Front bumper build and other stuff. (1 Viewer)

[Notch]

I've started on a front bumper for my 80 and thought you guys would want to see the progress. My old, cut-up stock bumper is mangled and has caused some damage to the fenders, valance, and AC...so time to go.

I'm done gluing my flares back together every week too so I'll be welding the holes up and refinishing the paint or maybe monstaliner. I'm going to repaint my sliders too.

The first step was to remove everything and make a new winch mount a bit higher than where is was with the stock bumper.

The direction I'm heading with this bumper is to:
- Fill in most of the open area to protect from branches.
-Skid plate
-End cap on tubes
-7" Round driving lights in the center of the top bar.
-Built in fairlead
-Not smash receiver/drier again

The top bar is going to be supported by four, 1/4" plates that attach to the winch mount. They look like this pretty much.

 

[nigelsiam]

So far so good...keep working on it and let us know.

 

[bryson]

Cool!

Custom built notcher I assume?

 

[Notch]

Yup

 

[Notch]

So the lower cross tube is a 3x2 1/4" wall. I cut a section out of one narrow side to help tuck the lower corner in, slightly helping approach angle. The bottom corner of the frame horns is now cut off and will be capped.

Here's the two outer tubes and the the 3x2 tacked in place. Next Ill fit the inner, vertical plates that connect the winch plate and the upper tube.

 

[Lionsgarage]

Cool!

i want more pictures of that notcher! Awsome home made stuff!

 

[Notch]

No camping this weekend so I made a little progress on the fillers for each side. I patterned them by taking paper and taping it tightly across the front.

Then I rubbed a piece of .375 aluminum rod to mark the centerline of the tube to make a pattern.

I cut and transferred the paper pattern to a piece of 1/8" P&O steel plate. Then offset the line inward with 18mm tape. This lets the filler sit about 1/4 of the way into the tube frame.

The inner lines were traced on and the tape removed. Then the parts were sheared into rough shape.

 

[Notch]

The the Beverly shear was used to trim right to the line.

It's pretty cool to be able to cut 1/8" steel like paper.

Then I just cleaned up the vertical cut, bent the middle over the edge of my cart

and tacked them in place, with very minimal fitting required.

 

[Lumpskie]

Man, you did a beautiful job of the complex bends on that tubing. And, that paper/tape trick for the filler panels is genius! Since you're a pro fabricator, I'm not sure if you are just building this for yourself of as a test mule for a new design to possibly sell. With that in mind, I thought I'd leave one small impression I have from an aesthetics perspective. As a lay-person I find that my eye "wants" that top tube to hug the body of the rig a little more. If it were to tuck 1/2 way under the front quarter panels (lowering it a couple inches and shortening it a couple of inches) along with angling the lower tubes towards the back of the rig, I think this bumper would look "tighter" and more aggressive. You clearly are very skilled and I don't want you to take the comment in the wrong way. I just thought you might find some feedback useful, even if you totally disagree. Keep up the great work and I can't wait to see the finished product!

 

[Notch]

Thanks for the insights. I'm not able to lower it as I need the clearance for rocks and logs. Its as close as i dare to the sheetmetal now. I want it to look cool but it has to work as armor first.