Hanson Style Aluminum Bumpers

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

I thought I would show off my Hanson style bumpers that I built. I have had 3 sheets of ¼” 4x10’ of aluminum and I was itching to do something with them. A friend of mine has Hanson bumpers so I borrowed them to kind of used them for a pattern. The Hanson bumpers that I used were for a body lift and they have a bumpout on the bottom to go over the frame rails and I decided to angle the plate to cover up the frame rails. I does give the bumpers a thicker look.

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

I started on the back bumper by building a metal frame for the hitch receiver and to accommodate for the 2” body lift. Then by using the Hanson bumper as a guide I cut the pieces and tacked them until I had all the bumper shell completed. The bumper is held on by 4 3/8” bolts. I will add more attachments when I build the tire carrier.

Doug

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

Since the 66 Broncos do not come with back up lights I added LED lights.

DirtDonk · Sep 4, 2014

Should be pretty slick when it's done. I wonder how much it's going to weigh? I always wanted to make an aluminum version, just because.

Coincidentally, your shop supervisor actually looks kinda like Wayne after a day of welding, grinding, hammering for effect, and a few post-5 beers! ;D

Paul

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

All done with the back bumper for now. I still need to add a tire carrier and it would be a good winter project. I am not quite sure that I like the ends of the bumper because of the truck look. I like the angled in look a little better.

DirtDonk · Sep 4, 2014

The chickens seem impressed. Or is there a bag of feed hanging from the front bumper?

Great idea on the lights.

Paul

nickgp · Sep 4, 2014

Looks very good. Can't wait to see more.

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

The front bumper I started the same way with a steel skeleton and the bumper bolts to the steel and the winch will also bolt to the skeleton. One thing to note is the Zeon winch will not fit the Hanson bumper. The winch is wider than the inset in the bumper. It is an older bumper though.

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

nickgp said:
Looks very good. Can't wait to see more.

I am typing and uploading as fast as I can. The hard work is already done.

bigpitbull · Sep 4, 2014

Hurry!!!!! Build me a set....

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

Here are a couple of pictures of the welds. After spending hours behind the tig torch I am getting pretty good. I put a 1/8” bevel on all the joints. I used grinding wheels from Rexcut.com. They wear faster than others but I would recommend grinding wheels from them. I am using a Dynasty 200DX and 625 x-treme plasma cutting torch. I melted one torch head when I welded a little to long.

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

Pictures of the completed front bumper. They are finished to a 400 grit orbital sander. They would look great polished but that is a lot of work.

EB Passed down · Sep 4, 2014

They look great, and I love the blue on your Bronco. I had a 76 3/4 ton Ford that color with a white top, sharp looking rig and way cool bumpers.

Dbteak · Sep 4, 2014

DirtDonk said:
Should be pretty slick when it's done. I wonder how much it's going to weigh? I always wanted to make an aluminum version, just because.

Coincidentally, your shop supervisor actually looks kinda like Wayne after a day of welding, grinding, hammering for effect, and a few post-5 beers! ;D

Paul

I used about a 4x5' of aluminum at 3.8lbs/sf=76lbs. Probably 10lbs of waste, 40lbs worth of steel, 100lbs winch= 200lbs for both bumpers with the winch.

I can barely pick up the Hanson front bumper with the brush guard without pulling my uterin muscle. I bet it weighs 125lbs.

904Bronco · Sep 4, 2014

Very clean!

DirtDonk · Sep 5, 2014

You're probably right on the money as far as the weight goes Dbteak. They typically weigh from about 80 lbs or so, but a full brush guard version could very easily top 125.
Or so UPS used to tell us when they'd stop by to pick one up and just laugh at us as they drove away.
Imagine! The nerve of those guys! ;D

Paul

stus70brc · Sep 5, 2014

Bumpers turned out great! Love the color of the Bronco! That is a Sweet ride!!

Crawdad · Sep 5, 2014

I'm impressed with the welds! Most people would have left the inside unwelded, but you did it and I bet its stronger. That bumper looks great with the eyebrow in the background! Great job!

Letsgocrawling · Sep 5, 2014

Hey dbteak, awesome job on the fabbing of these things---from a fabicator to another! I'll throw in my 02. cents about the finish, just an idea ok. Give them a fresh oribital swish then spay them with a solution of aluma prep or any equivelint of a acidic aluminum wash to clean as there is no oxidation at that point anyway, rinse well, dry quick and shoot a clear epoxy coating on it and the trick is the epoxy coating should be as thin as possible but wetted out for the sheen, thinning the product will help that. You will end up with a very light blueish grey color---looks like what i call the titanium look

Great job again!

Dbteak · Sep 5, 2014

Crawdad said:
I'm impressed with the welds! Most people would have left the inside unwelded, but you did it and I bet its stronger. That bumper looks great with the eyebrow in the background! Great job!

I figured that by grinding the outside welds it would have been too weak even though I beveled the ends. Plus I got a lot more practice tig welding.

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