why hello!

 

Gator only said howdy to distract your attention... he just stole your beer. Oh by the way, thanks for the beer Gator!

 

Anytime Mike. Have another on Skip

 

So I got a little more time to work on the rear bumper yesterday before my road trip. I laid out where the receiver tube is going thru the bumper. There is one in line with each frame rail.


I drilled the four corners to prevent stress points and to make cutting the hole easier.


Started lining everything up to weld it in.





As you can see in the next pics I am using a unique hitch design where there are receivers on each frame rail and then a center drop section that pins into them to extend and drop the hitch location.



As you can see with it on the Bronco in its approximate location there is room for the hitch and room behind the bumper for a rear mounted winch.

 

Nice work! With that dual set up you could make many different accessories to go there - like a step / cooler carrier.

 

Hell yeah. You could even make a keg carrier for one side and a tap handle holder for the other side.

 

Damn Gator, I like the way you think.

 

i would mount a lazy boy there to haul the fatties.

 

I put the rear bumper back on the Bronco today so I could figure out the hinges for the swing out spare tire carrier I am trying to design. It doesn't look like the first version of the design will even survive the tape measure test. That's why I wanted the bumpers on before I started cutting or welding anything.

 

Cut and weld 3 times, measure once.

 

Mike... No. We aren't building beer cans.

JBG has a bumper with the swing out hinge built in. I don't remember your design but theirs seems sturdy.

 

Well haven't gotten much done on the Bronco lately. I added another motorcycle to my garage which is great except it has also reduced the amount of space I have to work on anything. I also had to take the welder I was using back to my buddy so he could weld on his 32 Ford Roadster project for a while.
The spare tire carrier I was designing hasn't held up to any of the tape measure checks so I'm back to the drawing board on that. I did manage to get the metal for the front winch mount and started prepping it. I'm still trying to decide if I want to weld it all in or make it all bolt it for ease of removal later.
I'm debating if I want to keep borrowing my buddies welder or if it's time to step up and buy my own. If I buy one I will be going 220 which means I add the expense of wiring another 220 outlet in the garage. So many decisions and so little time or money.

 

If you're good at welding bite the bullet. It'll pay off in the long run. I'm thinking about getting a little 120V starter unit to practice with. I understand how to weld, just have very little experience.

I can't wire a 220V plug, I'd have to update my entire electrical (some stupid city code) including new panel, breakers, and internal wiring.

 

Get on Craigslist or Offerup and buy your own welder.

I have been on the opposite side of that situation lately, loaning my welder to a buddy, picked it up last weekend and the bottle is empty and it's low on wire. I will not be loaning it out again.

 

I need to wire a new 220 outlet in my garage for a welder. The nice part is I have all the wire and it's hooked up to my breaker box and waiting in the attic to be dropped into the garage. It was originally for a hot tub at the house before we bought it be the nice PO of my house took the hot tub with them.

See, you need more friends like me. The same rules apply to everything that I loan and that I borrow. It must always be returned in as good or BETTER condition then it was when it was loaned or borrowed. I had a friend borrow my car trailer and it was returned with 4 new tires. I put a brand new pump on a pressure washer that I borrowed. The welder that I have been borrowing has been returned twice with a full wire spool and tanks only to borrow it the next time with both of them also being empty.