Aluminum Versus Steel Front Bumper

[washington taco]

I have been running a custom built aluminum front bumper fabricated by VMI offroad in Bellinghan WA http://www.vmioffroad.com/ It weighs 47 pounds with out the Warn M12000. I went with aluminum because of the weight and custom built due to a 3" body lift and the big winch. I have had to issue for the past five years with cracking or flex.

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

I have been running a custom built aluminum front bumper fabricated by VMI offroad in Bellinghan WA http://www.vmioffroad.com/ It weighs 47 pounds with out the Warn M12000. I went with aluminum because of the weight and custom built due to a 3" body lift and the big winch. I have had to issue for the past five years with cracking or flex.

Do yo have any photos of your bumper?

 

[cam-shaft]

Aluminum vs steel bumper thoughts.

Aluminum vs steel bumper thoughts here is some information you may want to consider or not.

There is a lot to be considered. I, for one, am always trying to save weight and have good placement of weight with my vehicle. Reason for me is that I have a lot of stuff and stuff adds up in weight quickly so if I can keep the base vehicle weight down as much as possible this will help with gross weight. (base vehicle weight is including all things that are attached and part of vehicle, bumpers, armour, etc.) Plus excess weight out past axles is never a great thing. Having worked with aluminum in the marine world a fair amount it is definitely worth considering for bumpers. It takes knowing how to build structure.
If you are thinking that you don’t plan to ever see rocks then aluminum would be fine because it is softer then steel so it will not hold up to this abuse like steel, this depends on series of aluminum also. You also need to consider if you live in a location that salts the roads. A lot of people think aluminum does not corrode since it does not rust. Well it does, a lot of it has to do with the dissimilar metals. Such as having an aluminum bumper bolted to a steel frame with steel bolts, add an electrolyte such as salt or de-icer, and you will get galvanic corrosion and your aluminum bumper will become the sacrificial anode in the equation if not properly isolated. Proper isolation of bumper mounting would be necessary, I am pretty positive that most truck fabricators are not real familiar with this topic and say oh that won’t happen, but …I know better. I could go on for days on this subject with my aluminum, marine electronics/mechanical background. Aluminum skids or sliders do not make any sense unless someone made them with UHMW attached to the aluminum. I chose the steel tube hybrid option, strong and saves weight.

Cam-shaft

 

[Subspd]

Great points cam-shaft! So how would one go about isolating the mounts to prevent corrosion?

 

[lqdchkn]

^^^It was the Aluminum vs Steel fatigue, crack vs bend that made be decide on steel

 

[Crom]

Do it! I'd spend the extra $$ if it was me--plenty tough and perfect for a DD. I would love one. The extra $$ is necessary for materials and labor costs. Welding aluminum takes more time and more effort to dissipate heat, than steel, so more labor is involved. Using another vendor and vehicle for a comparison, I think on a Tacoma the aluminum bumper version is only +10 lbs over the stock bumper.

 

[cbradley]

Cam,
Thank you for the information. I hadn't thought about the corrosion issue. I live close to the ocean and the salt in the air has wreaked havoc on my aluminum wheels. That said, it has also wreaked havoc on my steel sliders and tow hitch. Have you had any success with a galvanic barrier? I've heard that teflon gel works well, but I don't have any personal experience with it, it is all anecdotal.

Aluminum vs steel bumper thoughts here is some information you may want to consider or not.

There is a lot to be considered. I, for one, am always trying to save weight and have good placement of weight with my vehicle. Reason for me is that I have a lot of stuff and stuff adds up in weight quickly so if I can keep the base vehicle weight down as much as possible this will help with gross weight. (base vehicle weight is including all things that are attached and part of vehicle, bumpers, armour, etc.) Plus excess weight out past axles is never a great thing. Having worked with aluminum in the marine world a fair amount it is definitely worth considering for bumpers. It takes knowing how to build structure.
If you are thinking that you don't plan to ever see rocks then aluminum would be fine because it is softer then steel so it will not hold up to this abuse like steel, this depends on series of aluminum also. You also need to consider if you live in a location that salts the roads. A lot of people think aluminum does not corrode since it does not rust. Well it does, a lot of it has to do with the dissimilar metals. Such as having an aluminum bumper bolted to a steel frame with steel bolts, add an electrolyte such as salt or de-icer, and you will get galvanic corrosion and your aluminum bumper will become the sacrificial anode in the equation if not properly isolated. Proper isolation of bumper mounting would be necessary, I am pretty positive that most truck fabricators are not real familiar with this topic and say oh that won't happen, but …I know better. I could go on for days on this subject with my aluminum, marine electronics/mechanical background. Aluminum skids or sliders do not make any sense unless someone made them with UHMW attached to the aluminum. I chose the steel tube hybrid option, strong and saves weight.

Cam-shaft

 

[cam-shaft]

Great points cam-shaft! So how would one go about isolating the mounts to prevent corrosion?

Isolation of mounts in my mind would include making strong plastic spacers between bumper mounting and truck mounting and installing plastic shoulder washers for bolts. UHMW would probably be a good choice of material. Doing this may not be possible on an existing bumper, I think these ideas would have to part of the bumper design. If you really live where there is tons of road salt, then the best thing for you may be to hose the underside of truck and bumper off, after you know it is covered, with a product called salt away. It works wonders. This would be a good idea to use on whole truck.

As far as galvanic isolators go cbradley,, yes I am quite familiar with them but it is not something that I would want to involve into an off-road vehicle.
Cam-shaft.

 

[Dave Bennett]

Aluminum is my pick. Looking at the new AllPro aluminum bumper for the 2nd Gen Tacoma for myself. BIG weight savings there = 100 lbs more for gear, or just a lighter rig

 

[SIZZLE]

I wouldn't expect to get any noticable milage improvement out of aluminum over steel. Increased drag will make the biggest difference regardless of weight. But as far as handling goes, you will notice 65 fewer pounds hanging off of your nose.

Weight is the enemy in any automotive sport. So if money is no object and you're not out there bashing rocks, i'd go aluminum.

 

[washington taco]

Do yo have any photos of your bumper?

I will try to find some when I get home from work tonight.

I used Alodine 1200 and high impact aircraft primer prior to painting my bumper to mittigate dissimilar metal corrosion issues. I will know how well it worked this spring when I remove it to have it powder coated. I like the idea of the teflon washers and Boeing has been using plastic nut clips on the interior floor structure for about 10 years and it has helped but we are still seeing corrosion issues it the lavatory/galley area.

 

[Plannerman]

Aluminum is my pick. Looking at the new AllPro aluminum bumper for the 2nd Gen Tacoma for myself. BIG weight savings there = 100 lbs more for gear, or just a lighter rig

Woah, woah, woah. What is this about an aluminum bumper out of AllPro?

 

[NorthernWoodsman]

I will try to find some when I get home from work tonight.

I used Alodine 1200 and high impact aircraft primer prior to painting my bumper to mittigate dissimilar metal corrosion issues. I will know how well it worked this spring when I remove it to have it powder coated. I like the idea of the teflon washers and Boeing has been using plastic nut clips on the interior floor structure for about 10 years and it has helped but we are still seeing corrosion issues it the lavatory/galley area.

Thanks in advance for the photos.

I wonder about the nylon washers and issues of torque. Specifically, can you torque the mounting bolts tight enough without destroying the washers in the process?

 

[southpier]

why couldn't/ wouldn't stainless steel washers & fasteners work? and are manufacturers making the fit wide enough to accommodate any intermediate piece of hardware? I know the CBI (steel) bumper needed a little help to fit the Tacoma. not a force fit, but there was no room for much more than a playing card shim.

http://www.grainger.com/product/PRE...-/Ntt-nonmetallic+shims?sst=subset&s_pp=false

 

[cam-shaft]

I will try to find some when I get home from work tonight.

I used Alodine 1200 and high impact aircraft primer prior to painting my bumper to mittigate dissimilar metal corrosion issues. I will know how well it worked this spring when I remove it to have it powder coated. I like the idea of the teflon washers and Boeing has been using plastic nut clips on the interior floor structure for about 10 years and it has helped but we are still seeing corrosion issues it the lavatory/galley area.

What happens offshore in the salt with powder coat is.... the powder coat gets a chip, from installing bolts or whatever and then corrosion starts under powder and lifts the powder. If you use isolation then no issue.

Cam-shaft.