Stage 1 of building front bumper
- Thread starter MileHighClimb
- Start date
MileHighClimb
New member
Thats what I thought at first. There is a ton more work to be done to it that I believe that will make it come together better. But who knows. I for sure know that it will not stay on forever. One day I will make the bumper that was the original build.
Surprisingly, no. I can lift it with one arm to an extent, and im not a big guy. It is defiantly heavier than the stock one, but it did make the ride a bit smoother up front so I cant complain.
Konkordmusk
New member
What is going on with the butt joints after the corners on the grille guard? That is super dangerous in an accident.
I mean, its better than nothing but in a front end accident, say bye to your hood, grille, fenders and headlights. It also doesn't look like it actually provides better offroad protection/clearance. Just my 2 cents.
I mean, its better than nothing but in a front end accident, say bye to your hood, grille, fenders and headlights. It also doesn't look like it actually provides better offroad protection/clearance. Just my 2 cents.
MileHighClimb
New member
Like I said I still want to build the original plan as soon as possible so it's not permanant
MileHighClimb
New member
I know most of you aren't fans of the bumper but it is finished up and painted.
A.Wilson013
New member
MileHighClimb
New member
So what advice do you two have that I can use for when I build the plate bumper? So that it's done correctly and efficiently. Yes I know that i'm not the best welder and that it is free it was not the most ideal plans. It wasn't the plan to build this but I got the chance to try and create something from scratch. It may not be the prettiest but it serves its purpose. I want to become a good welder so any tips you would like share will be greatly appreciated.
Mr.Rick
New member
Not bad for the first attempt. You have to always experiment to learn so in that aspect, nice job. I will say, although I am not a fan, if it serves the purpose then good for you.
Not everyone has the balls to try to build their own stuff, so good on you. I would say when you start the build of the plate bumper, focus on strong and light. There are several companies out there that make good looking bumpers and you can draw inspiration from and modify designs to fit your needs... let's face it bumpers come in all shapes and sizes and most designs have been seen a million times. You on the other hand get points for originality :thumb:
Being that you live in Colorado I think the taller hoop to protect the hood and the lights is smart....I don't know if you have ever ripped a deer in half at 75mph on I25 but it does not bode well for the front end of a rig. I personally like the bumpers that have the winch sit lower inside the bumper so that they don't stick way out. Check out Addicted offroad's front bumper (Scotty is local so I use his as an example) when you build your wings just give yourself enough space (1/2" or so) between the wing surface and the body so that when the body flexes you don't rub the bumper. other than that just build what you need and keep trying things.
Not everyone has the balls to try to build their own stuff, so good on you. I would say when you start the build of the plate bumper, focus on strong and light. There are several companies out there that make good looking bumpers and you can draw inspiration from and modify designs to fit your needs... let's face it bumpers come in all shapes and sizes and most designs have been seen a million times. You on the other hand get points for originality :thumb:
Being that you live in Colorado I think the taller hoop to protect the hood and the lights is smart....I don't know if you have ever ripped a deer in half at 75mph on I25 but it does not bode well for the front end of a rig. I personally like the bumpers that have the winch sit lower inside the bumper so that they don't stick way out. Check out Addicted offroad's front bumper (Scotty is local so I use his as an example) when you build your wings just give yourself enough space (1/2" or so) between the wing surface and the body so that when the body flexes you don't rub the bumper. other than that just build what you need and keep trying things.
MileHighClimb
New member
Thank you. Yeah the whole purpose of building this bumper is so protect from the deer. I work on the back roads where there are no street lights and my inspiration to build this came from when my good friend totaled his truck hitting a deer.
Thank you for giving some great tips on spacing and all the other sorts. I'll put that into consideration.
A.Wilson013
New member
I have no real advice as I am not a fabricator and have absolutely no knowledge of structural strength with regard to metal. To the untrained and uneducated eye, I think the bumper looks like a lot of wasted material (Does it take a dozen tubes stacked on top of eachother to hold back a deer? Can that small of tubing take the impact of a deer without any bracing behind it? Is there bracing behind it?), and not very structurally sound... What if you don't catch the deer (or elk, or cow, or F250) right in the center? Will the tubing on the sides take an impact?
In addition to that, I just think it's very aesthetically upsetting.
BUT, if you like and it serves the purpose you need it to, drive on. :hatsoff:
MileHighClimb
New member
With that said, I'm glad to hear what you believe. The only reason it is that many tubes up front is because I didn't want to break the factory welds that were provided. All the tubes came welded in threes so I worked with that. It has the front supports the run all the way through the bumper. It also has inner supports that connect to the stock frame mounts on the side. Those supports run out to the wings providing support. It's mounted to the frame with three pieces of 1/4 angle iron.
This is only temporary for now and serves its purpose perfectly fine. Yes it's not the most pleasing thing to look at, but it is strong. Thank you.
In this photo it looks like the left side gap between the bumper and grille is smaller than the right side (looking at it from the front). Measure, measure, and measure again when welding things together. Clamp the living s&!t out of everything, stand back and look at it before burning anything in. Get your gaps consistent and each side a mirror image of the other. The devil is in the details in fabricating quality pieces. Be patient and go slow.
dwmckeehen
New member
I know most of you aren't fans of the bumper but it is finished up and painted.
I just want to say that on many occasions, I have been brought to complete jealousy by some of the talent members here have when it comes to metal fabrication. I look with envy, and wish I had taken welding classes many decades ago.
Congratulations on your designs and fabrications, and your enthusiasm in pushing your own envelope to try new things. I have no doubt that down the road, people are going to be looking at what you are producing, and be drooling at what you have done.
I like that you are putting your early work out here, and asking for advice/opinions. There are some real pros out here.
Keep doing what you are doing.
SilverRidgeRunner1
Member
Going for a BAHA style front bumper I see not bad, I am sure it will serve its purpose for them dam dear. I feel your pain on that problem filled plenty of Freezers with accidental dear hit and run. If appearance is what your trying to improve on a few scrap pieces of sheet metal wouldn't hurt example below
MileHighClimb
New member
What would be good clamps to use when trying to get things to hold? I had basic hand clamps and that didn't do much. I mainly had to hold it in place and look away as my buddy tacked it. So its defiantly not a mirror image on the sides. Like the measuring multiple times advice. I always forget to do that when I build anything.
MileHighClimb
New member
Thanks very much for the support. Once I go through schooling and have a couple of years of experience I would hopefully be able to work for an off road fabricator if they aren't all robots by the time I get there in life.
MileHighClimb
New member
Going for a BAHA style front bumper I see not bad, I am sure it will serve its purpose for them dam dear. I feel your pain on that problem filled plenty of Freezers with accidental dear hit and run. If appearance is what your trying to improve on a few scrap pieces of sheet metal wouldn't hurt example below
I would love to put some plates on it to help, but i'm not really sure where they would look good on it. Plus I don't have a very efficient way to cut the plates accurately. All I have for cutting is a sawzall and a cutting blade on an angle grinder.
Konkordmusk
New member
C-clamps are all I use. Welding magnets are very useful as well. A square, t-square, measuring tape and chalk are ALWAYS on my welding cart. I make most of my cuts free hand with an angle grinder and a cutting disc. Sometimes I clamp a long piece of 1/2" bar as a straight edge guide to make clean cuts.
In one of the previous pictures, it looks like a lot of the welding was done on the truck. 90% of good welding comes from welding in comfortable positions. Tacking it in place on the truck is fine, as long as where you tack on one side is also tacked on the other side, because the heat will pull the metal as it shrinks when cooling down. This is prevented also by using clamps. Once you've finished tacking it, measure everything again and then bring it to a welding table, or a set of sawhorses with a sheet of plywood, or anywhere the welds can be made in a comfortable position.
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