lookin for well educated opinions..lol

[BeefStew42791]

Hey, just wondering what you guys thought about using 10 gauge, 1/8", 3/16", or 1/4" steel for a project I'm starting. Right now I'm still in the design process, usin regular old graph paper for now. I'm gonna make up some custom bumper's for my 94 reg cab/short bed. I'm also gonna make after its done, a grill guard and headlamp guards out of regular steel tubing with either a wire mesh fill in or somethin else I can think of. What say you?

 

[4x4junkie]

With proper design, 1/8" (.120") will work fine for bumpers (1/8" rectangle tubing with capped ends can be very sturdy, yet lightweight).

1/4" is way overkill though, you'd just be adding excess weight by using that.
3/16" can make for a fine bumper even on a 1-ton truck.

 

[BeefStew42791]

With proper design, 1/8" (.120") will work fine for bumpers (1/8" rectangle tubing with capped ends can be very sturdy, yet lightweight).

What would you classify as proper design though? for my rear it actually is very similar to the stock in that it has the lowered step built into it. The difference is its just..bigger lol. Everything about it is except it is the same width. The front bumper though is completely different from stock. Idk my scanner isn't that great so the lines and the measurements might not be so clear if I try to upload them.

 

[4x4junkie]

What would you classify as proper design though?

Boxed (or tubular) construction, with gussets around the mounting brackets, if needed.

If you're using open c-channel or something along those lines, then 3/16" would be better. It'll be a bit heavier though.

 

[BeefStew42791]

thats more of what I was planning on doing, an open "C-channel" style, basically the only similarity being its not a closed unit. I am however gonna be heavy on the bracing, does that make a difference? another reason I'm going with the open style is if I ever have a spare $1200 (HA fat chance) I could take it off and not have to cut a hole out for the winch. Plus overall wouldn't the less metal used in an open style compensate for the smaller gauge used if it was closed? Just thinkin..

 

[4x4junkie]

I'd guess there's maybe around 10% or so less metal in a 2"x4" boxed 1/8" bumper than a 2x4" 3/16" c-channel one (not a HUGE difference), but the boxed bumper will still be MUCH more rigid.

 

[BeefStew42791]

hmm..ok..maybe I could just weld a back piece on it then after I'm completely done with fabbing everything else up, would that qualify as "boxing" it? Cuz I'm not really a fan of just a long tube of rectangular steel.

 

[4x4junkie]

You can do that, sure. Sounds like the end result will be about the same thing though, no?

 

[BeefStew42791]

no no, it wouldn't be a long tube at all. what I mean is I'll have it all finished and ready and all for primer and paint and then I'll just weld a flat piece on the back side of it to "box" it. does that sound like it'll be worth the extra strength? or will it pretty much just be dead weight?

 

[metalmacguyver]

So in the end, you still have a long rectangle..........

 

[BeefStew42791]

not when it curves around the head lights and slants inwards and even has a step in on the back bumper.

 

[4x4junkie]

I have a step in mine...

The "curve around" part could be done by cutting the tube in sections and welding it (like how I did the side panel guards, kinda hard to see in the pic, although there's more pics on my Ranger Cardomain page that show it better).

 

[BeefStew42791]

first off thats a cool bumper. and mine would be very similar except the step is also my license plate holder like on the stock stuff but it basically is just squarer with notches cut out to go around the bed ends. It also has an inward slant from the top to the bottom at the very ends and is taller then it is wide.

second of all how did you do the lighting? I hadn't thought of that and I'm thinking now that I look at it I'd like to incorporate it into mine somehow. mainly how did you do the wiring and all? I suck when it comes to electrical lol. I need maps really bad when it comes to that stuff.

 

[4x4junkie]

I cut the holes in the tubing, then use pieces of flat plate to "box" the hole back in. Then I used long screws (with nyloc nuts) from below to mount the lights inside the cutouts.

As for wiring, it's not hard, but you will want to use a relay, as I doubt the backup lamp switch in the side of the transmission will be able to handle the load directly.
IIRC, the backup lamp circuit wire was black with a pink stripe (or maybe it was pink/ black, I forget which way).


You looked through the bumpers post at the top yet? I think I have my BII bumpers posted in there as well (also made from rect. tube).

 

[Ranger5.0]

I built my front bumper out of 1/8 thick 2x3 tubing. It was cut into sections so it would match the curved look of the truck. Its strong as hell too. I can get some pics if needed