Super Duty bumper building help needed
Posting Guru
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,459
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From: Wyoming
Spinella, most tube bumpers I'm finding follow the bottom of the headlights on a level line and go out in front of the grill, so we're building it the same, that way the height differences of the grills won't matter.
Old_Chipper, the one I'm building for my dad may get a receiver built in, but I doubt we'll design them with one.
a-rod, thats pretty similar to what we want to build. Do you have any pictures? How did you make the tubing oval? Judging by the background of your picture, you probably live in my dad's area.
Old_Chipper, the one I'm building for my dad may get a receiver built in, but I doubt we'll design them with one.
a-rod, thats pretty similar to what we want to build. Do you have any pictures? How did you make the tubing oval? Judging by the background of your picture, you probably live in my dad's area.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: North Dakota
Alright guys, took us awhile to get our CAD guy to get our designs put in the computer and then a little while longer to get our laser hook up to get our parts done. Things you gotta put up with when you're getting a deal.
So my dad is up here this week, so we've been busting *** the last 3 days to get a bumper built for him. Shown on my buddy's truck we used for building this. We're gonna build another for his truck but he wants to do his different.
If we would've had more time we could've went to our buddies farm and smash some old econoboxes and video taped it.
Let me know what you guys think.
So my dad is up here this week, so we've been busting *** the last 3 days to get a bumper built for him. Shown on my buddy's truck we used for building this. We're gonna build another for his truck but he wants to do his different.
If we would've had more time we could've went to our buddies farm and smash some old econoboxes and video taped it.
Let me know what you guys think.
Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 685
Likes: 0
From: USA
Bumpers!
I like the bumper so far! I would like to see more. How's it mounted to the frame. Can you mount a winch?
I ask this cause I made a rear bumper for my truck and now want to make one for the front. I'am just looking for ideas. Send me some pictures.
I ask this cause I made a rear bumper for my truck and now want to make one for the front. I'am just looking for ideas. Send me some pictures.
You Keep What You Kill
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,902
Likes: 2
From: Huntersville, NC
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 53
Likes: 0
From: North Dakota
If you look at the first picture I posted, the rectangular plate is what bolts the frame pads, the tow hook passes through the center. Basically we made it 1" wider than stock, 1/2" on either side to accommodate for welding the 1/2" thick uprights on.
The upright plates are built big enough that a winch can fit in between them and be fully enclosed. This first one we built we didn't build to put a winch in, but with a little more welding one could be mounted.
Basically posting these pictures and even between my friend and I, there seems to be a lot of difference in opinion on how one likes these built. We are planning on building these more custom, so people can build them as beefy or slimmed down as they like. But for now we got our basic starting points made.
We are also thinking of selling the plates we designed, once we get the bill and figure out how much they cost us. But if you wanted to build your own bumper you could start with our frame plates or even our uprights. The factory plates on the end of the frames have slots for vertical adjustment, ours has slots for horizontal. You build this bumper with the plates centered on one truck, you should be able to bolt it on and align it to any other truck.
Edit - Oh and even though no one has brought it up on this site, I'll put it out there before anyone does, I finished it off by putting expanded metal in the center portion to protect the radiator. Mounts to the back of the main bar, down to the middle bar, and bent back to the lower bar. Anyone wanting to build something like this should plan for putting something in the middle there as the radiator and trans cooler stick down below the grill.
You Keep What You Kill
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,902
Likes: 2
From: Huntersville, NC
For unknown reasons I am not able to include the email in this post... I'll post the email and pics in separate posts.
You Keep What You Kill
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,902
Likes: 2
From: Huntersville, NC
Hi Jim,
I’ve been meaning to write this email to you for several weeks and decided to just take the time to present a proposal to you. I have been searching for new bumpers for my 2005 F350 4X4 for the past year. During that time, I have seen bumpers from Fab Four ($2,492.00), Warn ($3,153.91), ARB ($1,895.22), and many others. The Road Armor bumpers are almost identical to your Lunar Series bumpers but are much higher in price. I actually see that you are running a special on the base model Lunar front bumper for $997.00 and the same front bumper from Road Armor is $1,995.00. That’s a significant difference in price!
I believe that there will always be a segment of the market that literally wants to pay thousands of dollars for aftermarket bumpers because they want to make a statement, which is, "I have lots of money!" To be honest, if you are going to continue to make the same bumpers as Road Armor, then I would recommend that you significantly raise the price to appeal to this segment of the market. It will give the impression that your bumpers are exclusive. This segment of the market is not looking for a bargain, which can clearly be said about the Alien Patrol bumpers. However, for every consumer willing to pay $2,500 for a front bumper, there are 10-20 consumers who are willing to pay $800.00 for a front bumper. This is the key topic of my email.
I have been looking for front and rear bumpers that are of high quality (1/4 steel like you use) that have a few critical features (winch mount, shackle mounts, and recessed lights) but in a very simple and compact design. Now this type of bumper is readily available to Jeep owners but do you know how many companies offer this type of bumper for full-size trucks like my Super Duty? None! Zero! Nada! Zippo! Now there are a few companies that make "fugly" bumpers with diamond plating and they are very popular in select parts of the country, especially Texas. However, this market is saturated and at the end of the day the design is old news. So what’s my point… keep reading.
I believe that there is a niche in the market that no one has filled that is WIDE OPEN for someone who wants to make some real money. What are the characteristics of this niche bumper market? They are:
1.Price – The selling price must be under $1,000 and preferably around $800.00. For every person willing to spend $2,500.00 for a front bumper there are at least 10-20 people who are willing to spend $800.00 for a front bumper. The later is a much more stable and predictable market segment.
2.Quality – There are discriminating consumers who want a quality front or rear bumper even in the $800.00 - $1,000.00 range. I know that you use ¼" steel in your construction, which is heavier than many other aftermarket companies. I highly recommend that you continue to use these heavy duty materials as they add strength and longevity to the bumpers.
3.Features – Most consumers are looking for one or more of three key features in the bumpers. These three key features are a winch mount, shackle mounts, and recessed lighting and/or light bar. Most consumers are willing to pay for these features as they add utility to the bumper in both on-road and off-road applications.
4.Simple Design – This is the area that must be discussed in great detail. From examination of the basic Lunar Series front bumper, there appears to be 31 different outer sections that had to be cut, then welded, then finished. It’s this intricate design that increases your cost and subsequently the price to the consumer. To be honest, I neither want nor am I willing to pay for these elaborate designs. I, like most truck owners, want a simple yet good looking bumper. This is where you can fill a niche in the market. If you can reduce the number of out sections to no more than 15, then you can reduce your labor cost by 50%. The key is to have a great looking yet simple design. I spent some time looking at many Jeep off-road bumpers and found that there is a consistent design that appears to be highly support among Jeep owners. See the attached file for pics that I copied from several websites and my comments.
If you can design a similar front bumper and matching rear bumper that incorporates these simple designs using quality materials that have the three basic features for under $1,000.00, then I estimate that you will increase your units sold five fold within one year. Jim, you set the standard for "state of the art" bumpers many years ago… now it’s time to set a new standard except this time it will focus on quality and practicality.
Think about the proposal and let me know if you are interested in pursuing the new designs.
Thanks!
Andrew
I’ve been meaning to write this email to you for several weeks and decided to just take the time to present a proposal to you. I have been searching for new bumpers for my 2005 F350 4X4 for the past year. During that time, I have seen bumpers from Fab Four ($2,492.00), Warn ($3,153.91), ARB ($1,895.22), and many others. The Road Armor bumpers are almost identical to your Lunar Series bumpers but are much higher in price. I actually see that you are running a special on the base model Lunar front bumper for $997.00 and the same front bumper from Road Armor is $1,995.00. That’s a significant difference in price!
I believe that there will always be a segment of the market that literally wants to pay thousands of dollars for aftermarket bumpers because they want to make a statement, which is, "I have lots of money!" To be honest, if you are going to continue to make the same bumpers as Road Armor, then I would recommend that you significantly raise the price to appeal to this segment of the market. It will give the impression that your bumpers are exclusive. This segment of the market is not looking for a bargain, which can clearly be said about the Alien Patrol bumpers. However, for every consumer willing to pay $2,500 for a front bumper, there are 10-20 consumers who are willing to pay $800.00 for a front bumper. This is the key topic of my email.
I have been looking for front and rear bumpers that are of high quality (1/4 steel like you use) that have a few critical features (winch mount, shackle mounts, and recessed lights) but in a very simple and compact design. Now this type of bumper is readily available to Jeep owners but do you know how many companies offer this type of bumper for full-size trucks like my Super Duty? None! Zero! Nada! Zippo! Now there are a few companies that make "fugly" bumpers with diamond plating and they are very popular in select parts of the country, especially Texas. However, this market is saturated and at the end of the day the design is old news. So what’s my point… keep reading.
I believe that there is a niche in the market that no one has filled that is WIDE OPEN for someone who wants to make some real money. What are the characteristics of this niche bumper market? They are:
1.Price – The selling price must be under $1,000 and preferably around $800.00. For every person willing to spend $2,500.00 for a front bumper there are at least 10-20 people who are willing to spend $800.00 for a front bumper. The later is a much more stable and predictable market segment.
2.Quality – There are discriminating consumers who want a quality front or rear bumper even in the $800.00 - $1,000.00 range. I know that you use ¼" steel in your construction, which is heavier than many other aftermarket companies. I highly recommend that you continue to use these heavy duty materials as they add strength and longevity to the bumpers.
3.Features – Most consumers are looking for one or more of three key features in the bumpers. These three key features are a winch mount, shackle mounts, and recessed lighting and/or light bar. Most consumers are willing to pay for these features as they add utility to the bumper in both on-road and off-road applications.
4.Simple Design – This is the area that must be discussed in great detail. From examination of the basic Lunar Series front bumper, there appears to be 31 different outer sections that had to be cut, then welded, then finished. It’s this intricate design that increases your cost and subsequently the price to the consumer. To be honest, I neither want nor am I willing to pay for these elaborate designs. I, like most truck owners, want a simple yet good looking bumper. This is where you can fill a niche in the market. If you can reduce the number of out sections to no more than 15, then you can reduce your labor cost by 50%. The key is to have a great looking yet simple design. I spent some time looking at many Jeep off-road bumpers and found that there is a consistent design that appears to be highly support among Jeep owners. See the attached file for pics that I copied from several websites and my comments.
If you can design a similar front bumper and matching rear bumper that incorporates these simple designs using quality materials that have the three basic features for under $1,000.00, then I estimate that you will increase your units sold five fold within one year. Jim, you set the standard for "state of the art" bumpers many years ago… now it’s time to set a new standard except this time it will focus on quality and practicality.
Think about the proposal and let me know if you are interested in pursuing the new designs.
Thanks!
Andrew
You Keep What You Kill
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 4,902
Likes: 2
From: Huntersville, NC
Here are a few of the pics of the general proposed design... A flat top, v-shaped, solid materials, basic design. The Jeep market has "gobbs" of choices but nothing will fit a Super Duty. Note: The 3rd pic is EXACTLY what I am looking to acquire for my Super Duty!
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 685
Likes: 0
From: USA
Bumper Build
You guys sound like you know alot about bumbers.
I built my own rear bumper with tire carrier and am still working on it.
I'am just a guy with a little wire feed welder and a band saw.
So it may look a little ruff but I am learning as I go along.
You input is greatly appreciated! Check it out and let me know what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PSBDMCAGEQ
I built my own rear bumper with tire carrier and am still working on it.
I'am just a guy with a little wire feed welder and a band saw.
So it may look a little ruff but I am learning as I go along.
You input is greatly appreciated! Check it out and let me know what you think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2PSBDMCAGEQ