LX450 rear bumper build

[Wheelingnoob]

Well since I missed out on Churn Creek yet again I thought I would do something productive with my weekend. I have been slowly collecting parts for the rear bumper, my budget has been very tight so its been slow.

I now have two pivots from Summit machine: (Thanks Jason!)

http://www.summitmachine.com/store/i...hinge-kit.html

Clevis mounts:

http://www.atozfabrication.com/store...is-Mounts.html

Two De-sta-co 2000lb clamps:

http://www.wainbee.com/suppliers/des..._latch/323.pdf
Day 1


So I started by removing my rear cross member, it was badly twisted and dented from the PO and her tearable driving record.

Frame cleaned up.

Testing Brackets.

Looking good.

Test fitting again.

Good Strong attachment points.

That's the end of day 1, I did hold everything in place with a few spot welds and sorted out how and where the recovery points would end up but ran out of time.

A note on the materials, the main beam is 4x2 tube with 3/16th wall, the frame brackets are all 1/4" plate and the L piece is 4x3", the side wings are all 3/16th plate and its tied into the frame to make a boat side for lots of protection.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Day 2

Started by cutting the holes I needed for the recovery points. Took me a wile to figure out how this was going be done but it worked great in the end.

One more because I was happy how it turned out (20min total to do it not so bad)

Back on the truck with the recovery points.

Tacked into place.

Yep once this is finish welded it will be beefy.

Jumping ahead about 5 hours here, in the mean time I measured and drilled the holes for my carrier pivots as well as started trimming the sides to work with the plate I wanted to use. This has been by far the hardest part of the build. Myself and my dad spent a good 4 hours testing and re testing parts to try and make it work and look right. We are still working on it. The issue is the lines do not match between the frame rail and the rear body so it puts everything off. We are still working on this parts and trying to get out heads around it.

Here are a few pictures to show what we are trying to accomplish.

We did have the upper side piece in for a bit but that is not in the pictures.

Hope to get a bit more work done on it this week.

 

[BCR4619]

Looking good Jeremy!

I had a guy pic up some fog lights off me yesterday and he had a LX450... told him about the club and he seemed very interested so maybe you wont be the only LX.. unless I'm missing someone?

EDIT: Wait there is one more, Ulysse maybe

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Looking good Jeremy!

I had a guy pic up some fog lights off me yesterday and he had a LX450... told him about the club and he seemed very interested so maybe you wont be the only LX.. unless I'm missing someone?

EDIT: Wait there is one more, Ulysse maybe

Thanks!

HAHA yes I am not the only one now, Ulysse is bringing one back from the dead as well (we need to save those relics of the past). We also had Scott show up at the last meting with his Silver LX450 and all the ARB goodies.

What we really need is another 100 series so Axel does not feel so alone.

 

[BCR4619]

What we really need is another 100 series so Axel does not feel so alone.

The guy that came Raymond, said that his sucked too much gas and he wanted to swap in a diesel or a V8 from a 100.... At least then he can hang out with both crowds

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Day 3 (last night after work about 1.5 hours)

Really wanted to get the design of the side wings sorted out before doing anything else. I had an idea that a simple bend across the main plate would get me where I needed to be. So I measured and looked at it and decided to try bending the 3/16th plate (12x24") so I took a cutting wheel and made a cut about 2/3rds the way through the plate along the bend line. I was then able to bend the plate to the desired position and it worked a treat!

With the limited time I had last night I did not take pictures as I went just once I had it done.

Underside showing a bit of the angles.

Side protection, should help protect the flair (not done yet obviously)

Another angle

Cut line for my bend.......who needs a big ass press....

In this picture you can see the faint line where the bend was made.

That's it for the next couple days till I have time to work on it again.

 

[kim]

looking great, Jeremy!

 

[Fantom]

The only small issue I can see with that setup is it might become a storage spot for water, mud, dirt, smaller rocks. If you cut out some larger size drain holes, especially in areas where the stuff would accumulate, it would help on cutting down on problems later on. Water will almost always find a way in, plan for something around that.

 

[LanceCruiser]

It looks good, nice work.

 

[canucksafari]

The only small issue I can see with that setup is it might become a storage spot for water, mud, dirt, smaller rocks. If you cut out some larger size drain holes, especially in areas where the stuff would accumulate, it would help on cutting down on problems later on. Water will almost always find a way in, plan for something around that.

... or if it was airtight and could handle 150 psi, then it would make a great air tank. Just spray paint the inside and install a drain at the lowest point to drain out moisture.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

The only small issue I can see with that setup is it might become a storage spot for water, mud, dirt, smaller rocks. If you cut out some larger size drain holes, especially in areas where the stuff would accumulate, it would help on cutting down on problems later on. Water will almost always find a way in, plan for something around that.

Yep I plan on putting 3 x 2" holes along the bottom on the side wings so water and mud can drain off or be washed out. I will have them fairly well sealed round the wheel well with rubber but water and grit will always get in.

... or if it was airtight and could handle 150 psi, then it would make a great air tank. Just spray paint the inside and install a drain at the lowest point to drain out moisture.

The rear tube will be sealed but not used as an air tank I already have a 2.5 gallon and cant see a need for more. The train would also become a liability if dragging the rear end across rocks.....in Starbucks.

I have lots of work still to go this is just a step by step progression, thanks for the input and suggestions though.

Hope to work on it a bit more tonight but have a TLCA meeting that is going to prove to me entertaining to say the least.

 

[BCR4619]

The train would also become a liability if dragging the rear end across rocks.....in Starbucks.... Just don't ask me how I know, Gavin still cant believe it

There fixed for ya.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

There fixed for ya.

LOL thanks, I was in a Caramel Machiato induced stupor.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Was able to get both side wings tacked up today as well as both spindles tacked in and trimmed to fit the angle. Working out great so far, I was very hapy to get both sides matching (harder than you would think). Ill post some more pictures tomorrow.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

Day 4

I was able to get the passide wing done today after 2hours spent trying to get the bumper on by myself. Once I got the wing on and matching the other side (harder than you would think). Once I got them done I tacked the two wing plates so they would not move. Then I cut them off the main bumper so i could start on the swingout pivots. I tacked them into place and started triming the bottom on an angle to match the side wing lower plate. They took a lot of time to cut but I finally got then done. A bit of work later with the 60 grit flap disk and it was good.

Pass side wing removed:

Drivers side wing removed:

Pivot tacked in place for trimming:

Trimming angle into pivot:

Passenger side done as well: (note the resonator is now cut off as well)

Both on and trimmed waiting for finish weld:

I had to call it a day early as I did not notic I was welding with .025 instead of .035 i should be using on this thickness. I could not fuigure out why it was not spot welding right. Once I saw that I reolised i was not doing anything but spot welds today.

I will post pictures as well as get .035 wire and tips to weld more tomorrow night.

 

[wrongway around]

you thought of cutting in a hitch or better yet a fairlead and boxing in for a inboard winch? then you might be qualified to make all the club runs

 

[kim]

george is now using emoticons.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

I do second his motion for a hitch AND winch

 

[Wheelingnoob]

you thought of cutting in a hitch or better yet a fairlead and boxing in for a inboard winch? then you might be qualified to make all the club runs

Well I had thought of the hitch receiver and the rear winch option. I have the materials to make a hitch receiver. I am thinking about keeping it as is with out for now and later if I can justify it or have a need then mod it to take one or the other.

I can honestly say I do not see myself getting a rear winch any time soon or ever the way I'm going.

The hitch would be handy but I do not think Uhaul would like or let me use it if I needed too.

george is now using emoticons.

It's the end of the world as we know it.

I do second his motion for a hitch AND winch

How would one do both?

 

[kim]

I have been thinking about that and I suspect you'd have to offset the winch to one side or the other. Either that or mount a winch on a hitch and just build your bumper with a hitch, then it would be removable.

 

[Wheelingnoob]

I have been thinking about that and I suspect you'd have to offset the winch to one side or the other. Either that or mount a winch on a hitch and just build your bumper with a hitch, then it would be removable.

yeah I think for now I will just put a receiver on it and if for some reason I want a rear winch (M8000 or something) I can ad it on later on one side.