bumper observations
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 261
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From: Regina, Saskatchewan
bumper observations
Has anyone else noticed that no matter what year of truck....88-97 on fords....f150 to f350 that the bumpers are crap? Mine are a bit twisted and I have started to notice other peoples fords and it's a universal truth up here....there must be hundreds of fords...and maybe a handfull ...not even have bumpers that are not bent, twisted or kinked in some way. What's up with that?
I want to get an aftermarket one....a heavy duty one...but anything decent is outa my price range and to get it shipped here is INSANE...so I need to put up with my crappy looking one until I can figure it out....
Just my 2 cents,
Yukonsly
I want to get an aftermarket one....a heavy duty one...but anything decent is outa my price range and to get it shipped here is INSANE...so I need to put up with my crappy looking one until I can figure it out....
Just my 2 cents,
Yukonsly
Playing in the Dirt
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,302
Likes: 1
From: Southwest Georgia
Try and find a welding shop that will build you one. If you tell them that your not in hurry for it and that they can work on it when they don't have other jobs going they give you a good price quote to build it.
Or you can build one your self with some schedule 80 pipe and 1/8" or 3/16" plain or diamond plate (depends on how heavey duty you want it) and a couple of pieces of 3"X1/2" bar stock.
Or you can build one your self with some schedule 80 pipe and 1/8" or 3/16" plain or diamond plate (depends on how heavey duty you want it) and a couple of pieces of 3"X1/2" bar stock.
Post Fiend
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 12,835
Likes: 3
From: Silver Lake Dunes, MI
I agree about the stock bumpers!
Aftermarket or custom built is the way to go! The van I bought has about a 10' by 4' sheet of 1/4 plate in the back! thats coming out before I sell the van (which is spoken for already! doubled my money in about a week!). couple feet of it will make a nice top for my tool box and the rest will make a great bumper!
Aftermarket or custom built is the way to go! The van I bought has about a 10' by 4' sheet of 1/4 plate in the back! thats coming out before I sell the van (which is spoken for already! doubled my money in about a week!). couple feet of it will make a nice top for my tool box and the rest will make a great bumper!
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,658
Likes: 0
From: Ellensburg, Washington
I think having one fabbed up will cost close to what an aftermarket one would. Steel prices have gone up alot here lately and fabbing things is becoming more exspensive then just buying them from a company.
Cowboy Steve
Cowboy Steve
Playing in the Dirt
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,302
Likes: 1
From: Southwest Georgia
Here's one that I made out of the 4" schedule 80 (thick wall) pipe & 3/16" diamond plate. Tough as he!!, haven't bent it yet, have had to repaint it twice.
Edit: most of the plate and the pipe were left over pieces that I got at a real good price. Alot of times a welding shop will have pieces left over from a big job that they will sell cheap and if you don't mind a couple of weld seams when they or you build it your set. The plate on mine is one for each flat, weld seams only on the edges, but I have built two more that were pieced together plates with two weld seams on the top, but after they were ground down and the bumper painted, you could not see them from 4 feet away. This is ALOT cheaper than after market bumpers. Just my .02.
Edit: most of the plate and the pipe were left over pieces that I got at a real good price. Alot of times a welding shop will have pieces left over from a big job that they will sell cheap and if you don't mind a couple of weld seams when they or you build it your set. The plate on mine is one for each flat, weld seams only on the edges, but I have built two more that were pieced together plates with two weld seams on the top, but after they were ground down and the bumper painted, you could not see them from 4 feet away. This is ALOT cheaper than after market bumpers. Just my .02.
Last edited by plowhand; Jul 12, 2007 at 08:12 PM. Reason: addition
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Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 3,658
Likes: 0
From: Ellensburg, Washington
Schedule 80!!!! EEEEgods man, you could sink the titanic with that puppy, lol.
Looks great Plowhand! maybe you outta change your name to fabhand!
Cowboy Steve
Looks great Plowhand! maybe you outta change your name to fabhand!
Cowboy Steve
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Joe Kucinski
Playing in the Dirt
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 2,302
Likes: 1
From: Southwest Georgia
Thanks Steve, I did work structual steel construction (high rise girder framing) for several years, thats where I learned to weld, doing it 8-10 hours a day.
TJ, I'll try and get some good quality pictures for you if your intrested, but I'll have to find someway to post them, everytime I try to create an ablum I get and error message when I try and download the java files.
TJ, I'll try and get some good quality pictures for you if your intrested, but I'll have to find someway to post them, everytime I try to create an ablum I get and error message when I try and download the java files.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 674
Likes: 0
From: KC, MO
Funny Steve. In some places the use race cars. (see attached video)
I was noticing that the bumper you made also creates an nice little perch to mount winches or use as a spot to stand while one works in the eng. bay.
God, I hate having to climb up that slippery bumper to get in.
I was noticing that the bumper you made also creates an nice little perch to mount winches or use as a spot to stand while one works in the eng. bay.
God, I hate having to climb up that slippery bumper to get in.
Elder User
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 674
Likes: 0
From: KC, MO
Funny Steve. In some places the use race cars. (Ref. a video I got via email.)
I was noticing that the bumper you made also creates an nice little perch to mount winches or use as a spot to stand while one works in the eng. bay.
God, I hate having to climb up that slippery bumper to get in.
I was noticing that the bumper you made also creates an nice little perch to mount winches or use as a spot to stand while one works in the eng. bay.
God, I hate having to climb up that slippery bumper to get in.