Bumper opinions? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Bumper opinions?

whitetrash96

Well-Known Member
Joined
September 16, 2005
Messages
131
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City, State
East Kootenays
Year, Model & Trim Level
'92 Explorer
Okay heres a couple of pics of what a buddy is building for me. This is 14ga. aluminum so we can see how it will look when done.

IMG_1530.jpg


IMG_1531.jpg


IMG_1532.jpg


The real deal will be built with 3/16 steel and there will be clevices at the frame mounts and some sort of hoop over the winch. The winch is going to be set back into the grill as well. The plan is to use the four stock bumper frame holes as well as the holes opposite of the rad mount on the inside frame rails. The front receiver I have now will be long gone also.

Anything that I should do differently? Please pipe up before its built.
 



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FROADER said:
Looks great! :thumbsup:

All of your "real deal plans" sound good to me too, except no hoop over the winch.
Is there a reason for having no winch hoop? Or is it just your preference?

Nobody else have an opinion? Good, bad or otherwise. :D
 






Just my preference for a bumper like that. If it was a tube bumper I'd say maybe have a hoop. I just think a hoop will throw off the look of that bumper. Would the hoop be round tube?
 






FROADER said:
Just my preference for a bumper like that. If it was a tube bumper I'd say maybe have a hoop. I just think a hoop will throw off the look of that bumper. Would the hoop be round tube?

Yeah it would be round tube. I just want some sort of protection for the winch, its a cheap one I've got but its the only one I've got. :D
 






I think a hoop would look good if you also put some aux. lights on it also. That reminds me, I need to put some light brackets on mine. What kind of winch do you have?
 






Chances are, you're not going to ram your vehicle straight into a tree so the winch wont see too much damage. Most trail carnage are from the sides or corners.
 












rookieshooter said:
I think a hoop would look good if you also put some aux. lights on it also. That reminds me, I need to put some light brackets on mine. What kind of winch do you have?

yea the light idea would look sick
2 nice big piaa's on there!!!
looks good
 












rookieshooter said:
I think a hoop would look good if you also put some aux. lights on it also. That reminds me, I need to put some light brackets on mine. What kind of winch do you have?

8000lb Champion winch from Costco, not the best but it was a Christmas gift from my sweet wife. :thumbsup:

The bumper should be built in the next week or two and once the bumper and winch is mounted we'll add the hoop afterwards. I will definatley be adding a few more pics then as well.
 






I've got a similar looking bumper, except mine just kind of stops before coming around the sides which I plan to do something about at a later date, but I put a small stinger with 2 support tubes over the place where a winch will eventually make it's home and it looks pretty badass. If I have time I'll try and snap a pic but I don't have any pics on my computer. Also, you should add in some tabs for some shackles or some d-rings. Check out how brian did his tabs on the bumper he posted in this forum. I'd also see if you can incorporate a reciever into it that way you can get rid of the other one.
 






FROADER said:
Reminds me of FAKRWEE's:
man that explorer is BAD ASS!!!! every time i see it it makes me want to blow my budget and splurge for rear glass!!! my quarter panels are lookin a lil wavy ahhaha.

whitetrash your bumper is lookin awesome. another vote for no tube on top tho. even with lights on top of the hoop i think doesnt look good..... my friend had lights on top of the hoop and it looked like it had antlers or somehting hahaha.
 






I guess I forgot to mention some clevice rings are in the plans as well so we won't be putting in any type of receiver.
 












Love the bumper, would also go with no hoop. Or maybe a square tube hoop with mitered corners rather than a round tube hoop.
 






Thanks for all the input guys, I'll figure out hoops and lights after its built though. Heres a couple pics of the real one.

These pics are of the bottom of the bumper
IMG_1598.jpg


IMG_1599.jpg


IMG_1600.jpg
 






Bumper looks nice man! Beefy and solid. you gonna "recess" the winch into the bumper or just slap it on top? I third or fourth the no hoop thing over the winch. Seems like it wouldn't do much except for looks...well i guess my tube bumper is the same way haha.

and Happy, why don't you just get the freakin rear glass already :p
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Yeah the winch is just going to go on top of the bumper, I'd like to keep it up out of the muck since that is where I spend most of my time.
 






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