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Sexy tire carriers/bumpers

C

chev4life

1/2 ton status
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Jun 21, 2001
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Location
San Jose, CA
Ok, I have been trying to build/looking for a useable good looking..somewhat...tire carrier/bumper for my 87 and I find this
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/100_rear_bumper.htm
for toyotas...why dont we have sexy functional stuff like this for our rigs? Is there anything out there thats like this for our rigs? Not against anyones bumpers, but I am tired of the standard box steel...though the 4x4iron ones were sweet :(
 
chev4life said:
Ok, I have been trying to build/looking for a useable good looking..somewhat...tire carrier/bumper for my 87 and I find this
http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/100_rear_bumper.htm
for toyotas...why dont we have sexy functional stuff like this for our rigs? Is there anything out there thats like this for our rigs? Not against anyones bumpers, but I am tired of the standard box steel...though the 4x4iron ones were sweet :(
Click to expand...

That bumper costs almost as much as both my trucks did.
If you have a 4x4 shop or metal shop locally, they could probably build a simular one for much cheaper (so I think...)
 
Yeah, that thing is way $$$$...not saying that crazy...I just want something that looks somewhat stock but functions.
 
God damnit! $2,000 for a BUMPER???
My guess is the reason that nobody makes bumpers like this for Chevys is because most people w/ older Chevys aren't dumb/rich/snooty/etc... enough to pay $2K for a bumper.
If you find someone like this, send them my way... I have lots of old Chevy stuff that I would like to sell...
 
Whats wrong with boxy??

front_shocks_008.jpg
 
The reason no company builds a bumper like that for a K5-K30 is because that no one with an older truck will spend the money on it. Look at the truck that the bumper is on, spending $2k on a $35k truck is ok, but who is going to spend $2k on a $1000 K5?!?! Also, the bumper is worth every bit of $2k, there is a lot of fab time in that bumper.

Here is a bumper that I am working on for my K5, still need to add shackle, light, and winch hook tab's, but the main fabrication is done. If you wanted this same bumper from me with all the welds smoothed out, you would be spending around $1k. Creating something like this is very time consuming and that is what drives the price way up. Later Guys, Pete.

DSC01757.JPG

DSC01761.JPG
 
yeah, nothing sexy about a $2k bumper... i dont really care how much fab time is in it. ;) functionally, its not superior to any number of tubular rear bumpers I have seen here on ck5 (4x4 armor et all).

j
 
Off Road Design is going to release a front bumper soon that is awsome. It is light weight, holds lights and a winch. If its not too pricy, I am going to find a way to buy it. If its too pricy I will get my girl friend's daddy to help me fabricate one, because he is a master at welding.
 
damn yunit, them are some nicely cleaned-up welds on your bumper! gj! what do you use to get them to look that good? I usually clean up metal booboos with a flapper disc... but getting them to smooth chit out in a joint like that isn't so easy...

j
 
jekbrown said:
damn yunit, them are some nicely cleaned-up welds on your bumper! gj! what do you use to get them to look that good? I usually clean up metal booboos with a flapper disc... but getting them to smooth chit out in a joint like that isn't so easy...

j
Click to expand...


You need to watch more episodes of "American Hot Rod"....

Boyd's crew just uses the flap disc to get the welds reasonably dressed, and then Charlie in the body shop lays in the bondo er, plastic filler on each and every joint to fill the minor issues. Then all it takes is countless hours of gently sanding and smoothing each one prior to painting......


To the original poster:

FWIW - the reason you don't see "nice" bumpers for K5s is because aesthetic beauty is the first thing discarded when people are looking for improved funtionality. That's not to say that aesthetics and function can't co-exist in a heavy duty part....but the reality is that almost nobody is willing to spend the time to build it "pretty" for themselves, and even fewer people are willing to shell out the $$$ necessary for someone else to do it for them.

If you like that kind of bumper (and are actually willing to pay $2000 for it) you can probably find someone willing to build you a one-off. Otherwise, the best advice is to buy yourself a welder and embrace the best part of this hobby.......the "Built not Bought' mentality that runs rampant around here! :wink1:

You can design and build whatever you want and you'll never have to be limited to what's in the parts catalogs. If you want a "sexy" bumper....draw it up, then buy some steel and build it. When you're done you'll have something nobody else has....and the satisfaction of getting exactly what you want, and knowing that you did it yourself.


:usaflag:
 
What Greg is trying to say is........Blood, sweat, dirty a$$ boogers (with no smell or taste for hours) and frustration all add up to "the satisfaction of getting exactly what you want".
Only its not the built not bought mentality thats run rampent its the, I'm broke as a joke and the other guy with a welder makes way worse stuff than me so I'll keep my money and do it my damn self mentality . :D Works every time :waytogo:
 
Greg72 said:
You need to watch more episodes of "American Hot Rod"....

Boyd's crew just uses the flap disc to get the welds reasonably dressed, and then Charlie in the body shop lays in the bondo er, plastic filler on each and every joint to fill the minor issues. Then all it takes is countless hours of gently sanding and smoothing each one prior to painting......
Click to expand...

bondo? meh! :crazy: I'm all for pretty looking joints, but I'd rather not add any kind of filler. What if, at a later date, I decide to add more bracing and I want another piece of tube to meet at the joint? Then I have to go through all the effort to remove the filler and junk before I weld stuff up. Doesn't seem worth it, even for the bling.

j
 
No bondo here, I just fill the voids with weld and grind it smooth with a flap disk and do some filing in the tight spots.


Bling Bling!!!
front2.JPG
 
right on dude, that chit is bling. Gotta appreciate the attention to detail. I didn't think a 4x4-minded gear head would use filler... ;)

j
 
My rig is most deff not baught...it ws built as much as possible, but living in an apt makes it a little tough to get into metal fab and such, have to do alot of traveling to get **** done. I think too many people use the "functionality" as an reason for having ugly ass rigs. Make it work nice and look nice and it makes it more appreciable to see a rig on the street when its not on the trail.
Anyway...I am really just looking for some ideas to build a somewhat stock looking rear bumper that functions as a tire carrier. The one I currently have is too levered off a single frame rail and the stock bumper doesnt hold its own stiffening between the rails. How much do peoples full boxed or tubed bumpers w/ carriers move when driving/wheeling? Mine twists enough to hit my tailgate when wheeling and wobbles like an antenna when driving due to frame flex and box steel twist.
 
chev4life said:
I think too many people use the "functionality" as an reason for having ugly ass rigs.
Click to expand...

:surepal:

"ugly" is an aesthetic opinion. If a vehicle is designed to look good while you cruise on pavement looking for "chicks" then yeah, it has all kinds of purdy paint, flawlessly straight full body panels, lots of chrome etc. If a vehicle is designed to work well offroad those things are of little/no value. Functionality = beauty IMO. Others disagree. Quick example... with respect to an offroad vehicle, I think the first truck shown below is ugly as sin... while the second is drop dead gorgeous...

knaakgmc05.jpg


sniper.jpg



Make it work nice and look nice
Click to expand...

The later is almost always a compromise of the former.

and it makes it more appreciable to see a rig on the street when its not on the trail.
Click to expand...

only to those looking for bling.

j
 
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