Rear Bumper Project.

[JoshC]

I think everything looks pretty cool. Kudos for you for doing something different then the rest of us. The only thing i can see that you maybe should have done different was to stick the tire mounting plate out with some tubing, so that the wheel bolts to it and does not touch anything else around it. As it is now, i can't foresee the tire mounting to it securly.

Here is a picture from the day that Cory and I built mine in his garage before he got his shop. See how it stands out like it's just being "hung" there.

 

[cdsl227]

I've got two choices at this point- one use about 8" grade 8 bolts and mount the tire deep side of the rim out, or mount a piece of 1/4" plate cut into a triangle so I can drop 2 lugs through it and mount it a few inches off the main plate.

I'm going to figure out something today.

 

[sk1er17]

I WANT A BUMPER LIKE THAT

nice job.. made me jealous! If you ever take it off ill find a nice home for it

 

[DocVijay]

I was thinking you could weld a section of box tubing on end to a plate, then weld a another plate ont he end of that. One end is welded to the carrier and the other end has the lugs. Make it about 4" long, and that shoudl be enough space to hold it the way it's mounted to the car.

 

[cdsl227]

I need a quick honest opinion!!

I'm in the final stages of locking down where it's going to sit...

Anybody think it's too high???

Remember I'm going to be putting a 35x12.50 up there soon!

 

[metalhed]

From the picture, it looks like it'll drop down another 4" without obstructing the view of your license plate. It might look a little more balanced like that.


Edit: Didn't read the last portion of your post until now.. It might look better when you toss that 35 on there, but right now that tire looks a little sad and lonely way up there.

 

[Rx4phun]

I think it needs to come down for my taste, plus you put a 35 up there and you got it stickin up a good ways past the roof. However it is your truck and what you really like is the bottom line. Maybe look at moving your license plate and dropping it that low. Also how easy is it to get at stuff in the back with the carrier folding down like that.
Gary

 

[cdsl227]

I dropped it about 5 - 6 inches...I still have to tack it in place and see how it goes.

I'm concerned with stability, that kinda weight way up there could put me over the top.

I'ts not bad to get into the back about the same as a swing-away, just down...

Besides, I don't get back there all to often except when I'm going someplace and have to load it up...so it's not too bad, I'd hate have to keep openning and closing it with the 35 on there though!

The best part about the way I went with the carrier is I thought about it and I could probably convert it to swing-away without too much work.

I went a little high at first because I get rear-ended ALL THE TIME!

 

[metalhed]

Now all you're gonna have to do is bring a can of spraypaint with you wherever you go.

If someone rearends you, exchange insurance info and then paint over the scratches on your bumper, right in front of their newly totalled car.

Be sure to bring a camera too, to get pictures of their faces.

 

[cdsl227]

Found it's final resting place, I'm much happier with it where it is now.

 

[metalhed]

There ya go.

Maybe you could just tac a frame or a backing plate onto the tire rack so you can mount your license plate back there.

Awesome job. I might do things the hard way and take a welding class when I go back to college. That looks like too much fun.

 

[Josh S.]

Yah looks a lot better now where its lower. You should think about mounting the license plate on the bumper, to the left or the right of that tow hook thingy. Good job!

 

[AlaskanJack]

Hmm I thought the tire was going to be centered and lower tha it is. I realize the tire size will change, so with 35 on it maybe it will look different. I also agree mount the license plate to the carrier that way you don't have to mess with the tire covering it. You may have to lite it though depending on your police.

 

[DeRocha]

I'm with Alaskanjack. You could easily fab up a license plate bracket to mount in the center of the spare rim.. why is the tire off center?

 

[cdsl227]

Last coupla pics till I get the final paint job on the bumper and carrier.

I plan on moving the license plate tomorrow morning I'll probably install the claw I have for the rear also, aand some aux reverse lights, I was thinking of going with the roof rack thing I saw on one of the guys trucks.

I went off to the right because of the sag issue on the left from the gas tank.

Mine doesn't sag, but- you never know!

Plus, I though I could make use of the extra space- for something!?! I'm sure one of you knuckleheads will pop up with something to get me fiending again!

 

[DeRocha]

ok I understand the sag issue/potential.. I'm just one of those symmetrical kinds of people..

Where do you pick up your raw steel, and how much $$ in raw materials did you put into the tire carrier?

 

[AlaskanJack]

Ah sag now that's thinking ahead. Maybe you could use the other side for a small jerry can, hi-lift mount, shovel/axe mount. Yes I can think of many things but with it dropping down the jerry can would be tough.

I do have one question though. If you were thinking about rear sag then why not just make the carrier smaller and offset the carrier. I too like things symmetrical.

 

[cdsl227]

I figured the high-jack was a definite, I'm not too hung up on symmetry, I lean more toward functional, but I thought about the jerry can too, and like I said- with the mounts the way they are- wouldn't be too much trouble to convert it to a side-swinger.

And it does match up with the front nicely!

I kinda built this thing on the fly, I came to the site one night and saw a post in the 15 most recent and having the attention span of a gnat- I got side tracked from the SAS. It was a temporary lapse though. Now that this is done I've got plenty of leftover steel for the mounts and everything I'm going to need for that.

I put the final paint on today, after stripping off the ChasisCoat I put on there because I didn't like the way it looked, I wanted it to match the front bumper as closely as possible. I've got to put another good coat on in a few days and I'm done!

 

[DocVijay]

Also, mounting it off-center gives you a slightly better view out the back. If it were right in the middle, you'd be able to see nothing at all. At least this way he can see something out the back window.

 

[AlaskanJack]

Originally posted by DocVijay
Also, mounting it off-center gives you a slightly better view out the back. If it were right in the middle, you'd be able to see nothing at all. At least this way he can see something out the back window.

I totally agree with that, but I would have to either offset the carrier or add something else to it so that it appeared symmetrical. I've got issues with symmetry if you can't tell!!