Extensive Mods (Tube Bumper, Skid Plate and Many More!)

[Ala5ka]

I sat down with a fabricator friend of mine and decided to do some work. After I finished panicking over cutting my cladding I settled down and picked up a mig gun. Tube bumper was 1.5" chromoly and skid is 3/16 alum plate. While I was under there I cut the "anti roll" bumps, and pulled the sway bar along with a ton of scrap metal, and dusty foam. If you are in the Phoenix area the Fabricator is more than happy to work on an VX and is reasonably priced, he can cut costs by nixing chromoly and boxed frame mounts. He is excited to work on the truck as he describes it as a "badass little offroad monster." I should have never been concerned as the builder used to build tube chassis race trucks. If you want him to do your work PM me for more info.

Here's some pics :)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0725.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0726.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0727.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0728.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0729.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0730.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0731.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0732.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0733.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0734.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0735.jpg

[Ala5ka]

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0736.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0742.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0743.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0744.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0745.jpg

Since this last pic I have primed painted and added the skid plate which I will take pics of tomorrow.
Any questions?

[VXorado]

Lookin' good dude :thumbup:. How's the strength on that bumper bar? Also is the lower bar for the skid plates or ...?

[Ala5ka]

the front bumper is stout, the lower bar is the middle section that creates the contour for the skid plate and is also cromoly, the whole thing is much stronger than I will ever need and race truck tough

[samneil2000]

Cool! Now you don't have to worry about digging your cladding into the ground dropping off into creek beds etc.

[Triathlete]

All the cool kids cut their cladding! :)
Who was the fabricator?

[Ala5ka]

His name is Jessi Monnet, he used to build race trucks for Geiser Bros. Racing. If you are in the Phoenix area he would be more than happy to fab one, or anything for the VX community at pretty reasonable rates. He's a close friend :) In a little while we will be doing sliders and more skid plates.

[Ala5ka]

Ron, sorry about leaving the parts at home but I will be willing to send you that interior bumper as soon as I get it, possibly the middle of February. For those who would like other parts as well I have the whole sway bar, links and hardware. I also have the stock tow hook, the stock skid plates, and the other goodies that were stuffed in the front end. If you have something you need, I may have it PM me.

[tom4bren]

Ala5ka,

I think etlsport was wanting a hunk of cladding to experiment on with dyes & paints. Did you save the piece you cut off?

[Ala5ka]

I do still have the lower cladding. Have him PM me if he wants it :)

[Ala5ka]

Did a little camping up near Ojai last weekend, it got down to about 23 degrees and all of our water froze. Needless to say the VX was friggin freezing, still need to vacuum up all of the dust and wood chips :)

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0758.jpg

http://i389.photobucket.com/albums/oo331/chaseckert/IMG_0759.jpg

[VXorado]

I want to go camping!!!

I hate winter :sado:

[pbkid]

looks like a good time! Cant wait to get some camping in this summer.