My bumper build

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The bumper looks great! Ever thought about making a bunch of those and selling them? I bet you could make a fortune if you have some spare time on your hands.

Thanks for the kind words!

I've had a few requests for similar. While it might be fun, I don't have the time or the tools and space to do metal fab very efficiently. I don;t think I could really make enough per hour to make it worth while.

That being said. I'm quite proud of mine. :cheers:
 
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You have to fill the gap or else rocks will bounce off the front face of the bumber and sand blast the rear of the 60. Learned the hard way.

Bob
 
Thanks Blue. A gap filler has been in the works since the begining.
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Mountain Goat, What is the thickness of the main part of the bumper?

The main rectangular tube is .250". This is probably gross overkill, but that seems to be the way I do things. There is a tax in terms of weight. If you are thinking about doing the same sort of construction I would recommend .1875" (3/16).
 
Finally finished

Sorry I missed the previous couple of posts. I guess I didn't check this thread after my last post.

I appreciate the comments and support. It's been a great project. I've learned a lot about metal fab.

I don't have any better over-all shots, but I have a few of the jerry can carrier and completed bumper from the rear.

This officially concludes this project. :cheers:

BTW - The carrier also accomodates a High-Lift jack. However someone thought that he needed mine more than I do and relieved me of it while I was camping.

Thieves suck ass.
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A few more for the details.
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I love your design, Im thinking I might try my hand at metal fabbing, just about finished my work on half doors, so I fiure take it up a notch. Great work by the way! keep it up.

-Kiel-
 
wow that looks awesome! im sure you have answered this question already but approximatelly how long did it take you to build all of that? im sure all of the finishing work took along time because you didnt leave any of the welds. well it looks awesome. it looks so good that if you would tell anyone that you bought it they would believe you without a doubt!
 
It's even more beautiful in person -- truely a work of fine craftmanship with a meticulous attention to detail and all from a guy who is self-taught which just makes it that much more impressive.

Can also attest to the stoutness of his build quality but that's Mountain Goat's thunder and one which I dare not steal....

-dogboy- '87 FJ60
 
Aw, you flatter me so. :)

I am definitely proud of my home-built "ghetto" bumper. Many mistakes were made in building it, and much was learned. I'd say the finished product will do just fine. If I don't consider the time, I'd say I saved a couple $K compared to a Slee bumper, pimped out the way I want.

As Dogboy mentioned, the bumper earned it's keep this weekend and I'm no longer questioning my over-built approach to the project.

In answer to the previous question, I can really only guess about the number of hours into it. Total timeline, based on 'mud post dates is about nine months. Hours, maybe around 200-250.

That being said, please keep in mind that I am a very inexperience metal fabricator. Combine that with being an obsessed freak perfectionist and the hour figure makes a little more sense.

Thanks also for noticing the finish work. I spent a considerable amount of time grinding welds.

I sincerely appreciate all of the support and encouragement from the 'mud community. I hope that through sharing projects like this that I can give something back.

:cheers:
 
Mountain I am under the assumption that you used stick welding for all of this? what did you use to cut your .25 inch?

as a winter project I am going to copy a few of your design features, namely the .25 inch "wings" covering the rear corners and the overall shape, however in my design I think I might tuck the bumper a little closer to the body...

it really looks good... how expensive was the 12ht swap?
 
Mountain I am under the assumption that you used stick welding for all of this? what did you use to cut your .25 inch?

as a winter project I am going to copy a few of your design features, namely the .25 inch "wings" covering the rear corners and the overall shape, however in my design I think I might tuck the bumper a little closer to the body...

it really looks good... how expensive was the 12ht swap?

I used a cheap, AC only stick for everything except the jerry can cage. For that I used a 110V MIG. My cutting was with a torch and "sawzall". Not the most efficient, but when we don't have all of the cool tools we make do.

Good luck on your build. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If you want the bumper to fit more tight to the body, I don't recommend using a rectangular tube like I did. As it is now, the main bumper tube is up against the ends of the frame rails. I would go with a "C" channel type design that caps the ends of the frame rails. This is the way most commerial 60 series bumpers are designed.

All said and done, the diesel swap cost about $10K. :eek: Seriously though, it is worth every penny. I smile every time I pass other vehicles, uphill, and in 5th gear.

:cheers:
 
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