My rear bumper with swingout tire carrier

[FROADER]

Sounds good to me. Cheap and easy.

I have some AALs but I want my rear springs softer, not more stiff. Shackles would probably do me good, I just haven't got any yet.

 

[Brian1]

I didnt notice a difference in suspension sag with my bumper. I do have a 2" AAL.

Updated picture with reverse light and hi-lift mount:

 

[dkchrist]

what did you make the frame plates out of? Just curious beings i just built one for the ranger.

 

[Burns]

Ah looks good on the ranger

 

[Brian1]

what did you make the frame plates out of? Just curious beings i just built one for the ranger.

Steel :


I cut them out of a piece of 3/8" x 8" plate I had so they are 3/8" thick. Overkill I know but thats what I had available.

 

[mounty71]

I really like the design for your bumper, and you dont see many that swing from the left side. It also looks like you are very skilled at using solidworks. I just started taking a class to learn it a few weeks ago, at the moment the whole thing i am basically clueless of how to use it, but hopefully at the end of the class ill be up to your level. Nice job.

 

[Regulator_XLS]

im mounting mine on the factory bumper brackets, my factory trailer hitch was mounted to it so i know its strong

 

[Big Red]

Can you please show how you reinforced the spindle or hinge that you used for the swing away carrier. Also, does anyone know of a quality hinge and where I can find it?

Thanks,
Big red

 

[Brian1]

Can you please show how you reinforced the spindle or hinge that you used for the swing away carrier. Also, does anyone know of a quality hinge and where I can find it?

Thanks,
Big red

I am not using a spindle. I use a 1.25" bolt and nut plug welded inside the bumper. The top is supported with a piece of 2"x1/4" steel on the additional bracket that you see by my hinge. Here is what my hinge looks like except for the nut and double shear bracket (below)

www.rockstomper.com sells a nice spindle hinge. I am not aware of anyone selling the type of hinge I used.

 

[91exploreron37]

How much would you charge to make me one?

 

[Pollarican]

Very nice bumper you have, almost exactly how I would love to fab mine. I only have one question, now that I went to your fabrication project website. (which is by the way awesome!)

How is the square hitch braced/ welded into that bumper? My only concern with fabbing something like that, which I would love to do considering a square frame mount tow hitch hangs so low, is its strength.


Edit- Did you use a plasma cutter to cut the notch for that hitch? Thats going to be a pain for me to do without such a great tool, haha.

 

[mudbug94]

if you think about it, you dont need bearings..., if its metal on metal, just throw some grease on that bad boy and call it a day...thats wut i did and it wuz fine for over a year and it was opened every time i opened even my glass....and seeing how the old ex was a mobile shop and not being a pickup that was more times than a few....ya follow me?

 

[Brian1]

Very nice bumper you have, almost exactly how I would love to fab mine. I only have one question, now that I went to your fabrication project website. (which is by the way awesome!)

How is the square hitch braced/ welded into that bumper? My only concern with fabbing something like that, which I would love to do considering a square frame mount tow hitch hangs so low, is its strength.

Edit- Did you use a plasma cutter to cut the notch for that hitch? Thats going to be a pain for me to do without such a great tool, haha.

It is welded front and back. I cut out the 4 corners of the hole with a drill then plasma cut the 4 sides from there. You could use a jig saw or regular cutting torch. It is gusseted on the front by the safety chain plate which I used a hole saw for the trailer chain hooks and the back has some 1/4" triangle gussets coming off the bottom 2 corners.

if you think about it, you dont need bearings..., if its metal on metal, just throw some grease on that bad boy and call it a day

You could but using bearings is a much better design. I like the smooth opening and closing without the mess of grease.

 

[wood1]

Really nice job on the bumper Brian. Hope you don't mind if it get's copied...:

 

[fishfood]

sharing ideas

nice job on the work.... I am in process of doing something similar for my generation 2 although i expect that i will be using the stock bumper as my starting point. What or were did you get the "catch" etc that you are using on the free end of the assembly? Did you do anything to provide lighting for the license plate? I haven't figured out what i am going to do with mine yet, but i will definately need it. What did you do to make the arm stay in place when open? I am thinking about some sort of a notch and rider on the hinge side. My hinge will be two different sized round pipes that fit inside of one another. i also really liked your anti theft plate.... that was a great idea.
my current design will put the bottom of a 33 inch tire around the bottom of the bumper and slight off the door so that hopefully the the glass can be opened without opening the tire assembly.

My spare tire and hi lift are currently up on the roof in/on my safari type rack. I used Ford wheel studs to mount the hi lift to the side of the rack. That way i can use the same wheel locks on the jack as I use on the tires themselves (only one "key tool" to keep up with).

I am also in the process of doing a between the frame and behind the bumper winch mount as well.... not sure how it will come out. but it looks like i will only need to trim a little of the air dam (i will know more by next week). I previously had a class five receiver hitch welded to the front frame but it was really $@#$%# up my approach angle so it had to go.

anyway i would appreciate your tghought especially on the Catch because at this popint i do nt have a clue what i will do there.

 

[Brian1]

What or were did you get the "catch" etc that you are using on the free end of the assembly?

The latch is from www.mcmaster.com, a cam latch. The backingis just a metal pocket I made with some UHMW plastic on the bottom to support the carrier when closed.

Did you do anything to provide lighting for the license plate?

Not yet, I do have a license plate light I bought from www.delcity.net but I have not installed it.

What did you do to make the arm stay in place when open?

Nothing...yet. I might put a spring loaded pin in a barrel on the hinge that will hold it open

Thanks for the compliments. This bumper is undergoing a design change. I found some weak spots after being rearended and those are being addressed. I will update in a few weeks with my changes.

As for the answers see the blue text in the above quote.

 

[William Schumacher]

any chance you'd do a 2nd gen design !!!!!
I would love one for my '99 sport

 

[fishfood]

thanks for the info

i will look up the catches etc.. i am in process of completing the Gen 2 between the frames, and behind the bumper winch mount. i will include some pics shortly.

i expect the tire mount will be next so that i can get a canoe or kayak back on the top again. i will send progress pics as it evolves.

 

[Barn Owl]

I know I already posted on how cool this project was; but I ran across the thread again and I looked closer at the welds. Good lord those are gorgeous. Little dimes! Beautiful - you should become a shop teacher

-Drew

Well I am a welding instructor and those are very nice welds, as is your design good job! I love to see guys using their mind and skills to create rather than just buy.

 

[Brian1]

Thanks!

Well since this was brought back up I will take this opportunity to show the updates to the bumper. After getting rear ended by a car probably doing around 30-40 while I was stopped, my bumper sustained some damage - all to the swing out portion. It bent up and in which broke my rear hatch glass and put a big dent in it as well. The end also broke out my tail light.

I was able to get it back into shape using a come along to a tree and a torch with a wet rag to shrink the metal back to its original place. Some of the welds cracked where I had ground them down so the first order of business was to weld on a fish plate to both sides. I decided to TIG it to get a little more practice in plus I could get a smaller, more precision weld. Pic #1

Next was something I was going to do originally but forgot which is add a gusset to the tube extending out to hold the tire. Pic #2

In the crash the top of my double shear hinge bent inward towards the body by about 1/4". I got it straightened back out and then boxed it in with 1/4" plate and a gusset which also extends below the bumper which is not seen in the picture. I had planned to do this originally as well but thought it was already strong enough. Pic #3

Lastly I needed to capture the end of the swing out completely to prevent it from jumping up and swinging into the body as it did in the crash. All I did was add a top portion to the already beefy capture/backstop. Pic #4

I also took the opportunity to mount a CB antenna to the bumper at the very top of the swing out so I wouldn't scratch my fresh paint with the rooftop mag mount I had been using for years.