Rear Bumper w/Swingout Tire Carrier Follow Along - Page 5

MuDdIN_XJ4x4 · 11-25-2004, 11:04 AM

Hey dude nice work, thats what i'm gonna need here in a few weeks on my 93 XJ (feel like makin another one;-) j/k). Did u paint it or leave it as it after u got done, my cousin built a tire carrier like that and when he was done he rhino linered it.... looked sweet. Well congrats on ur bumper and tire carrier it rocks, later.

**BESRK** · 11-25-2004, 01:58 PM

Thanks for the kind words!! Actually, I shot the whole thing with a coat of POR 15 and topcoated it with POR 15 Chassis Black (semi gloss). Looks as good as the day I shot it (about 3 months or so...)

Jeepfan Jeff · 01-31-2005, 08:44 PM

sweet bump! we must have been on the same page. on my rear bumper i didn't think ahead enough, cut the hole for my carrier spindle without considering the tailgate so I had to fill and redrill also. for my closure I drilled for a 3/4" bolt, cut the head off and welded it front and back. then used a piece of flat stock 2"x4" overdrilled to clear the 3/4" stud and weled it to my carrier like a tab, I hunted and hunted for a 3/4" handle nut which I found at advanced frame works, $5.00 for the nut and $8.00 for s/h. That isn't much but I was in shock when i saw it, I could have made my own for .75 cents(oh well). I also used a piece of 1/2" pvc plastic cut to 2"x2" drilled and countersunk holes for 1/4-20 flathead machine screws and beveled the leading edge to keep the carrier seated solid(that mounted between the bumper and the carrier). the 1/2" pvc plastic can be found at most bigger sign shops(it should last for years without causing rust).

**BESRK** · 02-01-2005, 08:04 PM

Hey Jeff, can you post some pics of that? I've got a pretty good mental picture but I'd like to see how it came out. Lately, I've been devoting every free minute to getting both of my CJs finished. However, as soon as I get caught up, I'd really like to start cranking out a few bumpers again. Haven't done any for a few months and I actually miss it. Plus, the bumpers really helped me along with my welding and general fabrication skills. Matter of fact, if I hadn't done the bumper thing last summer, I don't think I would've even attempted to knock out the 4 link that I'm working on right now. Now that I'm about half way thru the 4 link, I'm already mulling over the idea of a tube bender and a full on buggy maybe next year or so... this stuff is more addicting than Crack Cocaine!!!

Jeepfan Jeff · 02-12-2005, 07:29 PM

Hey BESRK,
I just got around to looking at this thread again, wow what alot of replies. That bumper is pretty impressive. I've been busy at work and now the weather is bad. I'll get my camera out and take some pics and try to post them(if i can figure out how to do that, this stuff is new to me but I find it very interesting and informative) as soon as I get a chance.

Jeep Daddy · 03-28-2005, 12:28 AM

Bersk, Here's a pic of my almost completed rear bumper. Thanks for your help with the details on how you built yours. Mine is very simular except for the ends, the shackle pieces and how I made the carrier hinge. I still need to pull it all apart and wire brush a little, touch up a couple of welds and paint.

Here's two other pics of two small projects I put together at the same time. One is my antenna bracket and the other is the bracket for the air chuck on the rear of my Jeep:

And one of the shackles I just finished.

**BESRK** · 03-28-2005, 05:29 AM

Awesome! I really like those tapered ends on the bumper. You really did a nice job! I did an antenna mount just like the one you did too...

dwilliams35 · 03-28-2005, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BESRK

Price of steel is killing me right now. Here is what I pay for the steel. I still have to break it down by the inch to see what my actual cost per bumper is...

2x4x1/4" wall... $240 for 20' (4 rear bumpers @ 55") or (5 front bumpers @ 48")
3x3x1/4" wall $220 for 24' (mounting legs..5")
2 1/2x2 1/2x 1/4"wall $190 for 24' (receiver 7")
2"x3/4" flat .. $75 for 20' (clevis mounts 12")
2"x1/4" flat.. $23 for 20' (end pieces 16")
3"x3/8" flat.. $75 for 20' (mounting plates 16-18")
2 1/2"x1/4" flat.. $27 for 20' (chain plate 7")
2x2x3/16" square.. $110 for 20' (swingaway frame 88"+-)
spindle and bearing.. about $25 w/shipping
De Sta Co latch.. about $25 w/shipping
POR 15..... $105 a gallon (20-25 bumpers)
POR 15 Chassis Black... $140 a gallon (20-25 bumpers)
Welding wire.. 10lb roll of flux core.. $35 (4-5 bumpers)
Bubble wrap.. $11 for 175' (14 bumpers or so)
Tape..$2 a roll (1 roll per bumper)
Shipping.. East coast about $25.. Midwest about $40 and West Coast about $50 (for a basic bumper)
My time.. 4 hours for a basic rear bumper.. 3 1/2 hours for a basic front bumper... approx 8 hours for a rear bumper with tire carrier.

I'm sure it'll get quicker as I zero in on measurements.. etc. the key to making bumpers is to mass produce as much as possible. I take advantage of rainy days by cutting/drilling all my brackets and pieces. I'm sure I left a couple things out (like grinding disks, welding tips, plasma tips, bandsaw blades, gloves, lacquer thinner..etc) but you can probably do the math and see that I don't make a whole lot in profit off of this sweat shop endeavor... but I still enjoy it

Dude: your steel prices are utterly stunning. The last 2x4x 3/16 I bought was about eighty bucks: I bought some 2x1/2 flat day before yesterday for 12.23. I thought I had it bad around here.
Also, you mentioned a 1" drill bit, and that it's a PIA to use: if you haven't already tried one, go check out the Hougen roto-broach bits: Others may make them, but we've got hougens. I just put a 15/16 hole through some 1" plate for the shackle points on the bumper I'm building now: takes about 30 seconds or less, and you never have to back the bit out to clear it. It's basically like a carbide hole saw, but it cuts a 3/16 or so "kerf": It pilots just on a spring-loaded pin that hangs into a punch-pin dent. it's got about ten or fifteen cutting edges and just basically blazes through mild steel. VERY clean hole left, too.

Jeep Daddy · 03-28-2005, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dwilliams35

Dude: your steel prices are utterly stunning. The last 2x4x 3/16 I bought was about eighty bucks: I bought some 2x1/2 flat day before yesterday for 12.23. I thought I had it bad around here.
Also, you mentioned a 1" drill bit, and that it's a PIA to use: if you haven't already tried one, go check out the Hougen roto-broach bits: Others may make them, but we've got hougens. I just put a 15/16 hole through some 1" plate for the shackle points on the bumper I'm building now: takes about 30 seconds or less, and you never have to back the bit out to clear it. It's basically like a carbide hole saw, but it cuts a 3/16 or so "kerf": It pilots just on a spring-loaded pin that hangs into a punch-pin dent. it's got about ten or fifteen cutting edges and just basically blazes through mild steel. VERY clean hole left, too.

Dude, throw a pic of those drill bits up here so I can see what the heck you are talking about. Will they fit a 3/8" chuck? 1/2" chuck?

**BESRK** · 03-29-2005, 04:51 AM

Yeah.. it doesn't help that there's only one steel supplier in town... unless I want to drive 30-50 miles to pick up steel. Yeah, I'd like to see one of those bits. How long do they last? I probably get 200-400 holes between sharpenings on my standard black oxide bits.

dwilliams35 · 03-29-2005, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeep Daddy

Dude, throw a pic of those drill bits up here so I can see what the heck you are talking about. Will they fit a 3/8" chuck? 1/2" chuck?

The ones I've got at home (thus in the pictures) will fit a 3/8 chuck: this set will only do 1/4 thick steel, however. They just screw onto an arbor: the big ones (that we've got at work) will go into a 1/2 inch chuck, and just setscrew onto said arbor. Picture the same thing, just longer, and pretty much any size you want up to 2 - 2 1/2 inch. Like I said before, they'll just blaze through mild steel: you just have to keep them straight: they like drill presses. The smaller ones (like in the pictures) have a spring-loaded pin to pilot off of: that just holds in a centerpunch hole. The bigger ones are meant to be on a serious drill press or mill: we've got a magnetic drill press built for them, but we also have the arbors, etc. to put them in a regular drill press. Those big ones will make short work of 1" plate. Really clean holes, too. The main thing is that they've got 6 to 12 or so cutting edges cutting a 3/16 (or so) wide kerf, instead of two cutting edges cutting 1/2 inch each. It's called a Hougen Rotobroach: we get them from a tool company in Houston. We've also got a bunch of them from Ebay.

Jeep Daddy · 03-29-2005, 09:37 PM

Right on with the drill bits. I'm going to look for some. I wonder how expensive they are and where to get them.

dwilliams35 · 03-29-2005, 10:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jeep Daddy

Right on with the drill bits. I'm going to look for some. I wonder how expensive they are and where to get them.

I know they ain't cheap: the set I've got was about seventy bucks. However, if you're set up to run them, I've yet to see anything better for punching those 1x1"
holes. I'll look around and see if there's any national distributor.

Quick edit: I found their website: like it was real hard.
http://www.hougen.com/

Look at the "annular cutters" on that front page: thatsa them. They've got a distributor link too. I'm telling you, these things are badass if you want to drop the cash for them.

**BESRK** · 03-30-2005, 04:48 PM

I must have a set at all cost

Jeep Daddy · 03-30-2005, 11:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BESRK

I must have a set at all cost

I want a set too but I can see now that my bench top drill press doesn't have enough throw - so I'll need a new floor standing drill press first. I guess I'll have to pop for a 1hp drill press with at least a 5/8" chuck. That would do the trick.