Custom Rear Jeep Bumper, need some help please

admin

Hello everyone  So i reccently bought a 1995 jeep cherokee and im planning on fabricating some homemade bumpers for it..The front one i have no idea on what im going to do but the rear one i do..It's going to be a piece of c-channel.Im going to order a piece 4 ft long or so. I am going to the the ends at 45 degree angles and if i did the math right the bottom part will be 3 ft long. Now im planning on holesawing out 1 light hole on each end.And then inbetween the light holes and the lisc. plate im going to weld in some d-rings.I also want to put a hitch mount underneath the lisc. plate but im not quite sure on how to do this.So if someone could give me some information on that, that would be great..Also i have no idea one thickness size or how to order c-channel :x.Really rough sketch of what im thinking of..The 2 holes are for lights,the things next to them are suppose to be d-drings,then the big rectangle is where the lisce. plate goes and below it is where i want to put the reciever hitch..So my questions are1.How do i make a hitch reciever into the bumper?2.What would be the best size c-channel to order?
Reply:Originally Posted by Shoremen1.How do i make a hitch reciever into the bumper?2.What would be the best size c-channel to order?
Reply:Thanks for the information on the hitch.Very helpful, but like i don't even know like what size c-channel comes in, iv'e never ordered c-channel before.
Reply:C channel comes in 2" 4" 6" and up..Some pics to help ya out.....zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:I just made a rear bumper for a cj5, I put 1"x3" flat bar with a 1" hole to put shackles instead of D rings, instead of taking the 45 degree all the way to the top edge, take it only up to about an inch from the top, just my preference but you might like it too, I'll post pics of it on Mondayoh yeah you can get channel in 3" too"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal"   -Henry Ford
Reply:I'm not a big fan of those who don't know what they are doing fabing rear hitches. These really need to be done right and tied into the frame to tow with. It's not a beginner project. I'd suggest a good Reese hitch made for that model or a good used factory hitch and then build the bumper from there. If you F up and something breaks when you've got a trailer on things can get ugly fast. Also most Jeep bumpers are way too high for a hitch mount like Zap showed with out needing a serious drop for the ball. The standard 2" Reese mounted under the bumper is a much better fit for most hitches for towing. The one saving grace is that if you stick to the towing weights recomended for the Jeep, the trailer is light enough that many can get away with building their own, even though it's a bad idea. Even if it's for rear storage racks, at some point you'll be tempted to hook up a trailer, and most people over load trailers way beyond what they think the trailers got.C channel as said can be ordered in heights 1" heights from 3" to 10" from my chart. The front bumper on my old Jeep PU when I bought it was 8" channel. It also comes in differing weights per foot. Heavier weight, more steel and the stronger it is. My quick ref chart shows 6" channel in 3 weights  8.2, 10.5, and 13 lb. Most of the other small sizes have 3 different weight options also. Many small places just carry one weight in stock and just use the height as the designation. Other larger yards will use height and weight like 3" x 10.5 C channel. to describe the material.If this is for off roading, put a fair amount of thought into the bolt on mounts. You don't want to weld this to the frame for several reasons, one of which is that when you bend it it's simple to replace or remove and repair.  You are going to be yanking on those shackels or D rings to get you out when you're stuck. Lack of proper reinforcing behind the D rings and or poor mounts will mean the guy with the F350 with bend your bumper like a pretzel or just rip it off the Jeep when he yanks to try to pop you out..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Here is a very good reference that I like to use when showing how to truly tie into the unibody of the XJ:http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/m...d-pics-848992/Come try it out and stay a while.
Reply:As mentioned C channel gets listed by weight, as in pounds per foot. You get the actual thicknesses by studying the charts.  1st make a guess as to what dimensions you're thinking of, then scan the chart till you see both a web height and a thickness that suits you. Here's a quick chart showing some standard sizes. Others sizes can be had but standard sizes run more economical.Suppliers are always good about helping you through the dimensional thing. http://www.engineersedge.com/standar...properties.htm"The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:Originally Posted by rustywranglerHere is a very good reference that I like to use when showing how to truly tie into the unibody of the XJ:http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/m...d-pics-848992/
Reply:for cj5 Attached Images"Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal"   -Henry Ford
Reply:Originally Posted by eyeball engineerfor cj5
Reply:License plates are 6" tall, reciever holes are an absolute minimum of 2" if you build the tube recessed behind the face of the bumper entirely. Better do a bit of dimensioning on graph paper first. 8'' channel is the bare minimum to stack those two items on top of each other. Do you have space for an 8" tall bumper?I would look for a spot on the tailgate for the license plate, if it'were me.  Attached ImagesCity of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:About towing with the jeep..Im not really worried about overloading a trailer becuase it's very doubtful i'll ever tow anything with it..The only thing i plan on possibly towing is a stranded jeep/truck after mudding.Im not ever going to be towing any big trailers, the only one i can see myself towing is a small one that would fit a 4wheeler..Anything bigger i can just use my my brother's ram 1500 hemi..Also i was planning on bolting these, and not welding them..Never know when you might want to change something up..eyeball enginner and sn0border88, what did you use to make those? Iv'e never seen anything like those And Lisce. plate can always just go in the backwindow or somewhere on the tailgate..No big deal.And im still undecided on what im doing for the front bumper..I'd like a hitch mount in there as well, with either shackles or d-drings, just not sure yet..
Reply:I made mine out of 3x4 1/4wall angle, I would have rather of done mine like snoboarders, his looks like rectangle tubing, the angle on mine warped a tiny bit after welding the receiver tube in, if you use the rectangle tubing and you put mounts to use shackles (1" flat bar)  I'd plasma cut both ends of the tube and pass the bar stock all the way through welding it on both sidesI want to see a full pic of a "summit jeep truck" , I searched it and came up with nothin, I'v never heard of one beforeLast edited by eyeball engineer; 03-03-2010 at 11:47 PM."Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal"   -Henry Ford
Reply:I made one for a guy once out of 2"x6"x1/4" rectangle tube.  Reciever notched in flush with the bottom and a swing out tire rack strong enough to swing out and jack on.  Never saw it installed, but never had any complaints either.  He didn't like the cost, but it was agreed to before hand.  I hate those people that agree to something up front and then bitch when it comes time to settle up....My name's not Jim....
Reply:Is 2x4 square tubing out of the question?  We make most of ours out of 2x4 3/16" .like mentioned cut the SUARE hole to both sides.   No gussets because you have eliminated the c channel and gone all the way through. weld it like you own it
Reply:Originally Posted by Boostinjdm He didn't like the cost, but it was agreed to before hand.  I hate those people that agree to something up front and then bitch when it comes time to settle up....
Reply:Originally Posted by eyeball engineerI hear that, I like when they compare the cost of something you custom make to something they can buy at a store or whatever, I always tell them well just buy it then. somethings are worth making, somethings are worth just buying,   nothing like a custom bumper though here's a bumper on ebay that looks reasonable, I wouldn't sell one this cheap unless I made a bunch up like this guy does, this bumper can give you another idea on design toohttp://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Jeep-...item23050080e3
Reply:QUOTEof c-channel.Im going to order a piece 4 ft long or so. I am going to the the ends at 45 degree angles and if i did the math right the bottom part will be 3 ft longokay here is a simple way to figure out your length if you cut both ends at 45 your longer end or top piece will be Shorter piece + ( 2 times width of your channel) ie 36 inches + ( 2 times 6 inches if you used 6 inch channel) = 48 inchesif it was 4 inch channel just added 8 inchesLeighLincoln Classic 300DLincoln SA 250Red d arc 300 dieselRanger 305Miller 302 Trailblazer12V Extreme SuitcaseMiller 200 DXVictor O/A torches3 dodge dually cummmins
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmI know, right....  IIRC I only got like $250 and it had tapered bearings in the swing out tire carrier.  Those weren't cheap.  Neither was the shaft they were on.Sorry for the highjack.
Reply:Originally Posted by BruceTSI don't like building a bumper with those hinges, seen too many of them break off, rather use a double shear design, with graphite impregnated delrin bushings.
Reply:Originally Posted by BoostinjdmIt all depends on the design.  I used either 1 1/4" or 1 1/2" shaft, I don't remember exactly.Double shear doesn't mean **** if the upright isn't beefy.