Real Steel Front Bib Patch (1 Viewer)

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Jun 18, 2009
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Thinking about buying Real Steel's front bib patch. Curious, has anyone used this product? What issues did you have, if any? I know the original has a spot welded bottom support (of which mine is rusted and gone), does the Real Steel product have this, or did anyone fabricate one? And does the Real Steel patch actually need one?

Thanks!
 
I gave it a try, as my lower bib was rotted out. Trying to get a hold of them, but haven't heard back yet - the flanges/tabs are incorrectly dimensioned, so they don't reach where the factory bolt holes are for one set of the fender bolts as well as the bib hinge. The side tabs are cut too short (strange), and the bottom tab is also too narrow, as the factory tab has a bow/curve to it where it's wider in the middle for the hinge.

Does not come with a doubler, and given it's the same as the factory, I'd say it still needs it.

Seems like easy things to fix on their side, but again, haven't heard back yet on the issue. I'll make mine work by extending the lower tab and using the factory side tabs, but definitely not what you'd expect from a patch panel of this shape and simplicity.

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I have a post on page 12 of my build about the lower bib patch. While not explicitly a factory conforming steel punch out, it was definitely good enough for me. It did not have the brace and the bottom lip isn’t wide enough. I welded a wider strip onto the bottom and I used a length of angle iron to make the brace. Certainly not approved by a purest, but definitely sufficient for me.

 
Yeah - one can make it work for sure.

It does just seem odd that they'd go through the trouble to fabricate new and make the flanges short, though...not really any harder to add the proper 3/8" of an inch or whatever when it's being made from fresh steel. That small tweak would make things a bit easier for the end consumer without any real difference in work on their side.
 
Patch panel in - I only used the center section, kept as much factory steel as possible. I split it right at those inner mounting tabs for the grill mesh, using them as a bit of a leveling point (and preferred to leave them in place anyway as they're spot welded). Did extend the tab for the center hinge, and patched up and reused my factory doubler.

More welding tomorrow, but home stretch.

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