wrenchMonkey_
Adventurer
She don't look that bad from the front!
John, by the time I am done this build I'll probably be wishing I just bought one, hahaha!
I do enjoy building it and spending time in the garage. As far as costs, I am into it for $70, which was the 7x2 C Channel I got today. However, that was 10ft and I used 3ft, so really about $25 bucks is all I have spent. The 3/16 plate, bolts, ect I had lying around. I've been using electricity its going out of style. Between the plasma, welder and heater, $$$$$. Atleast +$30 this month for sure. I just could not justify spending the $1000+ USD that most companies want for a bumper. Also, I didn't want a plate bumper, so that left my less options. I do have mad respect for the companies the design and prototype the stuff. Thats the hard part. Once its designed, CNC Plasmaing the parts out and welding it up on a jig is easy.
I am learn something knew every time I fab something. From my rear bumper to my sliders and now this bumper. Seeing as how I' got my first welder in Feb of 2016, I am excited to see what the next few years should bring as my skills and tools increase.
Todays lessons.... buy a mag drill. Some of my mounting holes came up a bit angled and crooked, leaving some tight tolerances. Drilling it with my 1/2 corded drill was a PITA and I wanted to off my self. Also, drilling blind through the upright and trying to hit my 1/4 sleeve was a bit of a PITA. I am happy with 3 out of 4 of my holes and I fixed my mistake on my the one. Either way, it will hold.
Lesson two. I knew this was going to be an issue after dealing with my rear bumper build. Because my uprights sit over top of the frame, and its almost impossible to put this thing on straight and just slide it back into place, it take a bit of rummer martingale to get the bumper to slide over the frame rails and into position. If I left the fit sloppy, I'd have alot of play and leave all the holding power to the bolts. If I made it any tigther than I did, once I welded it up and got it on, I'd never get it off. I see why the OEM style and alot of aftermarket is a flat vertical plate that you can line up with your bumper and have the bolts running inline/parallel with the frame instead of my design, where they are perpendicular. That being said, with my design and what I wanted, parallel was not doable.
Anyways, on with the pictures!
Picked up some steel from the metal yard. Went with 7x2 channel. .210 thick. 9.10lbs per ft. Used as my winch mounting plate. 6x2 would of worked, but all my yard had is strucutural where the edges are tapered and no straight walled stuff. Anyways, $70 and I've got material for 3 or 4 more.
Once I got it cut to length I drilled the holes in the 10x4.5 pattern for the winch.
After honestly an hour of sitting in front of the truck, checking all the angles, measurements ect, making sure everything was flushed and square, I finally threw some tacks on it and after it cooled pulled it off. Hoping that it did not warp at all and that I could still get it to slide on, I gave it a test fit, and it still slid on. Happy days!
and here is where I left off tonight. Got all 4 frame/upright mounting holes drilled. Went with a UNF 1/2x5in Gr 8.8 bolt for mounting. Two per side. As mentioned above, the holes could of been better, but whatever. Honestly, I might have just gone with one big M16 or 3/4 bolt instead of two, but live and learn.
Tomorrow I'll drill the bottom two mounting holes that go into the bottom of the frame where the factory tow points were, then I'll weld the rest of the winch plate up. Might start bending some tube tomorrow too.
