J...
I am a professional weldor and I have built 10 or so bumpers for my rigs over the years,, mad max bumpers. .
Let me preface anything I say with... I realize how much work goes into the design and fabrication of a good bumper,,, and while the material might only cost 100-250 dollars the man hours can be many... and the finishing of the bumper, using a flap disc on all the welds, sandblasting it when done,, can really add up the labor... it would be easy to put 40 hours into a bumper
Since you asked for critique I will, respectfully, add mine,
Bumper design is subjective,,, what may look awesome to one person of course doesnt appeal to someone else... your design. . if its what you like thats all that matters. I like the look of what you did as far as the flow and angles.
I would, personally, be concerned with the negative aspects of such an extended bumper and how it will NEGATIVELY affect my handling, steering,harder on brakes, suspension, tires, front end dive,,
I didnt make an exact calulation but I think your bumper weighs at least 250 pounds OVER stock. . and that has a huge effect on the truck. . something you certainly will feel driving. . and I believe youll be looking at a set of 988s very soon. It isnt as heavy as driving around with a plow,, but its still heavy
For every inch you are extended out over stock you add "moment" to the front of the truck... and that also puts weight out there on the end of the frame rails. pulling on them everytime the suspension cycles. . can they take it,, heck I think so...
I would also be concerned with how the bumper affects the air bag system... I know I dont have anough engineering background to match DC... so I would look carefully at this... there are some pretty huge aftermarket designs out there... I would (and will) look at what they are doing... especially when it comes to lateral bracing... the center of the bumper might be strong... but how is it out towards the sides. . certainly stronger than a simple stock bumper... or is it. . ?
So anyway I would be looking at some brace triangulating the corners
The things I see that might be nice to add in your bumper
a) front receiver hitch. . great for pushing my welding trailer into the shop corner. . or for a bicycle rack. . or step. . or a vise/tube bender etc etc etc
b) as mentioned air holes for cooling (as long as they dont whistle. . which I have experienced before)
c) some kind of push bar,, so small cars dont roll up underneath it... I use rubber dock bumpers on all my bumpers and they are awesome for pushing and protecting both vehicles,, and they are cheaper than tow truck bumper protectors. . I setup my pushbars with a custom designed bugshield (I bought my wife a commercial sewing machine and we make our own) using commerical door screen and nylon webbing... I put snaps on it and the brush guard so I can remove it for the winter. . if you live in a cold clime then you just add you cold weather radiator shield. I also like to build a "rock tamer" out of lexan mounted to the top of the pushbar that directs airflow over the hood,, over the windshield... the one I built for my last truck kept us from getting any broken windshields during a trip across Canada on all those gravel roads). . Many of the alaska custom rigs Ive seen use expanded metal with elaborate guards that literally surround the front end. . and extend angled up and over the cab,, bizzare looking but effective
Push bars need to be solid,, but outriggers need to be boltable for replacement when damaged
d) marker lights for the front corners,, they are pretty far out there,,, me,, I personally like the LED upright rods. . they come in two heights. . (JC whitney has them)... once you have them on an extended bumper youll never look back,, they help you determine ,down to the last inch, where the corner of that bumper is,,,, especially in that tight parking lot when pulling in next to a car whose roofline is below your bumper line (ask me how I know... I drove over an mg once)... anyway they will be your guiding light and you will come to depend on them.
Im in the design process of a custom aluminum bed for my rig, then its on to bumpers... but Im going all aluminum for weight saving and ease of maintenance... one day you can critique me. . which I will also welcome
I like the look of smooth bumpers... I used to build all of mine out of treadplate but then I realized... I will very rarely climb on them (other than the rear step bumper) but using diamond plate it makes it harder to keep them clean (no smooth surface) and polish, (does wonders to the polishing bonnet) I see you just did the top of yours. . nice touch
As stated before your coating options are:
chrome . . not unless you own a chome shop. . and feel like spending a zillion hours prepping the bumper
wet paint. . a maintainence hassle. . but cheap...
powder. . probably get your bumper done in a basic color for around 100 bucks. . makes a good base for future paint
some type of liner coating. . this would be my choice,,, extreme liner (ebay) is something I use on my beds, toolboxes,quarter panels, welding trailer. . and I have been EXTREMELY impressed with its performance... I have sprayed it several times and even the overspray on my concrete pad still looks like new after a year of driving over it and being in the sun and weather. . you can have them color mix it for you,, for a bumper I would suggest the "smooth" finish without the "heavy duty" rubber additive... it has a nice pebble texture and looks great,,, if you have ever shot a can of paint you can shoot this stuff (just be sure to mask and cover ANY areas you dont want covered because the stuff is permanent... . like right now permanent)
When I was younger I liked the road warrior look. . now I want it functional and understated... but that doesnt mean I dont want to improve the performance of the bumper coupled with it being artistic... I applaud you for making your bumper... as we all know a commercial one would have cost hundreds,, if not over a thousand or more. . dollars
thanks for letting me comment
cam
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