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bumper and steel questions

mysticclam

Typo King
Joined
April 2, 2004
Messages
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City, State
Tacoma, WA
Year, Model & Trim Level
91 XLT
I dont want to waste my time on the stock rear bumper after my body lift.
I think Im going to make a very simple tube one to replace it and fill the gap.
Im thinking a 2"x2" at 3/16 or 1/4 (for strength) square tube bolted to the stock brackets. and then another tube above it a few inches higher connected by some 1x1 tube. The top tube will be for filling the gap so I might make it of thinner steel. I figure it will be better in a crash that the stock bumper on lift brackets and weigh less and look cool.
What kind of places carry steel, never bought it before. Do you just look up steel in the phonebook? Any hardware type places you can buy it?
Also, would 3/16 be strong enough or should I go 1/4?
 



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Look for Iron & Steel Distributors in your local yellow pages.
 






Also while your at your local Iron/steel dist. ask them if they have what they might call drop off pieces. My local steel dist. has them. They are whats left over somtimes when a customer wants less the 25' piece. Lets say you need 6' but they have a 7' piece. They may sell it to you cheaper then cutting 6' off a 25' length. Just a thought.
 






I'd go with 1/4" steel. Some here will say "too heavy, use 3/16", but after you've whacked it a couple of times wheeling, you'll understand.

I've built sliders, skid plates and bumpers for myself and others....The front bumper on my Sammy is the only place I've used 3/16" steel (it's a mix of 3/16" and 1/4"), and I wish I had used 1/4" for everything. I did use 1/4" for the rear bumper and sliders, and they have worked quite nicely.
 






a guy in our security department also works weekends at a steel place. He got me 2 7 foot 3 inch square tubes at 1/4 inch think. I think that will work for at least one bar. Im afraid two of those will be to heavy. But it was free so cool. He got them off the scrap pile, they are straight just have the surface rust to deal with. Nothing a wire brush wont clean up in a jiffy.
 






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