REPLACEMENT FRONT BUMPER

DAIRYMAN · Aug 11, 2005

Hey guys. I'm a new member here. I found these discussion boards by looking on Hoye Tractors homepage. WOW, you can find a lot of great info here. Anyways, I;m not sure if anyone can help, or if i should even be askin this question on a tractor board, but does anyone have any specs or a design plan on building a replacement front bumper for a pickup. I just need something a little more "tough" on the front of my old farm truck.

Thanks for all you guys help. It looks like there's no such thing as a "stupid question" on here!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

em14 · Aug 11, 2005

I would just get a piece of 4"-6" pipe or an old drive shaft. Bolt a couple pieces of either 1/4" flat or angle iron to the front rails of the truck's frame. Notch these so that the pipe touches the edge of the flat iron so that you have a good surface to weld to and weld away ... Front bumper.
Leo

JimR · Aug 11, 2005

I use to make off-road bumpers for Jeeps. I would use a 4" piece of pipe and welds plates to the ends and smooth it out. Then I would use square stock notched out to fit the pipe and weld two drilled plates that matched the bolt pattern on the Jeep to the other end. These two notched squares would then get welded to the pipe. It would then get sandblasted and painted black. For front bumpers on a pickup I would use either 2 pieces of 4" pipe or a 6" piece. The mounting would depend on what the frame looks like. Remember if it is too strong your frame will get trashed in an accident. I would use 1/8" wall pipe and 1/8" wall square stock. I wish I could post some pictures of the bumpers I use to make. But that was over 20 years ago and way before digital camera's were around.

MikeIA · Aug 11, 2005

I've seen channel iron, notched, bent, and welded to form "wings" toward the ends, to kind of follow the curve of the front of the truck.

A guy at work attached the front bumper from an army 6x6 to his truck that he uses to go 4-wheel'n.

Slamfire · Aug 12, 2005

When my uncle bent his on a Cadillac, we replaced it with an oak plank out of the barn loft. Dad firured it was up there for nearly 70 years. Kinda hard to drill bolt holes in though. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

frederic · Aug 15, 2005

Make your own bumper, it's fun. And don't listen to your wife, size matters ;-)

Jagmandave · Aug 16, 2005

Wow, Fred, did you need heavier front springs after you installed that to keep it from draggin the ground? man that thing looks massive! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

BeezleBub · Oct 23, 2005

( Wow, Fred, did you need heavier front springs after you installed that to keep it from draggin the ground? man that thing looks massive! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif )

That was the problem with my original "after market" front bumper on my F250. It took 3 people and a bobcat to put it on. Bobcat to lift and 2 to steady and one to bolt on, and it still had to be welded since it had a tendency due to weight to unlevel itself. It was so heavy we had to have 1 ton springs put on and it still was a bear on the front suspension.
I did a down & dirty 2x4 tubing to angle 1/8x3 angle iron and it turned out decent for a new bumper... if you consider that I've only been back in the "welding game" for about 3 months after being out of it for 30+ years.
Kinda timely for me since some "gentle person" decided they needed that older bumper worse than I did and relieved me of it from where it sat beside the fence entrance... and in broad daylight too, not to mention getting the 9 2x8x12 decking boards that were out of the trailer while it was being repainted. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

DaNag · Oct 24, 2005

( It was so heavy we had to have 1 ton springs put on and it still was a bear on the front suspension.)

Yup...most aftermarket front bumpers weigh a bunch, and many folks want to add a winch which adds even more. Many 1 ton trucks can handle this, but as you noticed, the 3/4's can be overwhelmed.

Your suspension mod is one solution - another is to have one custom made, out of lighter guage materials than most aftermarket bumper manufacturers use. This is the route I took; all of the "stock" aftermarket bumpers I looked at were either very heavy, or of questionable quality and finish. Ended up with something far beefier than stock, but very lightweight - even with a winch installed.

Had mine done by an outfit in Sonora, CA - pics are here. Saved a bunch of weight on the winch by going hydraulic (MileMarker 12K.)

I was at the shop when the bumper was installed - two guys easily lifted it in place. My guess is, I'm only ~100lbs. or so over stock, including the addition of the winch. My stock 3/4 ton suspension has held up fine for 3 years, providing the same ride quality as stock.