need help with selecting tubing..

[BeaterMan]

so i'm all caught up on repairs and fixn broken crap with my 85'. it actually runs good and at this moment the only thing it needs is the inner wheel liner to be reformed due to rubbing. But anyways i'm finally working again after 5 months, doings landscape for 12$ an hr. and once i get some stuff paid off, i plan on building a tube front bumper and sliders. so my question is.... what would be a good tickness tube for build a strong front bumper? i'm thinking about using square for the sliders tho. i dont know much about how steel tubing is rated and would appreciate some insight. thanx in advance.

 

[99RangerKrazy]

1/4 inch is plenty, anything else would probably be overkill. Even .120 would be ok, as long as it is built right. But 1/4 would be good.

 

[metalmacguyver]

It really depends on how you design it. If you look at what I have for a bumper, it is wayyyyyyyyyyyy overkill and something on my list to be redone. I used 1/4" wall tube and it is way too heavy. The bumper weighs over 200lbs.

The best way to get an idea of what will be strong enough is look at what other people have done and what is offered by fab shops.

Check out my build thread to see what I did for my sliders. They have held up very well so far.

 

[JohnnyU]

In all honesty, .120" wall tube will be plenty thick for a tube bumper, especially if you take some time and design it to be well braced. Sometimes the best design isn't the most over-built....

I'll be using a mixture of 3/6" plate and Ø1.75x.120" tube for my bumper build (The Ranger used a 4"x4"x3/16" wt square tube). And 2"x2"x.120" square for my sliders.

 

[BeaterMan]

awsome thanx guys!!! i've always herd about different tubing sizes and have never really got into that.. yet... it was always kinda confusing. it will be about a month away until this project goes underway, i'll post plenty pictures when it takes place. my buddy with a tube bender and awsome welding skill will be helping me with this since i dont got a bender or a welder at this time. i'm wanting to make something that looks totaly bad a** but still has alot of function to it. i'll probably start pricing out how much loot this will cost here soon. i'm also thinking of building some tube doors so would that be too thick of steel for that? thanx again.

 

[BeaterMan]

also i was wondering would that .120 be a good thickness for making brackets to mount the sliders on the frame?

 

[c_note]

the .120 will work for brackets but everything needs to be gusseted. 1.5" tubing is a good size to start with and up to 2". anything else will just look too big. good luck on the build.

 

[JohnnyU]

.120" or 1/8" would work for brackets, but I'd rather use 1/4" for stuff bolted to the frame. It helps spread the load of the fasteners over a greater area, similar to adding washers to a bolted joint.

 

[BeaterMan]

sweat, thanx for the input guys! now all i gotta do is measure up how much i will need in total then go price it out, after i get a few pay checks rolling in, i'll make a purchase and start burning and cutting.