100 Series Front Bumper Build. Suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[r2m]

Hey corleyki, what CAD program are you using? I'm an engineer and also a certified SolidWorks Professional. I have 2014 at home if you need any help modeling.

 

[corleykj]

My friend and I use autocad mostly. We have solid works but I am not very good with it. Another close friend is helping me with using solid works because the autocad on Mac is limited. Thanks for the offer! I might be seeking your help if I keep these bumpers personal for friends and family. If I sell any I would feel bad using you

 

[LC100]

will you be selling the rear bumper as well? extremely interested

 

[corleykj]

LC100, Currently I am not selling any bumpers. I will make a couple for me and friends and see how they turn out. If some people want one I would consider making and selling front bumpers. If you are interested in purchasing a front I would recommend BIO or Reeves, both are great fabricators and do some great work in Colorado and Wyoming. I think there is already some great fabricators selling rear bumpers, so at this point I am not sure about building and selling rear bumpers to match.
Thanks for your interest and if I have the time, and you are interested in a front, I might entertain that idea.

 

[r2m]

My friend and I use autocad mostly. We have solid works but I am not very good with it. Another close friend is helping me with using solid works because the autocad on Mac is limited. Thanks for the offer! I might be seeking your help if I keep these bumpers personal for friends and family. If I sell any I would feel bad using you

Don't feel bad... I need a bumper too!
Do you have a 3D model of the 100 series with features and not just a blob? (A blob is a 3D file one can call up, but there are no features that can be edited, all you can do is just zoom in/out and spin it around.) I have one of those blob 3D models of a 100 series, but I can't do much with it.

 

[corleykj]

Update: Grill guard tubing bent and tack welded into place.

 

[r2m]

That looks pretty darn good Kyle! Just like to see it bolted up.

 

[corleykj]

r2m, I had it mounted for bending the tubing and tack welding it on, and it will probably be mounted next week...complete. But I removed it to finish welding. I also moved my winch holes about an inch forward so the winch would clear some brace right in front of the radiator.

 

[yotasavg]

I like this bumper a lot! Great work man.

 

[benc]

Nice work. What kind of bender are you using to get such a tight radius?

 

[Keowee]

I like how the guard matches the grill and headlight angle. Good design.

 

[corleykj]

The benders I have at work couldn't do the right bends. So I hired a shop who does exhaust work, and race car roll cages. I told them what I wanted, trusted them, and came back to a good product. You can see the tubing stretched on the bends, but I Don't know how to avoid it.
They did a great job. I then notched the uprights and fit them at an angle matching the grill lines (or trying to match the lines).

 

[corleykj]

Pros and cons of grill guards?

I really like the bumper I made, I painted it tonight with bed liner and hopefully will be installing it tomorrow. But I am not sure I love the grill guard on my 100 bumper. I am curious though, what are the real world pros and cons of a grill guard? Is there any threads documenting collisions (deer specifically) with aftermarket bumpers with and without grill guards? I like the idea of just a simple steel winch bumper without a grill guard but feel it leaves a lot unprotected in the case of a deer collision (or antelope.

What is the overall opinion on mud?

 

[SALTY METHODS]

Personally I would do without the grill guard. The way I see it, is you've made it this far without crashing into a deer with your stock bumper. I think it the grill guards kill the look of the front end and looks way cleaner without, IMO.

Good work on the bumper though. Looks tough.

 

[benc]

I have hit a dear with both! With just the lower bumper it got my grill, radiator, ac condenser, hood, fender and headlight. With the full bumper and grill guard the truck was untouched! I like both looks but after hitting the dear without the grill guard I will always run one on my vehicles. I take my 100 1000s of miles away from home and if I were to hit something on a trip without the grill guard it could leave me stranded. Not worth it for me.

 

[Manhattan]

Some of the grille guards on the 100s look good. But most - like the ARB, the IronMan, TJM, are so obviously their 1-size-fits-all approach, that they don't look great. I think the Blueberry's dinger... sorry Stinger looks like an appendage that didn't fully form, netting a "mouth" with that dropped middle section that makes the truck look like a character from the movie Cars.

And I agree with SoupGFX - the 100 is a great looking truck and doesn't need the grille guard. My FJ Cruiser did - the hoop and the lights, along with the Demello bumper worked to diminish the football helmet look of the truck.

I think a grill guard or hoop - when designed for the 100 (not for the Discovery/Range Rover/Defender/____) - would look pretty good. Yours and Benc's are great examples of this.

 

[Get outside]

Although I like the blueberry bumper I always thought the same thing! It makes the truck look like a cartoon character! i

 

[corleykj]

BENC, I was hoping someone like you had experience with this, unfortunately it trashed your LC. Antelope are thick in my city and on the highways we travel in Wyoming, so I am trying to protect from a hit at 65 mph.

I like the looks of the blueberry bumper and similar ones, but I am curious of the strength of an elevated winch mount (it seems higher than mine) and d ring mounts not in line with the lower frame. I am trying to make mine strong, but I am wondering if I could raise the winch mount on my next bumper and it still be strong enough?
I really like the semi exposed winch on the front of 80's, and when I was mocking mine up I really liked it. I am wondering if I could do that on a bumper also?

 

[benc]

BENC, I was hoping someone like you had experience with this, unfortunately it trashed your LC. Antelope are thick in my city and on the highways we travel in Wyoming, so I am trying to protect from a hit at 65 mph.

I like the looks of the blueberry bumper and similar ones, but I am curious of the strength of an elevated winch mount (it seems higher than mine) and d ring mounts not in line with the lower frame. I am trying to make mine strong, but I am wondering if I could raise the winch mount on my next bumper and it still be strong enough?
I really like the semi exposed winch on the front of 80's, and when I was mocking mine up I really liked it. I am wondering if I could do that on a bumper also?

It was actually on my tacoma not the landcruiser. But I learned my lesson. Grill guard definitely a must in dear and antelope country.
As long as the winch mount isn't way above your frame you will be good. One thing to keep in mind, if you are running synthetic winch line it's best to have it covered. The uv rays will kill it eventually.

 

[corleykj]

Done. Mounted. LED lights wired. Now to the solenoid.