Maelstrom...the bumper

[trailfiend]

Thank you all who helped me hunt for some tow hooks, my friend in Golden ended up finding his old ones, and after a few coats of paint they're ready to go on tomorrow!

Between all of that, and talking with Pete earlier this week, I got to thinking about designing/building a bumper the way I want it! Then I remembered my dad knows how to weld (normally a carpenter, I forget he does it as a hobby). So I researched, ooh'd and aww'd at bumpers I like, took some approximate measurements, and then spent a long time in Sketchup (not fancy, I know, but free) and 5 versions later I came up with what you see below! The space for lights on the outside is sized for some PIAA 2100 fog lights and the center's for PIAA 510 driving lights. Then obviously, space for a winch.

So here's my plan so far:
Stage 1: design
Stage 2: build cardboard prototype and fine tune
Stage 3: take into account necessary changes and build wood prototype
Stage 4: build actual bumper
-->fabricate brackets / d-ring mounts
-->rough-assemble center portion on jeep/tack pieces in place
-->remove and assemble wings/attach
-->make brush guard and finish welding
Stage 5: prime with self-etching primer
Stage 6: paint back/interior with semi-gloss black
Stage 7: finish exterior with rustoleum bedliner

What do you guys think? And for those that know, it seems to me that most bumpers like these are made with 3/16" steel as far as I can tell, do those of you that fab use 3/16" or 1/8" steel? I'm thinking I may just use 1/8" for the wings because they're not stress bearing portions of the design, possibly using 3/16 for the beveled edge on the bottom for strength against rocks, and then I could brace it with like...ribs? Mmmm ribs...

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-jwgFsrpqVRA/TrSM210kc9I/AAAAAAAAXDI/bB7_uQB2UXo/s640/bumper.png

[Popsgarage]

1/4" and 3/16" for the winch plate and surround, 3/16" for the bottom and front of the wings and 1/8" for the tops of the "wings". For the brush guard use 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" .120 wall DOM round tube.

[Michael4rnr]

Going to be a nice bumper, looks really good.

[trailfiend]

Thanks guys! I'm pretty stoked, I think this process is going to be a blast.

Originally I thought about all 3/16" except for the winch plate, but it seemed like not all needed to be that beefy.

[Mporter]

That looks incredible. Can't wait to see this

[glacierpaul]

Cool Alex, looking forward to completion too.

[Brody]

What Jon said on the steel and tubing. I have a ShrockWorks bumper here for Chris' 4Runner, which weighs about as much as the Prestin bumper on Brad's 4Runner. You are more than welcome to come by and lift it to see just how much fun it is dicking with a bumper that weighs as much as you do (more in your case, cause you are lighter than I am:D)

Design looks really sweet! Add either angle spanning each corner or square stock on the inside. Small angle works better.

[trailfiend]

I'm hoping it doesn't weigh more than me! I based the design off a culmination of JCR's new crusader prerunner winch bumper, which they say weighs 60#, AJ's SlikRok bumper, BPI's XJ bumper, and the BPI bumper Eric's XJ modified for a winch... I'm guessing/hoping it'll weigh in somewhere around 60-75#, hopefully not more but I won't be too beat up about it if it weighs more. I'm going to Altitude steel later this morning to get some prices on both scrap and new material. Originally I was thinking about bending the DOM for the brush guard, but the metal shop we're going to use doesn't have a bending machine, and I started thinking that mitering the joints would better suit the overall "edgy" appearance of the bumper.

How do you mean spanning each corner? Like, from the small pieces that'll be near the tire in toward the main part of the bumper?

[Eskimo]

great talents out there, looking good

[Cr33p3r]

How do you mean spanning each corner? Like, from the small pieces that'll be near the tire in toward the main part of the bumper?

That is exactly it!

Design looks great too, my front bumper is out of 3/16 & 1/4 and w/o the tube portion it weighed in at 95# with the tube it added another 35-40# and took 3 of us plus the floor jack and 2 stands to get it mounted the final time. I used 3/16 for all the skin areas and 1/4 for the winch plate and mounting brackets also used grade 8 bolts for mount it. It so far has been stout and no damages even after hitting a concrete wall in a parking garage because I could not see the front of the bumper, hence to semi
stinger section.

[trailfiend]

Sweet! I was just looking at 140# of steel for this, so I don't really see a 75# bumper being a realistic expectation... oh well, s'long as it's strong!

I also thought on my drive home, that in addition to my plan of bolting the D-ring tabs to the frame brackets, I'll use some angle iron and bolt+weld them beneath or above the winch plate (or both) for added support and reserve strength. Not that I don't trust my dad's welds, but he's fairly new to welding so I figure a few extra bolts to essentially make everything that will be getting yanked on or torqued at any point is all firmly bolted to the frame plates as well as being welded. If my measurements come out to be correct, the whole thing will only protrude 3-4" beyond the OEM bumper, and the winch area will tuck into the front crossmember and I'll just have to trim away some of the grill around the winch when that day comes.

Alright, I've got a big sheet of foam core and a sharpie... off to get my hot glue gun and razor blades...

[Brody]

Alex-if you aren't to far away from me and run into any questions or issues, I will be happy to help you sort them out, Just shoot me a PM or email or call 303-507-3066. Happy to answer any question that I can. This looks good! Also have a plasma cutter if you need to use one, but you may have to do it over here. Keep it in mind.

[trailfiend]

Thanks Pete! I'll keep that in mind and let you know if I get stuck with this or need your help or advice! I think possibly next weekend we'll start with the actual metal fabbing,

I got more than enough foam core... 4x8 sheet and used less than a half, but more or less just put the whole thing together to get an idea and feel for size and how much material it'll take, I didn't get entirely as accurate as I would like. So, seeing as I really have nothing going on tomorrow and all the places I want to go ride my bike are mudholes... I'll probably redo the mock-up taking into account several things I learned today, and figure out a design/layout for the driver's side frame mount and integrate a steering box brace. Probably take that opportunity to go get the needed grade 8 bolts to get all of that taken care of, etc.

Here's the mock-up in it's present state.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Ig9wHliOiYw/TrXqf7-OJHI/AAAAAAAAXDQ/yxoWoYR8GPY/s640/IMAG0018.jpg

Things I need to change/take into account for the next step:
-the fenders flare out toward the wheel, I need to adjust accordingly.
-probably make the pieces that run along the fenders a full 3" wide
-adjust the taper for the ends a bit
-make the 2 top halves 1 piece each, rather than the 4-per I used
-not work on the floor.... my back is killing me!

[Popsgarage]

Lookin' good, Alex. Remember, Pete's got a bender. You just have to ask nice and make sure the tube you buy fits his die.

[Cr33p3r]

Alex your mock up looks good! If you need any help or just to look at another bumper for any ideas let me know and you can swing by the house, From the looks of your design I would say you are going to come in under your thought of weight. Also that is a good idea you are thinking of with making the wing tops out of one peice but keep in mind you can actually waste more material doing that too, so draw out you material on the sheet before making any cuts so you can end up with the most material left over that is usable for other projects.

[Brody]

I also have the ShrokWorks (sp??) front bumper for Chris that I am going to install on his 4Runner at my house. You are more than welcome (probably not a bad idea) to come over and take a look at what they did for the inside as far as reinforcement. This bumper also took a pretty damn good hit, 90% of which I have managed to beat back out. I can show you exactly where internal supports need to go. Very similar to what you have designed, too, so it would be a good comparison and maybe will give you some good ideas.

You also have to keep in mind that you are going to be getting a fair amount of 'wing' support from the outrigger off the front tube. Anyway, home all day working, you want to just stop by.

[Chris]

To emphasize what Pete said, the guy who I bought the Shrockworks bumper from lost a front wheel and the bumper took the hit.

[trailfiend]

That's quite the hit!!

I just learned that the shop we're going to use has a plasma CNC machine :D I just have to finalize my digital version taking everything into account and they'll convert it to a useable CAD file, wham bam bang, I'll basically have a big puzzle.

That said, we'll have the opportunity to make several, or at the very least make a "kit" if anyone wants one for an XJ ;)

[Popsgarage]

Awesome idea, Alex. I got to thinking, you should incorporate a frame brace on the passenger side as well, since most folks end up doing something like. That way you have a solid mounting spot for a steering box brace you run from either the sector shaft or around the box itself. Check these out.

http://www.offroadevolution.com/store/products.php

http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/merchant.mvc

[trailfiend]

That was exactly my thinking! As well as beefing up the driver's side for extra support of the steering box on that side as well, and while I'm at it I'm likely going to put some shiny new grade 8 bolts in the box, since I'm sure the original ones are nice and rusted.

Speaking of rust, I need more penetrating oil...

[Popsgarage]

The foam mockup is a hell of an idea as well. Looks good.

[trailfiend]

Thanks! I used cardboard for my storage box mock-up, but that's such a pain to cut and doesn't allow you to get very exact, I figured it was worth spending a few bucks on some foam core to get cleaner cuts and a stronger model...then I saw they had black! Perfect! Not only did I get an idea for size/shape, but color too :D

Finalized bumper design:
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-HD2F4ZOLT9g/TrdlCHDPGvI/AAAAAAAAXD8/mAUBtxjzT6Y/s640/bumper2.png

I got a PDF with some specs on bolt hole location for the driver's side mounting points, so I'm going to use some plywood chunks and miter them into shape, lay out the hole pattern and use the drill press to get the locations to what this PDF says it "should" be, and then dial it in as needed from there until I get a template that I can then take with me to the metal shop and transfer it, rather than relying on the foam core.

I also thought I'd give a shot at designing some rocker protection, at least until I get the time/resources to put in some boat sides. I really like the Hanson rockers (http://www.hansonoffroad.com/proddetail.php?prod=XJRP-P) but they're pants down the most expensive rock sliders I've ever seen... Unless they're made of unobtanium, I don't get why they're THAT high priced. I also couldn't figure out how exactly they mount because no one really has any pictures of them other than Hanson's photos. I figure it would at least help keep them in tact longer.
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-AkRcZaErREg/Trdk_8XytOI/AAAAAAAAXD0/Jno8puO0fFk/s640/rockers.png

[Hypoid]

I got a PDF with some specs on bolt hole location for the driver's side mounting points
I did it the hard way. :erm:

We also found there were minor differences between the '96 front and my bud's '90. It's a good idea to verify your work.

[Brody]

What Mike said. The bolt holes on your bumper/frame may not fit anything else, not even the same model and year Jeep. That is why people complain so much about 'bolt on' stuff. Just because the manufacturer used a 96XXX for a template, doesn't mean it is going to fit all 96XXX. I don't know how many bumpers or bolt on things that I have had to modify. For that reason, you may very well want to old school the mount templates and bolt hole locations.....

Although not too much on unibodies, it isn't unusual for a rig, even brand new ones, to be off anywhere from 1/4" to 1/2" one side to the other. Just some stuff to keep in mind....

[trailfiend]

I had intended to get my big framing square out to try and verify the squareness of where I'm bolting, but that's at a job site, I'll verify before doing any welding. And I also foresee I'll be doing the old school method with a carpenter's square/tape/many pieces of paper, until I can get it all dialed and take it to wood to double/triple/quadruple check accuracy.

I suppose I can also make the holes ovalized like they are on the bumper brackets and hook brackets, to allow a little bit of fine-tunability and room for error side-to side. I need to figure out where to put my horns, they're going to be dangling there a bit. I've got some free space in front of/next to the radiator, and possibly just moving them closer to the bumper.

[trailfiend]

Something fun was awaiting me at the door when I got home today... unibody reinforcement kit (http://www.jcroffroad.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=UNFC&Category_Code=XJMISC) from JCR. After trying to create a template for my bumper, I saw how cheap they had their brackets on sale and just bought that, saving the time and energy for figuring the bolting out to someone else. Not to mention it came with all the bolts, one less trip to the hardware store :)

I also bought steel today! Yesterday I grabbed some 3/4" scrap at Altitude, but couldn't get any 3/16" or 1/4" because all they had was new.

Altitude's price on a (new) 3/16" 4'x4' sheet: $190.
Altitude's price on a roughly 3/16" 3'x4' (per pound+a small chunk of 3/4): around about $110

Hinton's price on a (also new) 3/16" 3'x4': $75
Hinton's price on new 1/4" 2'x3': $45ish

Seems like a crazy difference to me...

[Brody]

I certainly don't pay that at Altitude, but I have been going there for 25 or more years..I don't know anyone else who has paid those prices either. I was you, I would go to Hinton. Maybe they simply like you there.

[Patrolman]

Chris, doesn't Jim (SolidRock) still work at the front counter of Hinton? Tell him you are with FrontRange.

[Popsgarage]

Good buy on the JCR parts for sure.:thumb:

[trailfiend]

I certainly don't pay that at Altitude, but I have been going there for 25 or more years..I don't know anyone else who has paid those prices either. I was you, I would go to Hinton. Maybe they simply like you there.

That's strange, their price sheet was like $.75/lb under 100#, and $.65/lb 100-200, and I was looking at like 150# of steel, with a good bit of scrap... So not quite $110, but in that range. It was still surprising to me that that price for scrap compared so differently to new at Hinton. The only thing that I can guess made Altitude's price so steep for the 4x4 sheet is that in addition to the extra 4 square feet, it would have to be cut from a huge sheet, but that still doesn't seem to add up in my mind...

Oh well, the guys at Hinton were nice(r) and very helpful, not to mention I was able to go there, get the steel/eat lunch, and go back to work on my break. I didn't get any DOM for the brushguard bit, because I've yet to finalize my decision 100% on how I want that to look, I'm just going to get some 1 1/2" and 1" dowels and make some mock-ups of it to see how it actually looks and works with the features of the Jeep.

[mattzj98]

That's nice! :thumb:

[Brody]

I just got off the phone with Altitude Steel and they said that they would have matched those prices...or at least come close enough so that it wasn't worth driving somewhere else...had you mentioned either Front Range 4x4 or my name. If you had taken the time to look under either the vendors section and then under the steel sources section...or, for that matter, anything that related to Altitude Steel, you would have found the same suggestions (FR or my name) mentioned numerous times. Altitude Steel has been extremely good to everyone on this forum as far as pricing goes, and will continue to be in the future. Helps to mention that you belong to Front Range and/or my name.

Also, their 'listed' scrap prices do not even come close to the discount that the FR folks get...:D

Just a heads up for the future. bottom line: shop wherever you want...

[trailfiend]

Oh man, it didn't even occur to me to check into that. I've been balancing a lot this week and up until joining the forum I've never gotten any sort of group discount or similar, I wish now that I had thought to look! I'll definitely mention that next time I'm there, I still need some DOM material for the project, and they're a bit closer to home for me.

Thanks for the heads up! I hope I wasn't coming off as bashing Altitude, I've still got a lot to learn :)

[Popsgarage]

You'll get there. :thumb:

[trailfiend]

Update from yesterday... I made things with metal! And it felt gooood. I arrived at the shop at 9:30, bringing with me all of the steel, brush guard stuff, bolt templates... and my 2 grinders w/ box of grinder heads. I spent the morning sitting in front of the computer importing each 3D CAD component of the bumper into a 2D sheet that would be readable and plugged into the plasma table's computer, once all of that was ready someone else needed to work on the computer for a while before we could finish and transfer the file to the table, so I used that time to build my D-ring tabs... The steel I picked up for these was surface rusted, and kind of fugly and beat up... No edges were really square, but after a little bit of time with the band saw, we had some nice 7.5"x2.5"x.75" chunks of steel :)

Shortly thereafter, with some drill press time, more bandsaw time for the dogears, and then using the wheel grinder/surface planer, I had a pair of these:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xE7WwBxQhuE/Ttuqab6whMI/AAAAAAAAXKg/sz3zqm41_So/s640/DSC_0190.jpg

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lFK1kL3ZQkk/TtupQ0ky0kI/AAAAAAAAXKM/5KjSZ0h9yCU/s640/DSC_0188.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--kz4QVHuWTg/TtuoqbZaGyI/AAAAAAAAXJw/qfdPJ_ryi6Y/s640/DSC_0154.jpg

All of the parts fresh off the plasma table!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-iLAIVJ3bg_w/TtupRZ69yuI/AAAAAAAAXKQ/UmXTRGPWhN4/s640/DSC_0189.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFIUd2-ZJew/TtupLrMFxaI/AAAAAAAAXKE/eCZ4niSP72g/s640/DSC_0182.jpg

And just for fun...

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-djDjoBh0Hhs/Ttuoo4eg69I/AAAAAAAAXJk/bkRF4HlAG1E/s640/DSC_0172.jpg

Yesterday was fun, and exhausting! So long, but so much progress at long last!! I'm heading down now to clean up all the edges, figure out a solution for a pair of miscut pieces, and begin welding!!

[Cr33p3r]

Those CNC plasma cutters are sweet tools!

[Popsgarage]

Awesome, Alex! Can't wait for more!:thumb:

[MelloYello]

This is going to be a Bad A$$ bumper! Can't wait to see it done.

[trailfiend]

Well we went down to start work on the bumper and get some welding knocked out... but it turns out there was a welding class scheduled from 1-4, so we barely got anything accomplished before we had to leave. However, I learned that I'll be better off recutting the frame plates with a few minor adjustments to take into account other material, and to precut the holes... because drilling them on the drill press was too much of a PITA. And the thing was flexing and drilling crooked.

Until the next update, here's a video...

http://vimeo.com/33111008

[Popsgarage]

Someone had one of these setups for 4' x 8' sheet stock for sale on Craigslist a while back. Complete with Dell computer CNC plasma torch and everything else. Too bad I couldn't convince my boss that $7500 was a great investment.:frown:

[trailfiend]

That would be awesome to have! That workshop also has a wood CNC router just like this one, it's sick! Just imagine what you could accomplish on a manufacturing level if you dialed in some designs and had one of these.......

[Popsgarage]

Yeah, tell me about it! Worked on him for about 2 months, just kept getting "I don't know....". It finally sold to somebody.

[scout man]

altitude is always my first choice for steel. Like the scrap pile and generally like the people.

[trailfiend]

:jiggy:

We welded.

'nuff said.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-LNx-vZqE4AQ/TuYNRQ_-PKI/AAAAAAAAXNc/actkjFBYbqo/s640/DSC_0678.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-2NNXL8QPmuo/TuYNSLgMtmI/AAAAAAAAXNg/Q0c0PGsTdE0/s640/DSC_0681.jpg

Because I like taking pictures..

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WhM9qU9NHrs/TuWUReF6VjI/AAAAAAAAXM4/lZ4xOoBBsf8/s640/DSC_0596.jpg

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-9SXlct9tg58/TuWUT4BxiAI/AAAAAAAAXM8/eLMVGMu4X3A/s640/DSC_0601.jpg

Overall, it took about 4 hours. I honestly didn't expect to get past the center portion done, so I'm beyond stoked that the welding is DONE. I just need to grind....for days. And shorten my prerunner bar by 2-2.5" before we weld that all on - all that that's waiting on is I need to figure out a jig to hold the tubing in the bandsaw's clamp at the angle, I'm not sure just yet how I want to do that, I'm kind of thinking something with a hole saw, but I haven't yet decided...

And, with inspiration from Pete's little plastic passenger on his bumper, I'll be adding a dead kenny :)

http://plasticandplush.com/images/2011/07/09/kidrobot-dead-kenny-3.jpg

If any'a you want to see more of the welding pictures (I think they're cool, you may not...) go here (https://picasaweb.google.com/116406115289750198627/Welding).

[Ardent]

Someone had one of these setups for 4' x 8' sheet stock for sale on Craigslist a while back. Complete with Dell computer CNC plasma torch and everything else. Too bad I couldn't convince my boss that $7500 was a great investment.:frown:

lol, our 5x10 cost way more than that! We use it everyday. Save lots of $$$ and time not paying someone else to do it for us.

[Popsgarage]

I'll be adding a dead kenny

Awesome. It's looking good, man. Keep it up!


lol, our 5x10 cost way more than that

Tell me about it. I just didn't have $7500 to spend, and the boss just kept hem hawing around about it. Maybe someday.

[Cr33p3r]

Bumper is looking great so far, I am trying to figure out what you are stating "I need to figure out a jig to hold the tubing in the bandsaw's clamp at the angle, I'm not sure just yet how I want to do that, I'm kind of thinking something with a hole saw" are you talking about having both pieces cut on an angle and jigging them to weld back up?

Oh and the grinding part you hit that right on the money w/ "days of grinding"! That is the one part I hate is grinding.

[trailfiend]

@freaky, I got the bar prebent and cut to lean forward but I need to shorten them, I was trying to say I need a jig to recut them at an angle, basically a compound miter... Too bad the metal saws don't do that :( I think I can pull it off if I drill through a chunk of wood with a hole saw, cut the chunk in half minus a bit, and use that in the band saw's clamp... The big concern is the one I'm using slips when I clamp down the round tube.

I got close to 80% of the grinding done on the underside on Monday over about 6 hours... So much grinding! I hope to get it ready for powder by Sunday night so I can drop it off first thing Monday!

[Cr33p3r]

Got it! is your band saw an upright model or the one that pivots vertically? If upright might be able to tilt the table to the degrees you want and then roll the bar in the direction of the compound before clamping it. If the does not work your idea of the wood drilled on a compound angle clamped tight to the bar and then cut with a cutoff wheel or sawzall will work. hope this helps.

[trailfiend]

There's both the pivoting kind and an upright model, the bigger of the pivoting saws hooks up to a pump with cutting fluid, it's pretty rad. I'll give each technique a shot, and see how it goes... I should have the bottom and front all rough ground tomorrow night, and quite possibly the few top surface welds. If that's the case, I should be able to start sealing all the seams, giving it more than enough time to cure before powder.

I also found out how it feels to graze the back of your finger with a 36grit sanding disc... not good.

[Brody]

I also found out how it feels to graze the back of your finger with a 36grit sanding disc... not good.

Why it is a good idea to wear gloves.....:D Try doing that with a MF wire wheel, gloves or not and you won't be happy. Fingers are nice to keep around. Ask anyone who has lost one....as are hearing and eyeballs. Hand, ear, and eye protection isn't overrated....

I go through about 6-8 DeWalt grinders a year (nice to have the $10 year warranty. I try to bring them back when they are still smoking for a little entertainment.) as does Scotty at Addicted. All of my gloves have serious gouges in them from cut off wheels, MF wire wheels, grinding and sanding discs. I won't do more than bump something without gloves on...even then realizing that it's a bit stupid..

[Popsgarage]

Try doing that with a MF wire wheel, gloves or not and you won't be happy

Yeah, it breaks fingers.

[trailfiend]

Oh wire wheels... So useful yet so damn EVIL! I had gloves on, luckily they took the brunt of the nick.

Good news! I'm done with stage 1 of grinding :D I went through tonight and filled all the little divits and holes, tomorrow morning/night I'll grind some more with a finer grit paper, refill any remaining holes and then let that cure overnight, weld on the bar sometime Saturday, final sanding and grinding, let it cure the rest of the weekend then POW!

So close. I can taste it.

[trailfiend]

Powwwwwderrrrr.... Saturday we finished up the welding and got the final test fit, discovering that I didn't take into account the curve of the grille in my design (I swore I had) and when I programmed in the mounting holes, I did so accidentally 1" further back than I originally intended - the result: a big stupid gap on the inside corners by the headlights. Damn. So we acted fast and cut some triangle pieces to "plug" the openings, it looks alright. I would be happier if my mounting holes were 1" forward of where they are.

I'm contemplating hand drilling new holes 1" forward of the current holes (leaving about 1/2" of material between the two holes), does anyone feel that doing so would sacrifice too much strength? Or if I do so, would it be necessary to grind off the paint inside the old holes and weld in a plug?

Regardless, it looks good, I'm happy, it sticks out a bit further than I anticipated, so to cover it up I think I want fenders hehe... Bushwacker flat flares look great to me, but if I want fenders like that I want metal.

Point: I dropped it off for powder yesterday. Here's a picture of it "completed", just waiting to weld 2 final pieces on...

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-dIbaZ2fet98/TvCUPXcvL6I/AAAAAAAAXgE/JVBqF0QwZb4/s640/405788_10150640257184689_676884688_11816805_195150 9020_n.jpg

[Cr33p3r]

It looks good! It might be easier to just drill new holes and call it a day!

[trailfiend]

That's what I'm thinking for sure, I'm just not sure if I would *need* to plug the holes or not.

Tomorrow's gonna be a long day awaiting the call from the powdercoaters to say "it's ready".

[Popsgarage]

Shouldn't hurt to drill a couple extra holes. Take a look at the JKS steering box brace/bumper mounting brackets.

http://store.jksmfg.com/merchant2/merchant.mvc

[scout man]

can you drill the new hole, drill a hole in some 1/4" plate, then weld it over the top? That way you still have the 1/4" thick side wall you would have had from the start and dont have to worry about that thin support between the two holes?





hope that made sense, I can elaborate if it didnt.

[trailfiend]

I think I get what you're saying, basically duplicate the new holes on an additional plate, which I'll weld to the outside of the existing plate, thus beefing the living sh!t out of the brackets? Not a bad idea! Especially considering I've got tons of 1/4" leftover!

[scout man]

yea, thats exactly what I was thinking. I think thats the route I would go.

[Popsgarage]

Very good idea! Just need a slightly longer bolt!

[trailfiend]

Awesome. If I do, in fact, decide to redrill the holes I believe I'll do something in that manner. Good idea!

[Popsgarage]

Good call on that one, Steve!

[trailfiend]

Oh, believe me. I've got TONS of extra bolts after the día de tornillos rotos...

[Popsgarage]

día de tornillos rotos...

Whaaa????? :lmao:

[trailfiend]

heh... day of broken bolts...

[Popsgarage]

Rajah dat, brahhda!

[trailfiend]

:lmao:

[trailfiend]

Paint!

paintpaintpaintpaintpaintpaint.

It's painted.

It's finito. Done. Completo.

I dunno if I want to pull it in closer, I quite like it the way it is.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Qt_lIrAktZg/TvZdNYN_PyI/AAAAAAAAXgM/urGh98HKhzc/s640/387538_10150653830549689_676884688_11875372_190827 2101_n.jpg

[Rob]

Nicely done. Looks great. :thumb:

[Brody]

Nice looking bumper!

[Popsgarage]

Turned out sweet. Really like the Dead Kenny, really puts it over the top!:thumb: Bet it feels good to have it done!

[Mporter]

Sickkkk

[Popsgarage]

What do you have invested time and material? Good thing for folks to know what it takes from design to acquisition of materials to fabrication to paint to install!

[glacierpaul]

Very Nice Alex! It looks sweet on the Jeep!

[trailfiend]

Thanks everyone! I'm really happy with the outcome, now I need to get a lift!!

Good question Jon, I spent about 15 hours of design and research, and went through about 4 or 5 different versions before finalizing the latest version. It took about 10-12 hours to put all the files from my sketchup model into 3D CAD, and then convert them into a 2D cut sheet for the CNC machine. Cost for raw material was about $100 for the 3'x4' 3/16" steel, and the 2'x3' 1/4" sheets, I paid about $100 total for the JCR frame plates and pre-bent prerunner (beats having to buy the mandrel for the bender). And it took about 6 hours of weld-time, and like a solid 2 or 3 days of grinding. The powder cost me $75 ($20 of which was for sand blasting).

In all time wise, I would say 40 hours roughly.
And like $275~ for material and paint.

I guess if you've got the resources it's well worth doing yourself, but I could say with certainty that if I didn't, I don't think I'd have attempted it. JCR also has a DIY bumper kit... kind of saves the cutting thing, and cuts the design portion down.

[Brody]

Came out nice. I wish more people would fab something at some point. That would eliminate many questions about why fabrication (all all of the disposable costs) costs a pretty penny....

[Popsgarage]

Hey Pete, why not post this under the "cost of fab" post you started? Tried to find that link but couldn't.

[Cr33p3r]

Turned out nice Alex, good job!!!