Custom Bumper Pics!!!

[bchesley]

I have been tossing around the idea of starting my own company building bumpers for the fullsize Jeep market! I have the first prototype built and ready to install. Below is a link to the photos. I am also not sure I like how I have the current mounting system built. Look at the bumper and tell me what you think of the styling. I can assure you that it is functional. It is made of 2"x6"x3/16" steel tubing. It has been tapered on the ends and welded shut. In the center is a 2" receiver hitch fulley welded and braced. The D rings are installed on 1/2" plate that extends through the back of the bumper and welded on both sides and ground smooth. I am working on building a swing out tire carrier that will accomodate as big as a 35" tire and a highlift jack. I will post pics as soon as I get the carrier built.

Second, I need some help on the mounting system. I don't have any pictures of the currect setup up close but it is plenty sturdy just very time consuming to cut out and weld up. I am hoping that you all can help with some ideas on how to make a simple and very sturdy connection to the frame. One thing to consider is how much will hang down from the frame. Right now it only hangs down below the fram about 1.5 inches. I will take some more pictures tomorrow. I just need some input. Thanks!!!Link to my pics page (http://briefcase.yahoo.com/bchesley2001)

[River Beast]

BEAUTIFUL!!!!! I LOVE THEM... can you powdercoat it yelLow??? :D :D :D

I like it....alot... good workmanship shown....

[River Beast]

I suggest a long 3/16" plate the width of the frame that would extend out to bolt on to brakcets that are prewelded to your bumper...I wish I could draw it here... but I can't I'm at work!!!

[Lindel]

Brad, I can't help with the mounting aspect of it, but I sure would like one!

I can arrange delivery of a WT for measurements of a front bumper!! :D

What are you planning on charging?

[ December 09, 2001: Message edited by: Lindel ]

[bchesley]

I have not even thought of how much I will charge for one. I am not looking to get rich off this. What I really hope to do is provide every full size jeep enthusiast with some good quality parts and make enough money to support my FSJ habit :D :D . I will take some pics of what I have for mounting brackets now and let every one critique it!! Back to the garage!!

[Dive 30]

Looks good! Sure would like some pricing info.

Phil

[ December 09, 2001: Message edited by: Dive 30 ]

[cline4]

Looks like some great workmanship. Cant wait to see it on the JEEP!!!!

[Bob Barry]

Beautiful bumpers!

You are right to be concerned about mounting them, though, since you can't simply bolt them to the rear crossmember; that's only attached to the framerails with two rivets on each side, not enough to handle a Class III tow hitch or any serious recovery (the rear crossmember would just rip right off).

Rather than going under the rear crossmember, why not go through it? To mount my rear bumper, I used a 3/8" thick, 4"x4" L-section steel to go from the front of the crossmember to the outer side of the framerail, drilling two 9/16" holes for grade-8 bolts through the rear crossmember, and a single 3/4" hole (enlarged from the stock 5/8" hole) through the side of the framerail, which hooks into the factory tow-package reinforcement bracket. Using something like that, you could mount an "L", "U" or box-section bracket on the back of the framerail, and have to do little or no welding.

I don't think it'd be too much to call for drilling four 9/16" holes in the installation procedures. There is no way the factory holes would be strong enough, though.

[RustyJeep]

That, my friend, is a sweet looking bumper. It reminds me of some of the little Jeep bumpers. Simple, yet very utilitarian, and very nice looking. Too bad I already have a custom bumper for the rear of my J.

[Sitting Bull]

Dude, I'm drooling. Make that thing for a reasonable price, and ya got me for sure.

[River Beast]

Have you come up with a front yet? Just wondering ...if so... will it have the contour look or not ... dunno how hard that would be but it would be SWEET with the 2x6 box and sealed.... jsut turning my gear in the ol' thinkcap for ya.... ;)

[ArtsiFrtsi]

Very cool bumper!
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Have you come up with a front yet? Just wondering ...if so... will it have the contour look or not ... <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>For the front, I would prefer something similar to the ARB Bull Bar...Grand Cherokee w/ ARB Bull Bar (http://www.rocky-road.com/zjarb.html)
Kinda like that, with or without the grill hoop.

[River Beast]

That's what I mean... see how it's contoured around the front and not flat? That ARB bull bar is sweet but I believe he want to make them affordable for ALL of us... not that we can't dream of him selling them for price of materials... ;)

That would be a dream but we all know better with time and labor ,,, not to mention time invested at the drawing table (per say)

[64Trvlr]

That's a good looking bumper, nice job. Does it hold air and are you going to put a trailer plug in it or a bracket to attach one to?
:cool:

[Erix Jeep]

WOW, you musta read my mind! I have been wanting a bumper like this instead of those tube type bumpers. What did you do, steal the design from my daydreams? hehehhe, seriously though, great job! Would love to see one on the front too!

Eric

[BigStupid]

Build and they will come.Nice bumpers,if you start it up i'll definately be one of your first customers.Real nice bumpers! :D :D

[Kimbrough]

THAT, my friend, is PERFECT!!! :eek: :D
That bumper is EXACTLY what I have been looking for!!! I cannot type it big enough! PERFECT!!!
PUHLEEEESE can I have one???

[Bryan]

Beautiful bumpers, put me on the list if you decide to mfg them. One question I have though is what class hitch would this be rated for? for example the factory hitch on mine is a class III and I would need at least that rating if not more.

[desert_freak]

That is a great bumper. I almost went to a local steel retailer that I buy steel from this past weekend to get some 2X6 steel to make a bumper for the back of my J10. I wasn't going to taper it for ease of fabrication. Yours is perfect, even has the D-rings I was planning. Make it air tight and a swing away tire carrier and I think you will have fullfilled the dream of most everyone hear.

Pricing would be great, as well as estimated time for production! Maybe I'll just buy one instead of making my own!

One thing I was thinking about when I was planning my bumper was failure and liability. Iam a fairly skilled welder but having a failure while towing is a pretty scary thought. This is when I figured having an ASW certified welder build it and be accountable for it's strength sounded pretty good. I've seen some pretty cheesy setups in the past hold up in situations when I thought for sure something would fail and what you have built is far stronger than most bumpers being sold today, but as we all know bad things sometimes happen to good people.

Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but you might want to check into some insurance to protect yourself. Maybe I'm off base but in today's sue happy society, better safe than sorry.

Don't forget a J-truck edition (wider mounts)

P.J.

[jettfuel]

Brad,
Looks great. I can't wait to get my grubby hands on one. I would like a rear with a tire mount. What about the front? I would like one with a winch mount like the ARB. Sounds like a couple of others would like one also. Keep up the good work.Let us know when completed.
Jett

[kreb]

that is definitely a bumper i would be interested in. i would like to hear what you have planned for the front bumper. a 2in receiver in the front would make me very happy. looks like a good solid design

benjamin

[bchesley]

I have planned on making it as strong as a class III type hitch. I pull a 3500 lb. boat so I have to have something that is strong. The bumper structure is way stronger than the typical 2" frame hitch. I just need a cost effective and strong way to attach it to the frame. I think I am getting close. It won't be long.

I guess I need to figure up the cost and see if I can make it affordable enough for everyone to buy one!!!!

Would you want to purchase it raw steel, painted, or powder coated? We have really good powder coating company here locally that will probably make me a deal on coating them, but just have to see the over all cost and where it is at.

[91GWag]

That's a sweet looking bumper. Now if you came up with a front one to match, powder coated and the right brackets for a 3" body lift with widetrac fenders... My check is in the mail!!! :D

[porchpiggy]

I like it a lot. Simple and functional, plenty of beef. I want mine without the reciever, and it will have to clear the factory hitch. I would love to see an installed pic. :cool:

[4x4Tank]

ok, first sweet jeep!! second, sweet bumper!! and third, i want one!!! let me know when you get everything worked out. also let me know if you design a front bumper cause i'll probably want one of those too!! wish i had that kind of skill and talent. :D

[RottenDog]

Great bumper! I definitely want one for my

J-10. If you can build one to match for the
front too, add one to my shopping cart.

[River Beast]

Lets all remember that he is JUST ONE PERSON... :D not SUPERMAN!!! haha.

Bchesley,

again... nice workmanship!!! ;)

Couple of things to consider... not all mounts will be the same, so you may need time to get different years available to make the different mounting brackets (talking of the front)...then the fact is, that the mounts would mostly likely have to have 3 sets of mounting holes to accomodate the stock, the 2" bodylift and the 3" bodylift to set the bumpers to "look" like they are in the factory position.

Just trying to put some thoughts in your head as you are in the designing phase for the mounting system.... hope this helps a little... :cool:

[Lindel]

Brad, in all seriousness, I can bring the wife's 78 Wagoneer, and my 79 WT for measurements, and early bumper attachments. That would leave only the J-trucks for mounting concerns.

Powder coating would be best, and longest lasting, or "naked", and let the customer paint for him/her self.

I wouldn't mess with chrome, too expensive, and plain black paint would scratch off during shipping.

And here's a suggestion for a company name, if you're going to start this for real.... "Bumpers by Brad".

[River Beast]

Lindel... good point.. the W/T would have to be wider to look right....

Bumpers by Brad... I like it...

Or BC Bumpers.... something like that...

[River Beast]

Brad,

Nice mounting brackets!!!! well thought out...

for all.... he added pics of the mounting hardware take another look!

[K-Centre]

That's a really nice system you have set up. I'll be in the second wave of purchasers, too much other work for now.

Sure, nice rig, good welding skills and a Nautique. Boy you know how to rub it in! :D

He also has added pictures of the bumper mounted on his rig in his Jeep photo section.

[Duckman]

Would it be appropriate to call a bumper SEXY? That thing looks great! Good luck.

[BigStupid]

The bumpers look great,exspecially on the rig.! :D Personally I'd make the front bumper the same as the rear except a little shorter for clearence.(I'm not a big fan of the ARB bumpers)Powder coated(can they do that in lime green?)The mounting looks promising and I would trust its strength.Keep up the good work and try not to listen to each of our preferences and make em how you want em.I'm sure we can trust your judgement.Put me on your list and I 2nd the BC Bumpers (good thinkin RB).Love the bumpers and yes bumpers can be sexy! :D :D (seems like everyone wants a price)by the way i have a 77 cherokee ;)

[typeO]

hey brad,

didnt know you where in the business now...lol
great job... looks tough

let me know if i can help with anything...i have these 70's wag over here is you need to verify mounting.

best of luck!

[blt2krl]

Hey Brad, I loved the bumper from the first time I say it in your photo album. Are you going to sell them through crawl tech? You might want to check into shipping costs as well. I love the design. I would like to see you design the tire carrier to hold up too a 38 in tire. I have a buddie that buit his own bumper with a swing away tire carrier. If you have any specific questions on the design or parts used in the swivel system; I would be more than happy to ask him. His bumper was built for his CJ7 but I would think the principal system would be the same.

[CRESSY88]

Galvanized would be best. Paint rubs off, whereas I've found powder coating to chip and will not stand up in salty road conditions year after year. Chrome rusts eventually. Galvanized really works. It seems a shame to design/build such a quality piece of work and have it disintegrate due to a second-rate finish.

FWIW

[sandmanb]

why not use durabake as a coating,a friend of mine did the runks on his cj looked great easy to touch up also...just a thought

[bchesley]

Wow!!! I had no idea that I would get this kind of response. I guess I need to get on the ball and start fabricating!!

I will need to look at some other models for mounting procedures. Building the bumper was easy. I had no idea that mounting it would become the hard part. It does not help that I am a perfectionist. I really appreciate all the ideas and input, and I think BC bumpers will stick. I think this will be called the RockTeck model for full size jeeps. I hope to build the tire carrier this weekend and get some pics up. By then I think that I can come up with a price range for both pieces. As for a front bumper I am tossing a few ideas around.

Would you rather have a 2" receiver like the rear or have a winch mount. Personally I would rather have a receiver than a mount for two reasons. First reason is security, if you can take it with you or lock it up inside it is safe. Second reason, being able to attach it in the rear or the front has major advantages over the fixed mount. I will sketch some thing up and post it tomorrow!!

[Kimbrough]

My $.02:
No winch bumper. Just the 2" receiver like the rear. A winch bumper sticks out WAY too much for my taste and I can't afford the winch anyhow ;) Also, I have a factory brush bar I'd like to put on the new bumper :D

Black powdercoating is the way I'd go - Duraback sounds good,too.

[Baldy]

Some more $.02...definetly a 2" receiver. The better the approach/departure angle the more trouble I can get myself into. Ship it naked....that way costumers can paint it to match their rigs...mine would have to be rust. BTW, nice bumper...looking to get something fabbed up myself in the near future.

Laz

[Hump]

Sweet bumpers man! I'm with the guys who asked if it was air tight. Put a couple fittings on it to hook up your onboard air, and wala, you have a permenant air tank.

Since you are a fab man, then why stick to just one design? Get the basic design down, the mounting design and positions and then let us order what we want, and you give us a quote. Some guys want hitch mounts, and some don't, some want winch mounts. I would love some air fittings, and maybe some built in lights. Some guys might just want a little different looking bumper, and could send you some drawings to see what you could come up with.

I've seen some fab and machine shops triple in size in a year. Being flexible is what sells.

Say I just graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering...do you need someone to run some strength analysis on your bumpers? ;)

Oh yeah, you will probably have to get some sort of DOT approval and meet safety standards to sell your bumpers. Insurance is...well...pretty self explainatory.

[derf]

Hey, nice bumpers. smile.gif

If you'd like to see how my front ARB bumper mounts on my XJ (including the winch mount), I can arrange to get out there sometime next month.

As far as the front bumper, I know some people would like just a hitch receiver but personally, I'd want one with a full up winch mount and brush guard (like the bull bar on my XJ). Would you be opposed to building two different bumpers?

[fas2c]

SHHHHWWIIINNNNGGGG :D
I like very much. By the time you get up to speed on production I may have the cash to buy one ;)
Very nice job! I wish I had a place to fabricate.
fas2c

[Millerluck]

Sweet bumper! :D

Very nice job.

Larry Miller

[Tony Rio]

If I can figure out how to get the existing "custom" bumpers off of my '78, I would probably be interested depending on cost and shipping.

And I would rather have a bare metal one... rustoleum is my friend! :D

[ December 13, 2001: Message edited by: Tony Rio ]

[tnhunter]

Count me in, how much and when can I have it? When is your IPO going to be offered? Man, you have started something here may work out great for you. Looks like great workmanship and quality. Congratulations. tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif tongue.gif

[Maynard]

Bchesley, this is the front bumper that I made for my jeep.
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=1794890&a=13911933&p=55608833&f=0

maybe you could make a front somewhat like this.

[NYC]

Love the bumper!

Regarding the names:
I do this for a living (branding). Don't name the company "___ Bumpers". Don't limit yourself or the company. Look at "Superwinch" - now they make and sell hubs, lights etc. Kinda dumb huh. Warn, however, can do what ever they want. I named a friend's welding and fabricating company - "Weldone Inc.". Get it, Well done, Weld One... He can make bumpers, ski racks, roll cages... Use your name, or something less-specific... unless you know you'll never ever make anything else... ever...

Weldone is fabricating a custom winch bumper for me next week! I'll post pictures. Don't worry, he's no competition for ya' He's doing it as a favor ;)

[wagdriver]

Great Job on your bumper and mounting system. I don't think any thing will give way there. They look great on the rig to. Not to big not to small but just right. Coming up with a universal mounting system is the major obstacle. You have gone this far I don't think you will have any trouble with the rest. Very well executed! ;)

[Stolen76]

Impressive Bumper !! Looks great and functional, nice switch from what you can get for an FSJ.

I was wondering tho.. why limit yourself to just the FSJ ? If you do a series of mounting holes across the backside couldn't it be a universal type deal ? Most 4WD pickups are the same width, you could litterally accomodate millions of trucks that are on the road with a single width bumper. Anyone who wanted it welded to the mounts could line it up to the brackets snug in a couple of bolts and then come see me. I'd weld it up for them in trade for one that would fit mine.

looks great, add me to your "interested" list

[Manhattan]

Any progress on mounting the bumper or building the tire carrier?

The front winch bumper is complete and on my GW - I'll post the picks next week... still using role film.

After doing the front (and a rear locker) my GW is feeling really (really!) limited by the rear bumper and the "Hidden Hitch". Why do they call this thing "hidden". If sure find it every time I leave the pavement!

My new priority is a rear bumper... and the one you've designed is IT!!! If I can't buy one from you (you decide not to make'em to sell), I'm going to have Weldone, Inc. try to duplicate it! It is PERFECT!!!

[bchesley]

I have finished the brackets and have all the pieces cut out for the tire carrier. I will have it all finished in about two weeks. I am leaving for colorado in about two hours for 6 days so I wont be working on it the next week. I hope to start producing by the end of January!!!!

[Jezmond]

Brad the bumpers are awsome!!!!!!!!!!!! i'll take one too.did you think about how to mount it to the trucks that have the factory tow reciver?would we have to take it off? or would you make so that it would mount over the hole or,on top of the hole.just askin cuz i want one.