I made a bumper for my truck Monday and Tuesday after being pissed off for so long about not having any two points up front. I debated long and hard about whether or not to build it arounda winch of my choice...but I decided instead to just include a front reciever in it and then I could buy a winch later to use with the reciever and keep it in my toolbox. My design is pretty similar to Josh88Ford's, but simpler and not quite as aesthetically pleasing. I spent about twenty hours at my dad's metal shop building it with the help of some guys that work with him. Without the expensive equipment, it would have taken twice as long.

Here is my stock bumper, which is shimmed out about two inches temporarily with some brackets I had a buddy fab up. It is slightly twisted and has a small dent or two in the middle. Worst of all, it has NO tow points.


Here is my new bumper about halfway through the build-up. I used a piece of 3/8" thick 8" C channel with a 2.5" flange. We marked points under the grille to bend the C channel back to follow the lines of the truck. The bend of the bumper was about 20 degrees. We cut the flange and bent it by hand while it was hot, then welded the flanges back up. My dad just happened to have a whole Class III hitch lying around to which it fit we did not know. Because of this I was given permission to chop it up and use it for my bumper. I used a flame table to cut the shackle mounts out of 3/8" steel plate. I just drew a template and bam it was cut.


This is the final product. After tons of fitting I measured for a top plate to cover the gap between the top flange and the grill, and cut it out of a large sheet of steel diamond plate. A good spot was marked to cut the ends of the bumper, and each end was capped with 3/8" plate. We made a small push bar with more 3/8" plate and 1 5/8" tubing. Because of the little distance the bumper sticks out from the grille the push bar is flush with the front of the c channel. Also there is no more than 1/2" between the 3/8" plate and the grill. However, the push bar is really only for looks, unlike the bumper. I spray the whole bumper with a rattle can once, then spray the front once after it was mounted. This weekend I will most likely spray the whole bumper once more with it off the truck. I have 5/8" shackles on there now, but I need 3/4" or 7/8" because my mounting hole is 1", and they slop around more than I would like.

 

Very Nice and funtional too boot.

 

your fog lights are in dif. spots in the two pics, but it looks good!!!

 

Looking good! I especially like the idea of receivers front and rear with hookups for the winch. Never know when you might need a pull from the back and its out of sight of prying eyes. You've given me some good ideas for my truck!

 

How about some more pics, like quartering away from it? Looks really good, gives me some ideas for mine.

 

looks good... always nice to have a metal shop and the help of metal workers to give you a hand!

-cutts-

 

Yeah in the last pic I had not put my shackles on yet and my lights were not mounted...just sitting where I was thinking abotu mounting them. The picture with the shackles on the bumper is where I mounted the lights. If and when I do get a winch I will have to wire up the front hitch. I don't have a picture quartering away but in a couple minutes I'll run outside and take one...

 

Here you go oval...

 

looks good. i have a 96 150 that im building a similar front bumper for now. if i could only get some time to work on it i might finish....

 

man that is sweet, i have been thinking of doing something like that with a hitch and shackles. I work for a steel distributor so i can get the steel for the complete setup cheaper than a new bumper, and it is 10 times more useful. gonna make something similiar for my rear bumper also. nice work. thanks for the picks, i'm gonna just rip off your idea for my 89. Dan

 

i dont see any bumper bolts, how did you mount it to the frame. thanks, dan

 

We welded L brackets to the inside of the bumper and drilled holes in the one end to match the existing holes in the existing bumper bracket. It bolts right up to the existing brackets with the stock bolts and nuts.

 

i like that alot ... i been thankin about buildin a bumper on the front of my truck , i got all the equipment , just aint got the money to buy the steel , and aint got no time right now ....

 

Very nice !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

nice bumper, pretty nice flareside too!