My first Mod!

E

Eric0321

New member
I finally completed my first mod; it was a bear doing it by myself :madgrin: Now I just need a winch to put inside of it. And many, many other things...

I don't like how far the license plate holder sticks out; considering bending it so that it's flat against the front most part of the bumper. Anyone know if it will bend or snap? Anodized aluminum.

Dog approves of the decision to mod.
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cutty01 said:
Congrats, it looks great. That is the bumper I want too.

Any tips/tricks you want to share?
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Go easy with the rip-saw dremel blade. It wants to go to the races when you cut. Just keep a firm and steady hand with it... Otherwise you may be buying more bumper than you anticipated. I also recommend having another person on hand, it was a bit tricky by myself.

SKP-4R said:
Do you plan on upgrading your suspension?
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I do plan on upgrading. Eventually I want sliders, rear bumper and roof rack. So I will definitely need it. For now, you really don't notice much of a difference with just the bumper. I don't have a winch yet though, I'm sure I'll notice once I install that.
 
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That bumper is sweet but that plate holder is god awful. I would see if the license plate would fit in the lower grill. I'm glad the state I live in doesn't require front plates but I think we're heading there.
 
The angle of the bumper where the fairlead hole is makes the plate holder stick out much further than I had anticipated. If the hole was horizontal to the road it wouldn't be too bad. I'm going to try and bend it so that when it's folded down the plate rests against the bumper. If it's still unacceptable I'll do something else.

I hadn't thought about mounting the plate into the lower grill. Thanks for the suggestion. That would probably be a better solution than drilling holes into the bumper.

Also another suggestion for above post that I forgot: I think using a jigsaw may have been easier than using a dremel rip-saw blade for cutting the stock bumper.
 
Now that is an awesome first mod! When I opened the thread I expected it to be interior LEDs, or plasti dip or the like. Great job looks clean, I would not mind one of those bumpers at all :bounce:
 
Eric0321 said:
The angle of the bumper where the fairlead hole is makes the plate holder stick out much further than I had anticipated. If the hole was horizontal to the road it wouldn't be too bad. I'm going to try and bend it so that when it's folded down the plate rests against the bumper. If it's still unacceptable I'll do something else.

I hadn't thought about mounting the plate into the lower grill. Thanks for the suggestion. That would probably be a better solution than drilling holes into the bumper.

...
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In my limited experience with aluminum, it does not hold up well to bending. It will fracture and break in a short time. I would consider using the fairlead hole and license plate bracket as a template to fabricate a new one out of light gauge steel or aluminum. Use aluminum only if you can get someone who knows metallurgy to heat temper it as it's bent.
I'd consider placing the plate in front of the vertical part of the bumper, below the grill, not in front of the grill. You need the air ventilation and it would look better, in my opinion.
 
Get a sheet metal shop to use their brake to make you a bracket that covers the winch hole, follows the angle up to the front of the bumper and extends out just far enough for the fasteners before going vertical. Then you can rattle can that to match the bumper color.

But if you plan to stay in Texas I don't think drilling and tapping the front of the bumper itself is really a bad idea. I would recommend a fine thread tap so you can get maximum thread in the plate though. At least that's the route I would take if I had to have a front plate.
 
I think I'll leave it as is until I add the winch. But I like the idea of bending it so that it follows the front of the bumper. If I break the one I have trying to bend it I may have a metal shop fabricate one, or just drilling and tapping the front of the bumper.

I'm in on the metaltech sliders group buy. I'm going to have to update my suspension soon I believe, especially since I'm planning on a rear bumper with tire/jerry can/hi-lift mounts plus a roof rack. I think I still have the recommendations you sent me on FB 3wbdriver. I'll probably go that route as I don't want anything super fancy. Just functional.

This is an expensive hobby :)
 
Nice!

Also, your Heeler looks impressed. Mine would have been staring at me from the hood, judging me.
 
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i'm working on a front plate mount to attach to the hoop. That may not be a good solution for you but its a nice cheap solution for me for the time being. I will post up pics when i finish it.

overall i would say thats a great first mod. congrats! and i happen to be very fond of [MENTION=110183]SouthernSS[/MENTION], so you made a great choice in the vendor department. :clap2:
 
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If that license plate is made from the same aluminum that California plates are made then you can bend the crap out of it over and over again. I have a low hanging one on my trailer that keeps catching stuff and I keep straightening it out. Folds it over like a taco.. Probably have straitened it out about a half dozen times. Most 6000, 7000 and 2000 series aluminum fatigue after a few bends but 5052 bends nicely. You can get some of the others that haven't been annealed and they will also bend without cracking but a little harder to find. Because the license plate manufacturers do a stamped impression I'm sure the aluminum is fairly malleable and will resist fatigue cracking. With all that said I would do what 3Wbdriver recommended and get a shop to bend the mounting bracket and follow the angle of your bumper.
 
3wbdriver said:
That looks great Eric. Did that bent plate on the bumper give you any trouble?
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Nope; it went back into shape easily and nicely with a rubber mallet.

The Waco Kid said:
Nice!

Also, you're Heeler looks impressed. Mine would have been staring at me from the hood, judging me.
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He's infatuated with the T4R. I can't go anywhere without him freaking out if he's not in the back. I'm looking forward to taking him on the Big Bend trip with Central Texas Off Roaders this October! He likes to judge too though; too smart for their own good that breed...

HerT4R said:
i'm working on a front plate mount to attach to the hoop. That may not be a good solution for you but its a nice cheap solution for me for the time being. I will post up pics when i finish it.

overall i would say thats a great first mod. congrats! and i happen to be very fond of [MENTION=110183]SouthernSS[/MENTION], so you made a great choice in the vendor department. :clap2:
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I'm always willing to check out ideas! Definitely let me know when you post your pic.

I'm very pleased with my entire transaction with SSS. Great customer service and a great product!

BLACK-FL4RUNNER said:
Get some tires, you won't need that winch!
lol
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Tires are next on my list after the sliders group buy. I'm tempted to get these. But I want to get BFG All Terrains; I've always liked those... And have never owned a set.
 
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Any input on whether I should buy these tires?

BFGoodrich Rugged Terrain T/A P265/70/R17
Truck Tires

$$$ is a limited for a bit on mod'n the T4R and if I buy these I can afford one other mod. If I buy the tires I want, BFG All Terrains, I can't until probably next year.
 
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