??Home-made bumpers??

[Sticks]

I got a line on a instructor at one of the local universities that I can get bumpers for my truck made for cost of goods, and probably $100 or less to the student.



I was thinking of using a single 4" steel channel for the bulk of the meat, new mounts, and covered in aluminum plate of some sort to look like the UTE or Road Armor style. I have not looked inside an after market bumper to see the construction. I also want a 2" receiver and holes for the OEM driving lights.



Any suggestions on design?

 

[merryman]

I made my own.

Front is also for a winch. The mounts and winch face peice are 3/8 steel. The center front-where the winch cable comes out- is about 18" wide(left to right), then from there it is made of 10 gauge mild steel which I had bent to a channel with an 8 inch face. The channel sides are 1 1/2 inch. A series of braces go to each joint or bend.

From the heavy center piece, the side pieces bend back at an angle for about 20inches then bends again, trying to generally conform to the shape of the front of the truck. The ends bend again to paralelle the side of the truck and the ends are tapered and boxed.

There is a picture of my trucks on page 6 issue Forty of TDR, but it does not show the mends of the bumper well.



The rear is 5" Channel with a 3/8inch thick face. It is made of three pieces with the center piece forward of the two side pieces, with the joints moulded and with the license plate mount in the center section, and a flate "step" in that center section. The ends are tapered and boxed. A receiver hitch is an built in on the bottom.

They were fun projects, and I know I will never encounter another truck with the same bumpers.



Vaughn