!FINISHED!!!!!!!!!! 8274 Bumper w/3" BL and Stock chrome bumper overlay * PIC HEAVY*

[mofoco1]

!FINISHED!!!!!!!!!! 8274 Bumper w/3" BL and Stock chrome bumper overlay * PIC HEAVY*

Well am into the second week of my front bumper build. I could have probably had it done but the weather is ridiculous( gonna be 101* tomorrow and 102* by Tues.) and the metal yard misquoted what they want on some 2"x4"x.25. They quoted me $120 for a 10' stick, that's ridiculous as I only needed 6'. They wouldn't cut it down. So I waited and again today no remnants, well found out they there was a 9' piece and they sold it to me for $50, wish they had their heads on straight last week. I have finished the center winch section and finished one of the riser extension that slides into the frame horns. I have the other extension to grind down tomorrow morning. I have to weld the center to the extensions and then make the angled sides and weld those on as well. The kicker is that I am going to chop, bend modify and then rechrome a stock bumper as a cover for the real HD winch bumper hiding behind it. To top it off this is also a lifted bumper as I have a 3" bodylift I am trying to hide as well. I am also using a LOWPRO Aluminum roller fairlead so as to have an almost Hawse look, but still have the function of a roller so as not to take away from the bumper and hide it. I have hidden the nuts so that they are welded in the closed extensions. I still have to locate some 1/2" course SS buttonhead hex bolts for the Winch/fairlead/bumper cover mounting. I may if space allows install a skidplate and hoop. So here are a few pics.

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[xcntrk]

Where's the winch going, between the frame rails or is the bumper upside down?

I'm curious as I too am going to sink a winch between the rails....

 

[mofoco1]

Xcntrk, these pics should answer your questions. Tomorrow I have to do a final burn with the big welder on the center section. The winch sits nice and low and does not obstruct the radiator or the engine cooler very much. I still have to cut the angled sides and weld them onto the center section and then make braces for those back to the center. I am also going to brace the horn extensions under the winch, and also gusset the back of the front of the center section to the sides of the winch to the inside horns. There will be a top plate that will cover most of the area level to the winch and around it. That top plate will be braced from underneath so you can stand on the bumper and service the engine bay. I am going to also tap in some tubing at the winch mounting holes so that the tubing is not crushed when cinched down.Once the real bumper is done taking shape, I will start hacking up the stock chrome bumper to match the contours of the winch bumper, I am going to mock it up on the used bumper I bought, and see if I can get it nice enough that I won 't have top cut up the new show bumper I want to save for the rear, if it come out good enough I will have it rechromed( but lets see how it turns out first.

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[mofoco1]

Well seems I need a new bandsaw or chop saw as no one locally has the brushes to see if I can get an easy and cheap fix. I finished welding center completely and the boxed the hole where the rope will pass thru, wasn't comfortable leaving the the exposed sides to wear at the rope before it gets to the fairlead. It still needs to get ground down and polished, I ran out of time as it was 10pm when I finished welding the lip. Too late to grind(neighbors you know%). I still have to cap 4 ends and that will get done tomorrow. I still need to get the ends of the bumper cut, gonna be hard without a good working chop saw.

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[xcntrk]

Are you using a glassless welder?

 

[mofoco1]

Yeh for the surround, I do not have 220 at the house, it'll get clean up and won't look any worse for wear. I will post pics after I am done tonight. I usually use it just for tacking and then take it to the shop and use the big welder..

 

[mofoco1]

Didn't get to do a damn thing. We went and picked up some rims a couple of hours away, just got back. But I found out I have the coming week off, i had forgotten so many things will get done woo hoo!!!!!

 

[mofoco1]

Well my son and I got the bumper almost finished. Need to do the side reinforcement bars so it doesn't double over if s side impact were to occur like on a stock bumper. Pics are of my helper. Will get it finish tomorrow morning after we pull my bodylift off and install the new one.




;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;DD;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D;D

 

[mofoco1]

Gotta lot done this weekend on he bumper. We are working on the stock bumper mask that covers the front of the actual bumper so it looks more stock than not. Anyone had bumpers chromed lately, curious what other are paying today in this friggin economy. So it lines up very nice, it takes up the space of the 3" body-lift and after I make a top cover will hide much of the empty space

 

[mofoco1]

Should I keep the over riders or not? As easy as drilling some holes. Don't want it to looks too busy though...

 

[broncobsession]

I like em.

 

[Hozr]

I say keep em!

I wasn't grasping the concept until the last few pics, Love it. Great idea, nice work.

 

[mofoco1]

Yeh, I think I will keep them on. I was going to do so mounting tabs for the clevis but maybe I will put those underneath on the frame inserts instead, probably be strongest anyway.

 

[mofoco1]

Well back on the bumper build. Reinstalled the winch so I can measure for the gusset bar under the winch that will tie the frame horns together, I welded a smaller diameter tube until I can bend and weld the bigger tube in so that it doesn't shrink the distance between the horns when welded and make my holes be off as the tolerances are really tight.

 

[Broncoman]

Looks pretty good but the bottom of the winch seems very unprotected from impacts from rocks.?:? Got a side shot with the winch installed and on the truck?

 

[JIMS74]

Very nice and strong looking design. the bumperettes are a clean look, but I think a stroppe catus smasher push bar would look sweet on the stock look bumper. I used some 3/16" thick 2" wide flat bar welded to the top and bottum of the frame to help spread the load where the bumper is through bolted, have seen frame ends fail, but that could had alot to do with rust and torch cut bolt holes. you can pick up the ford super duty front tow hooks pretty cheap in the junkyard or ebay.

 

[mofoco1]

I thought about the smasher as I come from a desert off-roading background, but I am building a 70 pre-runner and decided to do something more stock-like. The original bumpers were designed I think to cause more damage, (especially the non-reinforced ends that just fold over taking the grill and fender with it) than to actually protect the front end. The original smasher relied on the flimsy stock bumper to take the brunt of a hit but the design acts as a lever. It could be made better if something like what I am doing that puts something more substantial behind the original and the smasher bolted thru the stocker to the real bumper. The other reason I was against the smasher was that I am already sticking out pretty far and I didn't want anymore overhang than necessary. OK Good points brought up though, but a bit premature. I had already thought about the winch gearbox hanging a bit below the line of the fairlead. Although I am never going to get into a situation that I will smash it ( This is more of a DD) the winch is more of an option I wanted to use, that has been waiting for a build to be put on and I had been toying with this design but not until Nick at Nicks Trix showed me his bumper did the design I wanted to build finally come together and click. Thanks Nick. With that in mind take a look at my progress today. The hoop below and behind the winch will be an attachment point for a 3/16" skid plate, similar to the one in the picture. I may incorporate a couple of j shaped tubes welded from the fairlead to the rear hoop to almost form a cradle /cage for the winch gearbox and side plate, and maybe attach the skidplate to that , hope that makes sense. Pic #3 you can also spy the reinforcement tube on the side to keep the side extensions from folding over in case of a crash or bad hit. I have to do the other side tomorrow and work on the cradle too, ran out of light.

 

[mofoco1]

Broncoman look at pics # 12, 13, 14 best side shots I have right now.

 

[mofoco1]

Decided against the winch cradle/cage in favor of of aHD skidplate

I was going to build a cage/cradle to protect the winch gearbox that was a bit exposed. I am not going to wheel that extreme, but you never know what lays ahead. I decided against it due to the loss of ground clearance in favor of a HD skidplate, that does not require additional ground loss. Pictures will illustrate it below. The plate I have shown previously is overkill so I need to purchase a bit thinner plate, why add anymore weight. Second to last picture shows what it might look like with a skidplate,m I will incorporate some lightening holes too. Last pic shows some of the work involved on the overlay. I was going to weld that up but ran out of wire, Of Course@#$%^&*()

 

[mofoco1]

Skidplate is done!

Need to weld it up grind a little and paint. Then Done....;D