Custom Bumper Project: Dos and Don'ts -- DO NOT HESITATE TO POST

[mj-barton]

I have thought about starting a custom front and rear bumper project.
I have search this forum for information. To me it seems scattered and confusing. I would like to create one thread containing information bumper projects.

Please post:
- The Dos
- The Don'ts
- I wish I should haves.
- Now that I think about its.

Comments about anything, size, shape, weights, dimensions, materials, time, injuries, problems, complications, regulations, durability, mobility in the environment.

Please do not hesitate to post.

Thank You
- Mike

 

[GottaBeJeep]

The biggest things to think long and hard about are your recovery points and mounting brackets. Everything else is just cosmetic. Don't just use the 3 stock mounting points per side if you have recovery points. If you put on shackles, mount them completely through your material (do not surface mount), and be sure they are gussetted. Example, if using tubing, run the shackle tabs all the way through and weld on the front and backside of the tubing. If using channel or formed steel, gussett and support. Be sure if you put in a receiver hitch, same thing applies as the shackle tabs.

My bumpers are formed steel instead of box, so my hitch/shackles need to be gussetted/reinforced for strength and safety, and my mounts use more than just the stock 3 bolts. Here are some pictures to give you an idea to help you with your design.

Mounting brackets

3/4" shackle tabs through the channel, welded front, rear, and to the mounting brackets

Shackle tab reinforcement on my TJ bumpers

Receiver hitch reinforced and gussetted, and welded on the front

For the your safety and others, do not build a beautiful bumper and throw on some weak recovery points/mounting brackets. Good luck and have fun.

 

[outlander]

Build it right the first time!!By that I mean don't skimp and don't worry(too much)about weight.When I built my rear bumper and tire swing I used square tube(14 ga.) that was too thin and as a result my spare rattles in the breeze.Set down and think about what you want,look at different designs and styles before you start building.

 

[Pete M]

Shots of how I built mine are at:
http://www.picturetrail.com/petermontie
in the "protection" folder. I like the "keep it simple" stuff. It's just 3/16" wall 3x5 box steel with bent 1/4" thick barstock as the brackets. The grille guard was added later simply cause I liked the way it looked. It unbolts if I ever need to attach the towbar. I'm not quite done with the front bumper. I'd like to nip the underside of the ends a bit for more ground clearance, but as-it-is it does a great job of keeping the evil trees at bay (more of them in michigan than rocks). They may not be the prettiest, but I'd put them up against any of the aftermarkets in terms of strength, and the pair of bumpers (minus the grille guard, but *with* paying a professional to do the final welding) set me back about $75. Hard to beat that.
Jeep on!
--Pete

 

[mj-barton]

From what I heard (notes):
- recovery points
- mounting brackets.

Those need to be focused on. Once that is done everything else falls into place.
Is there anything else, like rust problems for example?

- Mike

 

[Harvo]

A friend of mine built his own and went way overkill. His bumpers weigh a ton. They serve as air tanks for his york compressor, which is cool... but they are too heavy. He used factory tow hook mounting points for mounting his bumper.

 

[BrettM]

My bumper was very easy, cheap and pretty light weight. click the link in my sig line and there's some pictures. It's just 4x4x1/4 angle with 2 cuts and rewelded to angle it back. drill some holes in the top and put some tow hooks on (plus with the hooks mounted this way the strap can't fall off).

not super *bling* but it works great (my philosophy is that bumpers are made to be used :laugh3: ) and was cheap and easy.

 

[Kernel]

K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupi..) works for me. everybody is on the right track. just a simple 2x4. might not look like an arb or custom but it's cheap and works.

during

after

con.... the work being done is another story.

and every scratch is a rattle can fix away.

 

[Moose_God]

Definately do not weld the bumper to the factory bumper mounts. I did this when I built my prerunner bumper, and the third time I was yanked out of a mudhole the whole bumper went flying (breaking both of my new wal-mart lights mounted to it.) The factory steel brackets actually ripped in half. My welds held great though So next incarnation of the bumper included 1/4" steel plate that mounted to every bolt I could find on the front of the XJ.

 

[RCP Phx]

Your design and material choices are the things that will determine the weight and strength.Mine weighs just over 50# but can lift the entire XJ(any side/end) from the flare returns.The more mounting points the better!
Front bumper pics

 

[BrettM]

Definately do not weld the bumper to the factory bumper mounts. I did this when I built my prerunner bumper, and the third time I was yanked out of a mudhole the whole bumper went flying (breaking both of my new wal-mart lights mounted to it.) The factory steel brackets actually ripped in half. My welds held great though So next incarnation of the bumper included 1/4" steel plate that mounted to every bolt I could find on the front of the XJ.

mine mounts to 15 bolts up front, how many on yours? :laugh3: of course I also have a leaf conversion attached there so I wanted major overkill.

 

[2xtreme]

Everyone wants something different from their bumpers that is why we usually find such an assortment available for sale and even more differences with home made ones.

Here was my requirements:
Strong, reasonable weight, portable winch mount, very high approach angles (with winch on), tow points, strengthen steering box with design, act as air tank for stock AC compressor.

Here is what I got (no pic avaialble currently):
material is 3x6 rec section tube, it is easy to cut and weld together and weld caps on each end, holds 5 gal of air, it attaches as far back on the frame as possible, tow points are welded on the front, cost $100 for all materials, skid plate goes down to stock skidplate, port winch mounts on top of bumper, bumper is 3" tall, 6" deep, it weights almost 100#.

I wouldn't change a thing.
Michael

 

[AJsArmor]

Weight does not equal strength. Seen plenty of bumpers first hand that weighed a lot but were no stronger than a bumper weighing half that. It pays to really take your time and think about the forces involved and just use some common sense to design it.

 

[JeepTherapy]

Weight does not equal strength. Seen plenty of bumpers first hand that weighed a lot but were no stronger than a bumper weighing half that. It pays to really take your time and think about the forces involved and just use some common sense to design it.

I second that...Design of the bumper is better than the thickness of the steel. As an example, years ago I worked at a camper factory making the rollcages for the camper shells. We used 1x1 square tube steel (maybe 1/8" thick) for 99% of the frame. I was trained not to do any fancy welding jobs-1 pass and thats it. I was skeptical at first but when I saw some of my jobs that had been rolled 3 or 4 times, that made a believer out of me.

Kevin

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

You can take a look at my projects on www.madxj.com. The front bumper does weigh a bit, but has worked out well for me for quite a few years now. It was one of the first that I had seen to mount the winch lower than the grill yet still have an angled section below it for clearance. Now everybody seems to be doing that...Durango truck, Hanson, etc. Jeff

 

[Ludakris]

I have not built one yet. but for mounting, I like the "kit" from Rigid. They sell the "box-in" kit by itself for like $85. it includes both side plates and a front plate to box in the front frame. Mount up a bumper of your design to this and you should be good to go. I like it because it takes out the possiblity of me screwing up drilling all those holes for the mounts. Just a thought..

 

[lankchevy]

wear safty glasses, if u are trying to get ur bumpers done in a hurry for an event then take the time to put them on, its alot faster to put them on than to go to do the doctor to get metal out of your eyes, then to another doctor to get the rust ring drilled out, and then having one usable eye for at least a day. trust me, i know.
not to knock on anyone elses KISS style bumpers, but dont be afraid to try to make one that looks realy good or like one that some manufacturer makes, i completelty agree that bumpers are made to be used, but u can still make them look good too.

kolby

 

[Danno]

Really nice looking stuff. BTW, are you related to Dirk at DPG as I see you are from the same town. He knows me on a first name basis on account of all the stuff I've bought from him. :laugh3: Danno

The biggest things to think long and hard about are your recovery points and mounting brackets. Everything else is just cosmetic. Don't just use the 3 stock mounting points per side if you have recovery points. If you put on shackles, mount them completely through your material (do not surface mount), and be sure they are gussetted. Example, if using tubing, run the shackle tabs all the way through and weld on the front and backside of the tubing. If using channel or formed steel, gussett and support. Be sure if you put in a receiver hitch, same thing applies as the shackle tabs.

My bumpers are formed steel instead of box, so my hitch/shackles need to be gussetted/reinforced for strength and safety, and my mounts use more than just the stock 3 bolts. Here are some pictures to give you an idea to help you with your design.

Mounting brackets

3/4" shackle tabs through the channel, welded front, rear, and to the mounting brackets

Shackle tab reinforcement on my TJ bumpers

Receiver hitch reinforced and gussetted, and welded on the front

For the your safety and others, do not build a beautiful bumper and throw on some weak recovery points/mounting brackets. Good luck and have fun.

 

[GottaBeJeep]

Really nice looking stuff. BTW, are you related to Dirk at DPG as I see you are from the same town. He knows me on a first name basis on account of all the stuff I've bought from him. :laugh3: Danno

Thanks. Nope, we're not related, just real good friends. He lives just down the dirt road from me. :cheers:

 

[Danno]

I wanted a low profile front bumper as I was tired of always hitting it while wheeling in Moab. The only thing I could find was to build one myself. This is made out of an 8" channel that was notched on the backside ,,bent to the contour of the XJ and then rewelded and brackets and gussets added.
No more smashing the front end while climbing Rock Pile or Rock Chucker in Moab.