How to built a front bumper?

[safari435]

I am looking for a strong front bumper for my FJ60. I was thinking why not just weld a rectangular 6x3x 3/16 tube to the frame and weld some 11/2 tubing as a sort of bull bar on top of it?
Seems it would give good protection without loosing a lot of appoach angle, could use a high lift on the bumper without any problem?,...a pair of d ring mounts and so forth....
Anybody did something similar? What are the "downfalls" to the approach?

 

[krzyabncanuck]

Did pretty much that for my rear bumper with a swingout on it.

I think It will work.

 

[thatoneguyintheback]

Or buy both front and rear if its cheaper...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/e...item=&sspagename=STRK:MESELX:IT#ht_500wt_1182

 

[LAMBCRUSHER]

It's just a bumper. Lots of guys do pretty much what you're thinkin about. FWIW, I think you ought to spend a bit more time in fab and make it a bolt on feature using the factory mounting points. You won't be altering the frame that way, and you can unbolt it to move it for access to the other thing you might not be thinking you'll someday need to get to w/o a stoopid bumper being welded in the way.....JMO

 

[ntsqd]

Second making tabs and bolting it on.

 

[safari435]

Good point here!

 

[krzyabncanuck]

Thats how i build all of mine with tabs. Makes it so much easier to maybe get to things or fiddle with the bumper itself. That and if you get bored with it you could sell it to someone else that could just bolt it up.

 

[Kevin Rutherford]

I am looking for a strong front bumper for my FJ60.

If you can, try to make it removable. If it gets bent, or you just want to replace, or re-paint it, you arn't messing with the frame of the vehicle.
You might need to weld some home-made "L" brackets to the frame to start, then bolt the bumper to them.
Kevin

 

[Kevin Rutherford]

I am looking for a strong front bumper for my FJ60.

One thing I`ve done, is drill 3 quarter inch holes in the bottom on the left & right side. I placed them 2`` apart. Them I drilled a half inch hole in the business end of my High-Lift jack & put a bolt thru it (head down). The bolt goes thru the holes in the bottom of the bumper when jacking & prevents the jack slipping left, or right if the angles get extream.

 

[2mbb]

Here's my thread on the bumper I made. It's pretty much what you described. I mounted the winch on a plate separate from the bumper, so you can use the design with or without the winch mount.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/60-series-wagons/77311-front-bumper-project.html

 

[thatoneguyintheback]

Or buy both front and rear if its cheaper...