Definately sharp. Did you have to cut out the crossmember? can you give a side view so we can see the overhang clearly? Where did you get the tank?
Dave
Dave
80 Bumper / Luke worked his magic.
- Thread starter Skillet
- Start date
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Skillet
Skillet
- Thread starter
- #24
Thanks.
Yes, crossmember had to go.
I will take some more pics and post them, maybe tomorrow.
Tank was a group buy, we brought them over from Austrailia.
Very cool, but very expensive and time consuming mod. Happy I did it though. Basically like carrying 9 gerry cans in addition to your stock tank.
$2400??? for the rear bumper only? I think my hopes are dashed! How much for the kit so I can weld it together and install it myself?
Does he have any front bumper designs that allow for more clearance for a better approach angle. I haven't seem anything (including ARB's bumper) that I would want to bolt on my 80. I just saw one for the new FJ that looked very nice. Excellent clearance and looks great.
Does he have any front bumper designs that allow for more clearance for a better approach angle. I haven't seem anything (including ARB's bumper) that I would want to bolt on my 80. I just saw one for the new FJ that looked very nice. Excellent clearance and looks great.
semlin
curmudgeon
the bumper looks great and familiar 
I went with the opposite tire/ladder arrangement and got luke to put a square tube cross bar in the ladder with holes drilled to mount a removable jerry can holder. Is that a tab on the tire swing spindle for locking the swing arm?
my strut ball/nipple thing broke the same way as Dan's. Luke's welded tab stop was ever so slightly off. it's a pain to replace the broken nipple because you must get a nut on from underneath inside the bumper. I started then held off until I can get a little bit added to the weld. My advice is check to make sure the stop is correct or get luke to fix it before you bust the nipple.
I went with the opposite tire/ladder arrangement and got luke to put a square tube cross bar in the ladder with holes drilled to mount a removable jerry can holder. Is that a tab on the tire swing spindle for locking the swing arm?my strut ball/nipple thing broke the same way as Dan's. Luke's welded tab stop was ever so slightly off. it's a pain to replace the broken nipple because you must get a nut on from underneath inside the bumper. I started then held off until I can get a little bit added to the weld. My advice is check to make sure the stop is correct or get luke to fix it before you bust the nipple.
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Skillet's bumper is almost fully optioned, custom hand made to fit the tank and installed, lots of labor $$$. From what I understand on the kits, the final production parts aren't done yet, so he doesn't have pricing yet. I will say that a big chunk of the bumper price is labor, if you have the equipment, time and fab skill, the kit savings will be significant.
welcome to the 4x4labs clan....love the bumper, that aux tank is ridiculous (in a good way)
I bought his second bumper, really like it and have had zero problems.
I wheel a little, but mostly do lots of extended camping, kids bikes and kayaks in tow. The ladder is great for loading boats. I had a recent experience trying to fit a trailer hitch to his bumper for a hitch mount bike rack. I dunno if hitches, and where the pin hole lies are standard, but Lukes for sure was not. I ended up having a 12" extender fabbed up, with the whole drilled in the right spot. Had to do quite a bit of hand grinding with a file to get it to slide in and bolt in. But, with a Thule 4 bike swing open bike rack, you can haul all 4 bikes, and it swings out of the way of the ladder and you can still acess the back..SWEET! Now I can pack 2 kids, dog, 2 kayaks, 4 bikes and all kinds of crap for an outing.....Love the 80
Good score on Lukes Bumper, he seems to be a swell guy even though I had only one transaction with him. And his 60 I've been seeing lately....DROOL....
Jeff
I wheel a little, but mostly do lots of extended camping, kids bikes and kayaks in tow. The ladder is great for loading boats. I had a recent experience trying to fit a trailer hitch to his bumper for a hitch mount bike rack. I dunno if hitches, and where the pin hole lies are standard, but Lukes for sure was not. I ended up having a 12" extender fabbed up, with the whole drilled in the right spot. Had to do quite a bit of hand grinding with a file to get it to slide in and bolt in. But, with a Thule 4 bike swing open bike rack, you can haul all 4 bikes, and it swings out of the way of the ladder and you can still acess the back..SWEET! Now I can pack 2 kids, dog, 2 kayaks, 4 bikes and all kinds of crap for an outing.....Love the 80
Good score on Lukes Bumper, he seems to be a swell guy even though I had only one transaction with him. And his 60 I've been seeing lately....DROOL....
Jeff
Tapage
Club 4X4 Panamá
back to saving money status .. 
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Damn that boy can fab some pretty steel.
Worth every penny.
If cannot afford it, just say nothing and buy a harbour frieght welder and build your own.
Worth every penny.
If cannot afford it, just say nothing and buy a harbour frieght welder and build your own.
labs rear bumper
As seen in the picture, I had luke add this upper piece. It came in handy on the rubicon. We love the bumper and the luke latch. Also realized how awesome the approach angle is when you run a trail like the rubicon. I don't think there is any other bumper that is better than this. The bumper is worth the money. Consider that the prices you hear about typically include the custom fab such as the ladder and extended side pieces. We did have a mount break at the shock area. 5 minute fix for Luke. I realized after it was fixed that I had been in the habbit of letting the tire swing swing open with out me holding it. I think it's easily preventable. The beauty of this bumper is you can order what you want.
Tree
As seen in the picture, I had luke add this upper piece. It came in handy on the rubicon. We love the bumper and the luke latch. Also realized how awesome the approach angle is when you run a trail like the rubicon. I don't think there is any other bumper that is better than this. The bumper is worth the money. Consider that the prices you hear about typically include the custom fab such as the ladder and extended side pieces. We did have a mount break at the shock area. 5 minute fix for Luke. I realized after it was fixed that I had been in the habbit of letting the tire swing swing open with out me holding it. I think it's easily preventable. The beauty of this bumper is you can order what you want.
Tree
Agree with all the comments. I have his first "production" bumper, with his first single can carrier (I wanted a water can back there, but did not want to compromise rear overhang). The bumper did awesome on the Rubicon. If you're willing to cut your frame, it is the best bumper out there IMHO.
Luke's bumper is the s***.
Is the reciever hitch rated for towing? If not, can you still attach the factory hitch?
Dave
Dave
semlin
curmudgeon
define rated? Luke has not got an official rating for it. I towed 4000 lbs of boat and trailer from Wyoming to Vancouver last weekend without any issues. I have towed an M101 trailer offroad without any problems.
The "factory" hitch (actually a valley hitch) won't fit underneath anymore because you lose the mounting holes nearest the rear cross member when you cut the frame. Luke's bumper bolts up to several smaller unused capture nuts in the side of the 80 frame to compensate for this loss. The bumper receiver is also gusseted and braced at the back with box tubing that runs across to where the bumper meets the frame. Since the bumper is clearly stronger than the factory cross member it replaces, and since the bumper mount sleeves onto the frame instead of mounting flush like a valley hitch, and since the bumper receiver is more heavily braced than it is on a valley hitch, the only possible point it could be weaker is if the smaller mounting bolts did not, in aggragate, outweigh the larger nutserts that get cut off. I haven't done the math but I don't think that is so.
The "factory" hitch (actually a valley hitch) won't fit underneath anymore because you lose the mounting holes nearest the rear cross member when you cut the frame. Luke's bumper bolts up to several smaller unused capture nuts in the side of the 80 frame to compensate for this loss. The bumper receiver is also gusseted and braced at the back with box tubing that runs across to where the bumper meets the frame. Since the bumper is clearly stronger than the factory cross member it replaces, and since the bumper mount sleeves onto the frame instead of mounting flush like a valley hitch, and since the bumper receiver is more heavily braced than it is on a valley hitch, the only possible point it could be weaker is if the smaller mounting bolts did not, in aggragate, outweigh the larger nutserts that get cut off. I haven't done the math but I don't think that is so.
Does anyone have any better picture of the latch mechanism and how it works.
How does this latch eliminate vibration?
Very interested to see more detail of this.
Thanks
How does this latch eliminate vibration?
Very interested to see more detail of this.
Thanks
Anybody?
