The beast is being built!

ZipperheadXJ00 · Apr 21, 2011

Well last Monday, my buddies Chad, Avery and I started my bumper... it's big enough that a Mile Marker 8000lb winch will sit on top, have a 2" receiver in the front and two D-rings. Here's the progress so far:

After removing the stock bumper, and cutting off the tabs that it was attached to.

We made two brackets to go on both sides of the frame out of 3/16 steel. and at the ends of those we welded angle iron.

passenger side bracket:

again:

Driver's side bracket:

again:

The two MAIN pieces. The smaller one up top is the back plate, and the big one is the top plate:

ZipperheadXJ00 · Apr 21, 2011

eight holes were made on the back plate. Two bolts were pushed through and welded on, so when we mount it, it's easy to line up. 6 nuts were welded to the steel so we can attach it without having to get in the bumper after it's done:

Chad finishing the welding between the brackets and the frame:

Tack welded for now...

Two bits of structure for support and attached to the XJ for now. That's as far as we've gotten so far.

We put the winch on there just to see what it looks like.

It's not done yet... but i'm hoping to have it ready to paint next week. We'll see!

whitexj98 · Apr 21, 2011

Looks awfully big. Are you going to be adding some braces? I would think a hard pull would bow out the center of the bumper having that flat steel mounted like that.

BlueCuda · Apr 21, 2011

Its coming along nicely. I wouldn't have cut around the steerinb box bolts. I would have gone over the holes, redrilled them, and picked up longer grade 8 bolts.

xcm · Apr 22, 2011

those 8 bolts that hold the front peice to the brackets... are gonna break right off the minute you winch off it.. you want them in shear, not tension. which means parralel to your axles, not perpendicular....

have you ever seen a bumper built like that? theres probably a reason.

sunburned · Apr 22, 2011

SgtZipperheadXJ00 said:
Well last Monday, my buddies Chad, Avery and I started my bumper... it's big enough that a Mile Marker 8000lb winch will sit on top, have a 2" receiver in the front and two D-rings.

Like this?

But this is how far it sticks out.

If you want the winch up that high, cut into the grill and move that sucker back. You're going to hit the bumper on everything. And yeah, what XCM said about the plates and bolts.

ZipperheadXJ00 · Apr 22, 2011

BlueCuda said:
Its coming along nicely. I wouldn't have cut around the steerinb box bolts. I would have gone over the holes, redrilled them, and picked up longer grade 8 bolts.

i didn't even think about it...

xcm said:
those 8 bolts that hold the front peice to the brackets... are gonna break right off the minute you winch off it.. you want them in shear, not tension. which means parralel to your axles, not perpendicular....

have you ever seen a bumper built like that? theres probably a reason.

Actually, the reason that we built it that way, was that one of my buddy's bumpers was built just like it, and so far, he hasn't had any trouble with it. He's been winching with it, and it's pretty solid. We're gonna test it before we take it on any rough terrain.

XJLI · Apr 22, 2011

so instead of bolting this thing to the truck like every other bumper is made ever... you made brackets that go around the bolts?? this thing is coming off real quick and the front of your jeep is coming with it.

FlexdXJ · Apr 22, 2011

XJLI said:
so instead of bolting this thing to the truck like every other bumper is made ever... you made brackets that go around the bolts?? this thing is coming off real quick and the front of your jeep is coming with it.

I gotta agree with this! That looks a little scary. I hope were all wrong and it works great but all the info points another direction. I just dont see why anyone with a welder wouldn't have a drill press.........:dunno:

MoparManiac · Apr 22, 2011

XJLI said:
so instead of bolting this thing to the truck like every other bumper is made ever... you made brackets that go around the bolts?? this thing is coming off real quick and the front of your jeep is coming with it.

It won't be a catastrophic failure right off the bat, but after a year or so of winching with it, there are going to be some serious stress cracks around that plating.

I would have stiffened the whole front rail and then welded to that.

RCP Phx · Apr 22, 2011

Yeah,that alot of weld! Also the d-ring mounts should have been part of that.
You can see some of my 95 bumper build here....
http://cid-d978c996b9f94140.skydrive.live.com/redir.aspx?page=play&resid=D978C996B9F94140!183

rockclimber · Apr 22, 2011

x4569 on re-building those frame plates. its too late to fix the ones on there, I say make a couple of more and drill some holes that go through the ones you already have to through bolt.

also, if you can plate the engine side of the unibody as well.

as far as those bolts being mounted in shear or tension, that is the least of your worry, with 8 of them they will be fine.

and WTH is that ratchet strap doing?

Lurch · Apr 22, 2011

sunburned said:

JCR?

MoparManiac · Apr 22, 2011

SaMo_XJ said:
JCR?

No way.

JCR's is a park bench.

FlexdXJ · Apr 22, 2011

SaMo_XJ said:
JCR?

It has a receiver in it, I'm pretty sure they don't offer a receiver in their winch bumpers. They do in non winch bumpers.

Lurch · Apr 22, 2011

MoparManiac said:
No way.

JCR's is a park bench.

Good point. I like the low profile look of the this one.

sunburned · Apr 22, 2011

Mine was originally a Rigidco non-winch bumper with a receiver hitch. A buddy and I cut a big hole in it, sunk a winch plate in there and voila. I've never used the receiver, but the bulkhead is plated then the back of the receiver bolts to that, so the mounting on it is insanely strong.

And yeah, I hate the look of winch bumpers that stick out a foot, so I made my own and recessed it back into the grill. The winch sits less than an inch from my trans cooler.

ZipperheadXJ00 · Apr 22, 2011

rockclimber said:
and WTH is that ratchet strap doing?

Hood flew up... that is what's holding it down until i get a new(used) hood and new hood latches...

sunburned · Apr 22, 2011

See how your winch sits in those last few pics? Slide it back til it hits the grille, or even cut the grille and move it back a tad more. Then cut off everything in front of the winch. Make the bumper as low profile as possible for the best utility. You can put a bar or something later in front of the winch to protect it.

Ilikeparts · Apr 23, 2011

i too find your bumper scary, sir. winches dont have wings but turns out they actually can fly if you rig them up just right..

The beast is being built!

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