I'm looking for a 2 or 3 bar factory or after market style bull bar/bumper guard for a 1979 f250. I could also fabricate one myself but I'd like to have some dimensions first and then modify it to my liking from there!

Here are some photos of what I'm looking for:

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I'd prefer one like these last 2, courtesy of @77&79F250 😂

 

Not sure where Battleground is, but over here on the Kitsap peninsula those are at multiple salvage yards. Only the aftermarket ones though. The factory Cactus Smasher is not so easy to find. For some reason I can find them on the east coast easier but shipping puts them way out of budget. Below is some measurements that I robbed off 78&79F250 (Rich).

 

Thanks for the help! I've thought about making one of those, but, I want something that can really take a hit! I prefer the style of the 3 bars with the stella plate sides as well haha

 

2 1/2 " OD on the cross pipe on the chrome one. 1 3/4" OD the black 3 bar cross pipe. I have the black 3 bar (off my red truck in the above pics) in my parts shed now. I have one of the chrome 2 bars on my red truck NOW. That great OEM bull bar lay out is thanks to FTE super member HIO Silver. I can send you a card stock paper trace of either pattern push bar, side plate lay out. I have the OEM bull bar on 2 trucks. And 2 more in the parts shed. They mount a little different between 73-77 and 78/79. PM me with request of trace and all measurements.



The one below mounts on the outside of the frame rails using the leaf spring mount bolt as the main attachment. You will need a longer bolt and probable have to flip the bolt direction around. Jack up truck, take weight off leaf spring, remove old bolt, carefully install longer bolt. If you leaf spring bushings are toast, now is the time to replace them.





Battlebornbrakes is near Vancouver WA. https://www.battlebornbrakes.com/pro...78-ford-trucks

Have you checked into shipping lately? I have Fed X'ed an OEM one in a HD cardboard box for like 40 bucks a while back.

 

FYI the red trucks is easy to fold down to remove motors.


A better shot of the way it mounts, even without the bumper.

 

Thank you so much for all the info! You gave me more information than 4 hours of researching could get me! The truck is a 79 f250. I just joined FTE today so I can't PM yet haha. How much would you want to part with the black 3 bar? Could you send me the car stock layouts? Thanks so much for your time!

-Joey

 

You should already be able to get approximate dimensions with the pictures you have and your truck. Measure outside the frame horns for width, and using those pictures you can estimate the height where the bars go and even the bar dia. Since you said you would modify it anyway, you don't really need any exact measurements.

What types of hits do you expect the bar to be taking? The ones you posted, tubes between 2 flat plates, are good at taking straight on hits, but any angled hits can tweak the flat plates between the mounts, especially if it doesn't have a bar there, like in the first pics you posted. The tubular cactus smasher types can take hits from all sides without deflecting as easily, but they usually can't take as hard as a straight on hit without folding back. Both styles can be improved. You could weld gussets under the bars in the style you like to stiffen it side to side,, but it will change the look, or you could reinforce the back side of the cactus style with some plate steel gussets to stop it from folding so easily. And then if you're getting that deep into fabbing one cause you need the strength, you should just be building a whole new bumper/guard unit cause the stock bumpers gonna get mangled. If you made your own like the ones you posted and used ridiculously thick side plates , like 1/2" plate, welded right to a rigid tube bumper, it'd probably never move, but it's gonna weigh a ton.

 

Welcome to FTE, glad I could help out. I do not really want to part with the black 3 bar that much, besides it is VERY HEAVY and would cost way more than its really worth to ship. Plus the middle bar is bent a little, even though it is THICK walled tubing for sure.

Like SF78 said, since you want to build your own custom lay out, just having the side plates trace copies is going to make the design job at least 1/2 way easier. Yes I can send you trace copies of BOTH push bars side plates to help in the process.

Work on your post count / time on FTE and then once you have PM privileges send me your address and I will copy them, and put all the other measurements on the paper and mail it your way. Easy enough.

The black one's bottom bar works ok for a step tube, and the side tow hooks do work very well also. That bar can take a beating, but some how the PO bent the middle bar INWARD, but did not bend the bottom one. Not sure how he did that. The chrome one is nice, but I would not want to wrap a chain/tug'm rope around either cross tube to help pull out a truck.

The OEM push bar is NOT really designed the best to REALLY be used as a heavy duty "push bar". If used improperly you can bend the very bottom mount tabs. Pushing something and putting inward pressure on the middle or top bars, the upper mount legs act as a fulcrum and causes the bottom tabs to bend WAY easier than they should. Free ideas below.




https://protofab4x4.com/product-cate...8-79-products/



Aftermarket Warn one

An updated and HD version made by a FTE member.


Try it yourself.

 

They were called push bars and everyone made them. many were bolted together and would be a lot easier to ship.

Just like roll bars they're still out there you just have to watch for them. Hickey is my favorite brand, I searched for years to find this one for my K10. the wings are optional bolt on accessories.

 

My FIL built his for his '77 F250 4x4 using two 3/8" thick steel sides he cut with torch and finished with angle grinder, then used two 2-1/2" OD cross tubes one was about even with the bumper lower edge of bumper, then a top 2-1/2"" OD tube up near center of grill, welded up nice. A third 3" OD tube was welded about the top of bumper where the side plates widened above the bumper. He somehow located two paths back through the grill and radiator support to the frame and put in two braces of about 1-1/2" straight steel tube braces to the frame, they were removable. Wish I had a picture, he had a buddy paint it all with the truck.

I like the wheel treatment above, on that K10.

 

Yes a lot of the chrome 2 cross bar style ones just bolt the end plates to the cross pipe. And they are not that heavy duty. Yes that K10 is a slick for sure.

 

Thanks to all of you for all the help! The only real "modifications" I'd make to the bull bar/push bar would be to beef it up with heavier steel plate and thicker wall tubing. I like the mounting with the leaf spring bolts it seems a lot beefier than just bolting to the bumper bolts. The 3 bar seems like the most heavy duty setup and imo it looks the best too. In my area we have a lot of deer, so I'd like to have some decent protection from that, also, it looks sick haha. Also, I was wondering if anyone has a winch setup with that style bumper. I've thought about getting one of the plate steel bumpers but I think they look to modern for the truck and it just doesn't fit the look of the build

 

To put a winch on that style of OEM bumper you have to built it to go in-between the frame rails and behind that bumper. And there is NOT a lot of room (not any at all really) for that. So IMO the best is to make a bracket that is like taking a old rear receiver hitch set up. Make it fit in between the front rails with the hitch receiver point behind the license plate. Then put the winch on a receiver mount, put some QD elec connections behind the grill and to the back of the truck and go for it.

Just how often are you needing to winch your chebbies off wet grass, problem often. Lol But hauling a winch around it weight on the front end that is not always necessary.

My idea makes it so you can use it on the front and rear of your truck too, AND make a place to mount it on a trailer.


I can mount it in my rock sliders.

Hard to see it on this trailer? It's there.

I can also mount it on my big car hauler trailer. Think outside the box...way out side the box.

 

I really like that modular setup! I'm thinking maybe a piece of angle iron between the frame rails and then weld the receiver to that!

Thanks to all of you for all the help!!

 

There are some threads about add a receiver hitch in the front of our ol Fords. If you are wanting to hang and use a winch look at the way a bolt on drop receiver hitch is made and mounted.

Chris aka Fordrealdrive did an awesome job https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-receiver.html