# Building my own rear bumper



## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Back when my wife had her back surgery my two boys were on the way to the hospital to visit here in my Jeep when my oldest stopped at a green light in a turn lane to wait for the oncoming traffic to clear as is required by traffic laws when this texting idiot rear ended him, and we all know how strong the stock bumper bar is on a wrangler, and since as far as I'm concerned it was NOT his fault, should he have to replace my bumper, I say NO, even thought he thinks he should since he was responsible, therefore I have acquired a 54 inch section of 3' square tube as thick as the stock bumper, only this is made of playground quality steel 
hopefully since I took today off I can manufacture the mounts and weld them on, If I am successful I'll post pics ion this thread ,before installation, and after installiation


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

The other driver should have replaced the bumper........ACDA (Assured Clear Distance Ahead). But.....may not apply on freeways where minimum speeds are required.......unless there is an obstruction ahead. 

3" square stock should make a decent bumper........:thumb:


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

The other driver fled the scene, which is kind a good thing in a way.
You see here in Virginia if a driver that is under 21 or had their license under a year, gets in ANY accident, their license is revoked for a year, or until they turn 21, and they must attend driver improvement classes, weather or not the accident was their fault.
Personally I feel that law is total BS, cause 90% of teen drivers here that get in wrecks are rear ended at a red light, which makes it NOT their fault.
but either way neither me or my oldest has the money for driving class and we darn sure can't afford the time he would be out a license.
Compliments of fanny Freddie and the govt I need him able to drive and go to work on his own


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

I don't think insurance have to following what the law says.

Buy a bumper at a salvage yard

BG


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## alpenadiver (Jul 31, 2007)

If your son is ticketed just because he is "new" driver, I would be contesting it. He definitely was following the States traffic laws.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Basementgeek said:


> I don't think insurance have to following what the law says.
> 
> Buy a bumper at a salvage yard
> 
> BG


Insurance companies don;t have to follow what teh law says in this country.
And I would get a bumper at a salvage yard, but here locally every single Jeep wrangler that goes to a junk yard is nothing more than a frame and maybe a couple of body parts left.



alpenadiver said:


> If your son is ticketed just because he is "new" driver, I would be contesting it. He definitely was following the States traffic laws.


he hasn't gotten a ticket yet, but if he does and I find out he was following the law My LAWYER will be contesting it not me


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Ok guys here's some early pictures of what I'm doing

The bumper bar itself cut to 54"
http://imageshack.com/a/img24/3822/4zb2.jpg


Here's the square stock I will use for everything else (end caps and bum,per mounts)
http://imageshack.com/a/img839/3336/rzjp.jpg

Here's the square stock cut into strips, drilled to mount and bent for proper clearance
http://imageshack.com/a/img571/7500/bruk.jpg
These will be welded into the bumper bar, and bolted onto the Jeep, hopefully today I can drag the welder out front and tack everything in place.

Oh and YES everything WILL be painted Black,


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

UPDATE 1/12/14
installed the mounts on the Jeep today, set the bumper on jack stands at the height it will be mounted at, measured, marked, measured again and then took everything into the back and tacked the mounts on, re installed made sure everything was right, removed it and welded everything in place, the welds still need to be dressed down and the lower bumper mounts still need o be fabricated, and the hitch needs to be installed but its right and all distances ate correct and equal, not bad for an old man huh?

Pictures

http://imageshack.com/a/img59/972/cztv.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img801/8216/ciwg.jpg


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Looks good. What's the matter with the original mount points......no backing??


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Should picked up a water filled bumper :>) :

Look Ma, No Dents! A Look at a Water-Filled Bumper - Article - Automotive Fleet

BG


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

SABL said:


> Looks good. What's the matter with the original mount points......no backing??


the bolts are only welded onto the mount plate so they can go through the original mounting point, and I didn;t have a special playground bolt rench required so I just welded them on teh plate



Basementgeek said:


> Should picked up a water filled bumper :>) :
> 
> Look Ma, No Dents! A Look at a Water-Filled Bumper - Article - Automotive Fleet
> 
> BG


Makes me want to install a valve


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## kendallt (Feb 21, 2007)

Basementgeek said:


> Should picked up a water filled bumper :>) :
> 
> Look Ma, No Dents! A Look at a Water-Filled Bumper - Article - Automotive Fleet
> 
> BG



Knew it had to be the 70s!
80s and up, they'd be too concerned with weight! Water bumpers are used in a lot of highway trucks though, pretty heavy duty units.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

The only problem I'd see with one of those is a water leak


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Today's update, drilled the holes mounted the hitch with a backer bar and the bolts welded onto it inside the bumper, end caps on and ready for sanding and painting.

Pic
http://imageshack.com/a/img707/305/rciz.jpg

No the grill isn't getting mounted.....................but that could be an idea for future modifications


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Nice, but thats seems to too long of a hitch.

BG


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## kendallt (Feb 21, 2007)

Solid looking bumper, will be plenty sturdy and look good too. Since you welded end caps on it, should have welded the hitch on, then used the bumper as an air tank with an engine driven compressor... 

Agree, the hitch seems too long, possibly swap the mount from face mount to rear? 
No idea how much lift your jeep has, but hitches are trained attack demons that will hit you with no warning, and pick their targets carefully.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Basementgeek said:


> Nice, but thats seems to too long of a hitch.
> 
> BG


Nope the hitch won;t come past the end of the spare tire  ( checked that



kendallt said:


> Solid looking bumper, will be plenty sturdy and look good too. Since you welded end caps on it, should have welded the hitch on, then used the bumper as an air tank with an engine driven compressor...
> 
> Agree, the hitch seems too long, possibly swap the mount from face mount to rear?
> No idea how much lift your jeep has, but hitches are trained attack demons that will hit you with no warning, and pick their targets carefully.


I thought about welding the hitch on but all I have a is 35 year old Century 70/50 .030 flux core 110VAC buzz box, and I don't feel like 20 passes on each side LOL, Besides my compressor is the small $9 Wal Mart one that plugs into the cig lighter
As for the length of the hitch, again I say it doesn't pass the spare tire  AND I have a hitch cover so the demons wont cause me to bleed ( hopefully)
As for lifted, its stock height, I live in Va Beach, there's no reason here to need a lift on anything, even if I do get in mud, unless its shallow enough for a smart car to go through it it doesn't mater how high you go your gonna sink, an be stuck.


I as incorrect thought about being finished, I need to make two straps from the bumper to the frame where the hook is supposed to mount on each side, ease enough , but I gotta install it to measure , and I still gotta fine my oil based black pant, but either way ALL welding will be done today


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## Basementgeek (Feb 7, 2005)

Just watch the tongue weight. Also total weight.

BG


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## SABL (Jul 4, 2008)

Looks good so far.....:thumb:

I've got a class IV Reese on my van.....that one's a real shin-banger!! Does make a nice step, though. 

I don't think the Wrangler has much weight capacity.....watch out how many logs you put in the trailer!! Most I ever hauled was a skid-steer loader with an E250HD.....current van is E350 and get's little strain. Most I haul is a 1400lb mower.....if I tag the trailer. Makes it much nicer to haul the thing for a gas fill up.......if I can afford to fill the thing up.....:laugh:.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Basementgeek said:


> Just watch the tongue weight. Also total weight.
> 
> BG


 200Lb toung 1600 total is max on the trailer, the stock bumper is 200 lb toung, and 1000 trailer, My bumper is designed to match the trailer weight even though I can't max it due to the rear suspension, I just made it tougher for the added mental peace of mind when my bumper doesn't bend liek a chevrolet S10 bumper does 



SABL said:


> Looks good so far.....:thumb:
> 
> I've got a class IV Reese on my van.....that one's a real shin-banger!! Does make a nice step, though.
> 
> I don't think the Wrangler has much weight capacity.....watch out how many logs you put in the trailer!! Most I ever hauled was a skid-steer loader with an E250HD.....current van is E350 and get's little strain. Most I haul is a 1400lb mower.....if I tag the trailer. Makes it much nicer to haul the thing for a gas fill up.......if I can afford to fill the thing up.....:laugh:.


Thanks SABL, enjoy the step, I don't need one on my Jeep though LOL


Oh guys here it is ALL welding is complete. double welds on all critical parts 
(mounts all the way around) and painted. It goes on tomorrow.


http://imageshack.com/a/img689/2589/4a1z.jpg


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Uh....just an update, the paint dried enough that I didn't leave fingerprints, so guess what have a look at the new bumper rated at 200 and 2000, two coats oil based enamel paint brushed hitch and ball installed and secured to the Jeep properly using Stainless Steel bolts and nuts

Enjoy

http://imageshack.com/a/img855/6259/c3vp.jpg


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## Old Rich (May 31, 2007)

Dang! ! You do good work!


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## bruiser (Jul 30, 2005)

Looks good, but I'd obscure the license plate in the photo.


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## wolfen1086 (Oct 4, 2007)

Old Rich said:


> Dang! ! You do good work!


Thanks, All I had to go by for the mounts was memory cause its been a coupe of months since I threw the stock bumper away LOL, Bad part is I measured every angle and every thing is exactly the same distance apart



bruiser said:


> Looks good, but I'd obscure the license plate in the photo.


tried that once, gave up on it figure it like this, anybody who wanted to know where I live that bad can just ask, I'm 50 years old and there's nobody on TSF that I thing would want to track me down anymore than the drug cartels down in Central America or a local street gang member.
If you steal my identify, PLEASE put some money in the bank for me when your done :grin:


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