If done TASTEFULLY, I think it might look alright honestly. Of course that depends on the truck too.

 

I zip-tied an old 2x6x10' for a front bumper. Works great, only problem is I keep knocking down old ladies walking down the sidewalk and motorcycles get mad on the freeway because they can't split lanes

 

If you are serious about the idea though I would get a 2x4 or 2x6 .120" wall steel tubing and clad it with wood if its the look you're going for. Could be interesting, hell some of the older trucks had wood bed floors

 

I think the idea of wood is pretty cool - there's a section of water main in Goshen, IN that's oak, still in use with the old adage of if it ain't broke don't fix it. On the other hand, safety first. I had a new truck rear end me once - he left an impression of his license plate numbers on my bumper, no other damage, but his truck was totaled...

 

Not really that old, Ford used wood bed floors in Flareside beds up until '87.

 

a railroad tie is a bad bad idea. first of all a rr tie is not that strong all the weight is mostly supported by the rock or roadbed. the rr tie is mostly a "shock absorber for the weight of the train. i have seen rr ties splitter or break under very little stress. be sure to check state and local laws before going to all the work of doing this. it maybe illegal.

 

one may not worry about legalities as much when one is bolting a log to the front of his truck

 

Lololol, omg, that is funny af!!

Good times!

 

it might just make a nice cushioned crash bar with a big softer wood log in front of some good big brackets that contour around the back side. its a big badass yellow service truck so im not too worried about it.

 

I say do whatever you want.
I am not one to gaf about making others like me, my truck or anything.
You have an idea and seem to want to go forward.

Im sure you could just bolt it on, if you can find big enough bolts. You may want to fashion it in a way that the winch is secured to a beam so that if the tree did split and fall away, that you are left with an intact winch and bumper

 

You got an awful purdy bumper...

 

ill post pics of it done on this thread hopefully within a month,

 

make it look good or make it tough either way its your choice in the long run anyway.... i talked to my buddies dad and he said he had a truck he put a wood bumper on for push starting race cars and certain other equipment

 

Laminate wood is actually stronger than a solid chunk of wood. You can laminate it yourself with hardwood planks, wood glue and clamps. Using laminate you can also put a curve into the wood to make it wrap around like a factory bumper.

However steel will be stronger, last longer, and look a whole lot better. Mounting a winch will be a lot less of a headache.

 

If you're dead set on using a log, Here is how i'd go about it. I'd take the log, and wrap a thick steel band around the log, longer than the diameter. Take excess from both sides and mate them together coming 90 degrees out away from the log. Use these to mount to your frame rail.

As for your winch, I'd notch out where you wanted it mounted, Drill holes all the way through the log, and use a backing plate made of steel on the back side so they wont pull the winch out of the bumper.

I'd seen this done once with a chunk of telephone pole, but the problem is, the wood holds moisture, and it will rust metal out.

And, lets say you get into an accident. your average factory bumper weighs around 20lb. a tube bumper might weigh 50lb (guessing numbers here.) I'm a Marine, and have lifted several logs for PT in my day. A 12" log about 5' long weighs a couple hundred pounds easy. Imagine that breaking free in an accident going even 45 mph. that's a lot of momentum, and if that hit something like a prius, it would cut it in half.