- Location
- Grand Junction, CO
So I'm not finished with my rear bumper build, but I decided that I was close enough to start another project. :guilty:
I wanted to do something a bit different compared to my old FJ80 bumper build, and I had plenty of 2" square tube and have been picking up scrap pieces of flat plate. I wanted something beefier than the FJ80 bumper and wanted to use more flat edges and plate. I do plan to add a grill hoop and some headlight protection, in round tube form as well.
I need the front bumper to be strong, hold a winch, have mounts of HID lights and a couple of CB antennas I do plan to keep the factory recovery points, probably back on the bottom of the frame. Not the best for approach angle, but hopefully they won't get bashed too much.
Here's how it looked with the stock bumper.-
After pulling off the front bumper, I decided to bolt up the winch and winch plate, just to fit things up.-
After seeing how things were going to sit, I pulled out some cardboard, made a template, then transferred the template to the plate. I broke out the plasma cutter, first time I've used it in a couple years! I do love having a plasma cutter, it's probably one of my favorite tools! I can't freehand, so I clamped a piece of square tube to use as a guide. I do need a taller work table, this was killing my back! Maybe one day I will have a real shop, with proper fab equipment.-
I then placed the side plates where they needed to go and fitted up a piece of that 2" x 2" x .120 wall. The 2" will be the main structure, with plate steel on the bottom filling in the gaps and round tube on the top.-
I centered the 2" tube, then decided where to cut it to bend it in. I ended up making 4 cuts to get the degree of bend I wanted. -
Once I got the degree of bend I wanted, I welded up the cuts.-
And that's where I ended tonight... more to come, next weekend?
I wanted to do something a bit different compared to my old FJ80 bumper build, and I had plenty of 2" square tube and have been picking up scrap pieces of flat plate. I wanted something beefier than the FJ80 bumper and wanted to use more flat edges and plate. I do plan to add a grill hoop and some headlight protection, in round tube form as well.
I need the front bumper to be strong, hold a winch, have mounts of HID lights and a couple of CB antennas I do plan to keep the factory recovery points, probably back on the bottom of the frame. Not the best for approach angle, but hopefully they won't get bashed too much.
Here's how it looked with the stock bumper.-
After pulling off the front bumper, I decided to bolt up the winch and winch plate, just to fit things up.-
After seeing how things were going to sit, I pulled out some cardboard, made a template, then transferred the template to the plate. I broke out the plasma cutter, first time I've used it in a couple years! I do love having a plasma cutter, it's probably one of my favorite tools! I can't freehand, so I clamped a piece of square tube to use as a guide. I do need a taller work table, this was killing my back! Maybe one day I will have a real shop, with proper fab equipment.-
I then placed the side plates where they needed to go and fitted up a piece of that 2" x 2" x .120 wall. The 2" will be the main structure, with plate steel on the bottom filling in the gaps and round tube on the top.-
I centered the 2" tube, then decided where to cut it to bend it in. I ended up making 4 cuts to get the degree of bend I wanted. -
Once I got the degree of bend I wanted, I welded up the cuts.-
And that's where I ended tonight... more to come, next weekend?
