Custom Bumper Project

[Robbomaz]

Hmmm, I did not know that, but I was thinking about how Warn bumpers, and Hummers have their tow points on the bumper. My steel is actually almost double the strength of the Warn bumpers, and those D rings are rated to 10K lbs. They are mounted double walled with 1/2" grade 8 bolts, not sure you can get any stronger, I suppose to I could weld a bback plate to the tubing? The other good thing is that I can just disconnect the hooks and move them back to the factory tow points in a few seconds, just 1 cotter pin each

Thanks for the heads up, I am sure Joe Darlington will look at it with great scrutiny when we get to Uwharrie in Oct. If you don't know who Joe D is, he does a lot of fab works for Isuzu, including Tie rods, tie rod shields, bumpers, sliders.....and the list goes on. I am interested in what he recommends as well.
Thanks again PK

Great work so far If I may put in 2c?
My first thought was with your snatch points where they are - wide apart and on the ends of your extensions - there would be a degree of leverage 'crush' force trying to pinch the two together during the snatch. Whether you would actually get any movement I dunno, but with the hitch points closer together the effect would be less.
I've seen a snatch by an expert using the factory designated points kink a chassis leg in
As I said, just my first thought, feel free to slap me
Rob

[Marlin]

Great work so far If I may put in 2c?
My first thought was with your snatch points where they are - wide apart and on the ends of your extensions - there would be a degree of leverage 'crush' force trying to pinch the two together during the snatch. Whether you would actually get any movement I dunno, but with the hitch points closer together the effect would be less.
I've seen a snatch by an expert using the factory designated points kink a chassis leg in
As I said, just my first thought, feel free to slap me
Rob

Wow, I never thought about that? How do the hummers and Jeeps get away with using tow points that far apart? Hopefully the gussets I weld in this week will add enough stability to minimize the potential damage. This is another reason I love this site. I ahve never done anything like this before, and I am getting all kinds of feedback.
Some I will upgrade, some I think are not needed, but all are important, so if my setup fails, you can say "I told you so!!"
Then I get to rebuild...yipppeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Triathlete]

Although not structural as you said you may want to build that grill hoop as if it is. If you have a minor front end collision that hoop will bend into your hood/grill causing more damage than if you didn't have it. Just ask anyone that has had an accident with a safari bar in the front.

[vt_maverick]

Although not structural as you said you may want to build that grill hoop as if it is. If you have a minor front end collision that hoop will bend into your hood/grill causing more damage than if you didn't have it. Just ask anyone that has had an accident with a safari bar in the front.

I thought the whole point of safari bars was to PROTECT the front of the car?

[Triathlete]

Nope, Safari bars (aka brush gaurds) are pretty much cosmetic. They will move light brush out of the way but thats about it.

[Marlin]

Nope, Safari bars (aka brush gaurds) are pretty much cosmetic. They will move light brush out of the way but thats about it.

Yep, I know that, saw someone rip the guard off the front of their rodeo in NC, tried to warn them....but they wouldn't listen.

As far as making my hoop "structural", I dunno, if I drove around worrying like that, I would never move it out of my driveway, if I get into a front end collision with something big enough to get up that high, I am screwed and it is totaled anyway.
ALthough it would give me a reason to get a 12ton press to bend tubing with.....my garage is starting to look like a metal shop.

[Robbomaz]

Yep, I know that, saw someone rip the guard off the front of their rodeo in NC, tried to warn them....but they wouldn't listen.

As far as making my hoop "structural", I dunno, if I drove around worrying like that, I would never move it out of my driveway, if I get into a front end collision with something big enough to get up that high, I am screwed and it is totaled anyway.
ALthough it would give me a reason to get a 12ton press to bend tubing with.....my garage is starting to look like a metal shop.

We get people here underestimating the load all the time! Have seen a snatch yank the whole roo bar off the front of a Prado, leaving the car in the bog and smashing the back window of the pull vehicle......half the bolts were loose, and none were hi-ten
I HAVE a snatch, but will do anything to avoid using it. I reckon too many folks reach for the snatch first.....but then I am old & cautious!
Rob

[Robbomaz]

Wow, I never thought about that? How do the hummers and Jeeps get away with using tow points that far apart? Hopefully the gussets I weld in this week will add enough stability to minimize the potential damage. This is another reason I love this site. I ahve never done anything like this before, and I am getting all kinds of feedback.
Some I will upgrade, some I think are not needed, but all are important, so if my setup fails, you can say "I told you so!!"
Then I get to rebuild...yipppeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Were it me, I'd put them just inside the width of the chassis rails apart, but it looks like you have a lot of metal in there, should be plenty strong I'm watching this closely, I have to either buy a roo bar for my project (ho hum everyones got one of those) or do what you're doing

[Marlin]

Were it me, I'd put them just inside the width of the chassis rails apart, but it looks like you have a lot of metal in there, should be plenty strong I'm watching this closely, I have to either buy a roo bar for my project (ho hum everyones got one of those) or do what you're doing

No way I would go with ordinary, run of the day stuff. I have had a lot of fun making this thing, and I cannot even begin to tell you how much I have learned. Metal work is a whole new world for me. I think it moght be addictive, I find myself walking around the house thinking "I could fab something for that" "I oucld weld that together".
I am going to make the pretty pieces this afternoon out of cardboard and post up some pics to get advice, I will also go ahead and sleeve the inserts for the tow points, and drill out second holes for another set of pins. The gussets can wait until I do the body work. That should satisfy just about everyone
Then I will tie it to a tree, pull the tree out of the ground, destroy the tranny and break a few straps, just to prove that my bumper was not the weak point!!! LOL.

[Marlin]

First upgrade complete. I put the 2" tubing sleeved into the crossbar for the tow points. Took forever, that is a whole lot of steel to drill through, and the bit is about $15. I made the sleeve about 10" long, so that should do plenty to spread the force over a bit wide of an angle, as well as strengthen the weld point. Thanks for the advice guys. I gotta find a scrap yard so I can get materials to make the gussets with.

[Marlin]

Update*** I am upgrading the clevis pins to 5/8" hitch pins this weekend, and I decided to take Billy's advice and get some bolt through D-ring shackles. By autocad, the weakest point will be about 20K lbs at the welds on the tubing. The front portion of the frame will bend before the bumper does, assuming the welds are good.
For the metal work guys, the inner tube is 8gauge, and the outer tube is 12 gauge.
I will post up the pics of the new shackle mounts, that may be a few months, but the pins are this weekend for sure, as well as some of the sheet metal work. I got my LED turn signals in, and picking up the driving lights Friday. HID kit for those will be in August sometime. I may not do the whole front end in sheet metal, it is starting to grow on me Just do the bottom and sides so it looks a little tighter, and a front facia for the lights and to hide the tubing. I don't know what to do next I am running out of projects. Any ideas? I may get the hubs this weekend too if it isn't 100 degrees and raining.

[blacksambo]

Don't take this the wrong way but... what you have created is liable to be just as rust prone as what you removed except it's more exposed to salt and also hopefully washing....not to mention it would drive Simon Cox (original VX designer) to drinking. Again, don't take me wrong, we have two '99's that I powerwash each week snow or shine and I do flush that bumper area extensively. So far no bad rust, yet. Stay tuned.

[Robbomaz]

I don't know what to do next I am running out of projects. Any ideas?

Supercharger!!!!!!