Well boys, its finally time to unveil my new bumper. ok, it aint no big deal, and it aint finished yet either, but I'll show y'all whats done.

Metal:-
-1.5" mild tubing, .120 wall
-3/16" plate
-.25 wall trailer hitch crap (2.58x2.58" I think)

before there was anything else but the top bar, I had three dudes jumping up and down on it so I'm purty sure it'll take a beating. It isn't a hack job either, I took a lotta time on it. I owe the bending of the upper and lower bars to my buddy tho. :rolleyes: oh yes, and I know the weld on the top of the trailer hitch blows and needs grinding, so there. :)

Pretty Nice, if i can ever get me a job, i should have my tube bumpers, all i gotta do is buy the pipe, and my bro is gunan bend them, and weld it up


Looks Good Dude!!!! :thumbsup:

more pics...and yes I have to finish that mad gap welding on the side, and cap off the ends of the tube thank you. :)

thanx xplorerkid!

wow nice!! I need a new rear bumper cuz mines bent, "16 year old finds out the result of insuccsessfully pulling a blazer out of a rut when towing from bumper-License plate gets to face the sky" I need a hidden hitch

Looks sweet!! I thought you had SOA?

thanks guys,

nah Travis C, no more SOA for me :) , got Deavers, some shackles from Wicked Creations, and some Bilstein 5150's a month or two ago :cool: . The difference is remarkable though between the two setups. Now I can haul ass over speed bumps!! Oh and it does pretty nicely in the desert too

that bumper is sweet!

wow nice!! I need a new rear bumper cuz mines bent, "16 year old finds out the result of insuccsessfully pulling a blazer out of a rut when towing from bumper-License plate gets to face the sky" I need a hidden hitch

well I'm gettin rid of my stock bumper, its black, off my sport. If anyone wants it, $10+shipping :exporange

That looks really nice, great job. When can you have one made for me? ;)

hehe, uhh...*runs away from computer*

Very nice. I really like how it looks.

very nice. I may have to change my design to to adapt some of your ideas. Quick question. I see you have the hitch box welded to a plate in the back with some reinforcing tubing. Is that plate what the rest of the tube bumper is mounted on?

Id say yes to the bumper but -A: My ablility to buy things online is rather poor and
B: Unless im replacing it with a real trick hitch/bumper combo i dont want to go through the hassel of taking the old one off, Its got mud and parts off trees stuck in it, Besides if the cops cant see my license plate im in the good

Thanxs thou and nice bumper

very nice. I may have to change my design to to adapt some of your ideas. Quick question. I see you have the hitch box welded to a plate in the back with some reinforcing tubing. Is that plate what the rest of the tube bumper is mounted on?

nah, its mounted in 5 places to the truck.
1. left side reinforcing bar to the frame
2. left side frame rail
3. trailer hitch to crossmember
4. right side frame rail
5. right side reinforcing bar to the frame

I extended/boxed in the frame and notched the plate with the plasma cutter to have the tubes sittin "inside" the extended frame. Does this answer your question? You can see a good shot of the extended frame notched mounts in the second pic I posted above.

Oh yah, and I got 4 fixit tickets yesterday from some dick cop. Luckily, he let me go for the rear bumper, but busted my ass for my front bumper. He claimed that

"its a brush guard with a "skidpan"(its called a skidplate dumbshit) that is meant for nothing but mowing down bushes and launching you off of stuff."

Damn that guy was an idiot. Then he also (understadably) busted me for no front license plate, no rear license plate light, and "uncovered" off-road lights. The damn things have grilled covers on them, but whatever, I still ot screwed. I'm just stoked that he didn't F me for the rear one man...That woulda SUCKED!!

So now, I either get to f'n cut off the fully welded front bumper, which is going to be a major PITA and waste time and money, or fly under the radar. Here's what me and my buddy are planning...I'm gonna borrow his front bumper off of his explorer, make some shotty brackets, then just basically tack it on to my "brush guard", show the cops, get it signed off, then go home and rip it back off. :chug: ...oh but first check the 04' CA vehicle code to see if this will even work

{edit}-oh yah, the dude even gave me hell for a breather hose hangin down off the t-case! I mean, who cares? Luckily he didn't notice my plexiglass window, chopped off exhaust, tires sticking outta the fenders, zip-tied on licenseplate, etc. :p

{edit #2}-oh yah, and I don't mean that this applies to all cops or anything, I respect cops and think theyre cool and put their life on the line for us all the time...I just had a bad experience. ok, enuf editin

Josh,
Nice bumper. A little aggressive on the mounting eh? Cut the frame and weld it in! I admire your confidence! Since I am on my third front bumper and I really want to build another one, I don't think I should weld anything on! I really like what you ended up with! That deal when you got busted sucks. I think that must be california for you. I have been running for years with no front liscence plate, I have been going for a year or so with no rear light, and so on. Anyway, good job!

well I didn't really "cut" the frame, I extended it a little, then cut little quarter circles out on the bottoms and tops of the frame extensions, and worked it till the tubes fit in there kinda straight. really didn't want this thing to rip off and go flying towards another truck if I was gettin pulled out of sumthin. Also, I tried to make the trailer hitch part pretty beefed out cuz I transport my dirtbike on one of those reciever hitch carriers, and didn't want it to fall off on the freeway and cause a pile up :nono: thanks for the props though.

yah, CA is sucking for me right now. all kinds of crap we gotta put up with, i.e. emissions, dumb laws regarding vehicles, high cost of freakin everything, etc. I'm considering moving to arizona or nevada :) ...hmmm, maybe even oregon. that would be cool

Dude! Sweet! Bumper looks great man. lol Man with all the stuff you could get nailed for by the cops I'd start thinkin about gettin a piece to just drive around town. Later.

haha, thanks man. As for getting a piece, I would love to do that, if I had excess cash. However the beer companies and gas companies are taking all my money right now. :banghead: And for some reason I think I can get more chicks around town with my rig than an old beater 85 datsun hatchback or something. Although the whole pulling chicks with the rig hasn't worked for me yet, I somehow have the notion that it will someday. :rolleyes:

The bumper looks awesome. Nice job

And for some reason I think I can get more chicks around town with my rig than an old beater 85 datsun hatchback or somethin.

:confused: What?!?!?!?!?! 85 Datsuns are chick magnets!! :D

Josh, I would check the bumper laws out before cutting off the front one. Usually it's nothing more then a height restriction. The skid plate itself certainly can't be illegal no matter what the cop thinks about it.

yah Rick, I already kinda looked into it...but I'm really lazy and haven't even gone to the police station yet...


Passenger Vehicle Bumper Requirements

28071. Every passenger vehicle registered in this state shall be equipped with a front bumper and with a rear bumper. As used in this section, "bumper" means any device designed and intended by a manufacturer to prevent the front or rear of the body of the vehicle from coming into contact with any other motor vehicle. This section shall not apply to any passenger vehicle that is required to be equipped with an energy absorption system pursuant to either state or federal law, or to any passenger vehicle which was not equipped with a front or rear bumper, or both, at the time that it was first sold and registered under the laws of this or any other state or foreign jurisdiction.

Front Bumper

35408. In no event shall a front bumper on a motor vehicle be constructed or installed so as to project more than two feet forward of the foremost part of either the fenders or cab structure or radiator, whichever extends farthest toward the front of such vehicle.

As used in this section, "bumper" means any device designed and intended by a manufacturer to prevent the front or rear of the body of the vehicle from coming into contact with any other motor vehicle

You are the manufacturer. It was your intention that your bumper prevent your vehicles body from contacting any other motor vehicle right? It does not specifically say "vehicle manufacturer" so aftermarket manufacturers can't be exempted.

...exactly. thats what we (me and a friend) were thinking. Its totally stupid though that I got the ticket. I can understand the license plate stuff and maybe even the offroadlights, but not the bumper. I'm planning on mounting my license plates correctly, fixin up the rear license light, figuring out some stupid covering devices for the front lights, then takinit down to a cop station on my lunchbreak and seein whats goin on. I'll report the outcome for sure, hopefully it goes good.

with your front bumper just show up to get it signed off as is. If they ask you what you did different just tell them you just installed the front. I got a ticket for no light on the plate and i just got the two dollor light at the parts store and mounted it somewhat lose to the plate. even at night it never lite the plate very well. For the off road lights ducktape some trash bags over them till it is signed off then cut the bags off later.

Matt

sounds like a weiner! good plan rockranger. haha, I think I'll hafta paint over all the rust on the front bumper :D

On Saturday I fashioned a pretty trick(I'd like to think) license platelight mount, with a $5 light from pepboys on it. Also repainted the rearbumper and installed some billet end cap. also finished welding on the side, chopped off that end that was too long, ground down one or two of my not so nice looking welds, polished up a bit of slag, then painted with mad coats on there...I'll remount my diamond plate piece on it tonite all polished up then snap some pics of my show truck's :) finally fully completed rear bumper

ok here's a few shots of what i promised a week ago...I didn't find time to put the diamond plate back on cuz I was putting on coil buckets, eibachs, and Kings...

Looks great man. Is that chrome thing above the license plate the plate light? If so, that's sweet!

Dang Josh looks good, i hope to oen day build my rear bumper, got my Front one done and painted......

thanks guys, yah thats the license plate light on there. Illuminates pretty good and adds a splash of bling to the bumper lol :cool:

I'll post some pics some day of the diamond plate man, that stuff :chug: seals the deal for sure!!

Well boys, got my fixit tickets signed off today!!! :D :D :D

I'm stoked cuz this has been a big burden on my mind for quite a few months. All I did was put that license plate light thing on(above), screwed on the rear plate, screwed on the front plate, and tracked down some full light covers from mackenzie's. CHP signed it off no problem...sure a helluva lot less difficult than getting the local police to do it. shit I love CHP!! :us:

Well boys, got my fixit tickets signed off today!!! :D :D :D


:thumbsup: :chug:

Good job. What are you doing in CA? I thought you lived in UT.

Utah? nah Rick I'm an "OC" native :) Always lived here, but planning on coming out your way pretty soon here. Gonna go to ASU hopefully in spring or fall of 05', so you better be ready to wheel!! :thumbsup:

Excellent on moving to AZ:D

I can't keep track of everyone anymore :confused:

I have alterior motives in posting this pic, so just ignore it... :D :D

I have alterior motives in posting this pic, so just ignore it... :D :D
:rolleyes: