEAN]

The back bumper turned out great, good job. You been REPPED dude.

 

[anchorshot]

I have been searching for a rear bumper like that! Thats awesome!

How much?!

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

heres a link to my build thread with pics of the job getting finsished:
http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37621&page=45

thanks for the comments guys, everything has been working out well so far - the tire carrier works flawlessly and the rocker panels are sealed up tight as a fishes asshole. im thinking about building some taillight guards soon, probably when the weather breaks, but if i start getting cabin fever they may get done sooner.

 

[anchorshot]

how much do you think it weighs?

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

how much do you think it weighs?

the front one weighed in around 120lbs and the rear i would guess is about 80lbs, plus the weight of the spare tire (65lbs). it rides very stable and balanced and i can actually use my bed again for truck things!