Home made bumper

I realize I will probably get some flame for this but this is the sort of thing I do when I get bored and have some spare parts laying around. That being said, NO I will not pull anything with this bumper. It isn't load bearing and I know it... I already have a rear recovery point that works very well. This would put a pretty nasty dent in a car that rear ended me though. This did bring my exit angle in several inches.

Anyway, Several years ago I helped build a new training lab for the electronic communications school for the Marine Corps. We somehow ended up with one extra beam that was going to get thrown away. Hell no I say. I finally got around to doing something with it. Being that I not only don't have welding capabilities but I also don't have welding knowledge, I made this completely bolt on. (so far, could easily be changed later)


Here's the beam


Forgive the junk table. It used to be a very nice, butcher block top, work bench. Michigan weather killed it.


I already had my rear bumper off so I could relocate my air lines (still haven't done it yet)


Chop chop chop


test fit test fit test fit


Made brackets out of the pieces I cut off.


bolt bolt bolt bolt


other side


Don't worry, it's held together with MUCH bigger bolts than what you see on the side. One of them is sitting on top in this pic.


Almost finished. Paint is drying as I type this (black). Still have to run the license plate lights.


size comparison, only piece I didn't use.

I could have (probably) made the bottom bar a little longer, so it went all the way to the plastic side pieces. Ehh, whatever. I don't know if I will even keep this bumper on for very long. As stated above, it was a project out of boredom. Gotta get rid of a lot of spare parts I have laying around. I will be moving to Texas next month.

I'll post more pics tomorrow after it is all put together and mounted.

What do you think?

AWESOME JOB!

Seriously...looks great for a few bolts and cutting some metal!

+1 on like it.

all done (for now) Didn't know that black paint was going to come out shiny?! oops

I like it. Completely different then what is out there. And like you said about the load bearing thing. As long as you know. No one should give you crap for this.

It looks great. Like Metz said you know what It Is there for so who cares what other people think. At the end of the day It Is your rig and you make It the way you want It. But I have a feeling that you already knew that...

Thanks. Someday, I would LOVE to have real bumpers capable of lifting the X into a tree like that movie The gobbles Must Be Crazy lol. But, due to what seems like always unforseen events in life, I can never make the time and the money meet. Either I have the money but I'm on the other side of the planet, or I'm chilling at home broke as hell... That's life. HOPEFULLY, after I settle down in Tx, I will finally be able to have the X of my dreams... Until then, I mod when I can with what I can. I know that, once I do get settled, I'm finally going to learn how to weld. I have been putting it off for WAY too many years. Metal working and mechanics seem to come naturally to me (not solely based on this project) I'm certain it's my dad's blood catching up to me. Once I do that, I think my whole lifestyle is going to change. I've been into electronics technician work my entire life but the more I work with metal the happier I get. Strange turn of events or soul searching or midlife crisis or something? Who knows. See ya around!