Build your own custom steel bumpers
Love the idea of buildin’ your own Steel Bumper? In this blog post, we’ll help you figure out how you can do that and what are the most important things to consider before building your very own Truck Bumper you can be proud of!
Before getting started on building, you should know that DIY steel bumper kits are trendy now, and the companies that sell them do an excellent job of making the DIY process look easy. However, If you are not a fan of bumper kits, you can check out this bumper blueprint here.
The stock bumper that comes with most vehicles will usually fail when it comes into contact with almost anything, so changing an OEM bumper to a heavy-duty one is a great way to improve the performance of your truck as a whole. It will prevent damage in many circumstances that would have otherwise ruined the original bumper. Building your own might seem quick, cheap and easy but someone new to welding should not consider this as their first project since bumpers are a significant part of your truck that should contribute to safety. As it should be perfectly assembled or else it would not be safe at all.
Aftermarket Truck Bumpers are increasingly becoming very popular now but there are some good reasons why other truck owners consider building their own instead. There are lots of tools that you will need for this kind of project and they will vary based on your design and, of course, the make and model of your truck. The basic materials you will need are welder, cold cutting metal saw, tube bender, and various types of drills. Safety equipment is also important, such as safety glasses, earplugs, welding helmet, welding gloves, and welding jacket. If you have access to these proper tools, just call a couple of friends who can help you out and get started on making your own DIY bumper.
The ability to base the build on your own design is also one of the pros of building your own truck bumper. You will have the flexibility of adjusting your bumper’s features based on your actual needs and style. Imagine driving a truck with your signature on it, it could be a game-changer.
The following guide is meant to help you get an idea of how you can build your own truck bumper:
- Have the vehicle seating on a level surface, grounds flat and make sure there are no problems with your suspension.
- Measure the original bumper for comparison.
- After measurements, remove the original bumper. By this time, you will be able to obtain accurate measurements to be used for your DIY truck bumper. Once the stock bumper is detached, it will be easy for you to see where are the frame members, existing mounting plates, and available mounting holes in the frame, radiator, front panel, and grille. The next step is to weld on your main mounting brackets. It should go on the top of the bumper. These must be strong enough so it should be welded to the frame rails and then reinforced.
- Next, it’s time for the bumper to go on. It’s important to choose a material that is durable but not too heavy for your truck. You would need the machines mentioned beforehand for the fabrication of the plates and tubes. A hydraulic tubing bender works well for bending pipes. Make sure to make the pieces of tubing longer than they need to be then trim them to fit after bending. If you want to make the bumper removable, this is also the time to do that. Keep it simple. For older boxy trucks, you can usually get away with straight bumpers but on most newer trucks the bumper will need to curve so it looks right.
- Once the bumper is in place, weld on some skid plate bars. These are important to lift the vehicle over obstacles instead of an obstacle getting caught and damaging the suspension. It’s best to use individual bars instead of a continuous plate because a plate can pack up a lot of mud that can be difficult to clean.
- If you want a winch, this is your best time to add one. It’s best to install a few inch receiver in the bumper then install your winch on the receiver mount. That way you can put your winch on the front, back or anywhere else. Plus, the weight of a winch with the bumper is often too heavy for the suspension, especially if you are doing a lot of high-speed off-roading. Tip: install your winch and tow hawk in the center of the bumper. Vehicles tow much better from the center than from an off-set tow hawk.
- Then, install your grille and light guards. It should sling back slightly for a better look and it’s best to have the bumper the furthest ahead point of the truck as that is the strongest area but if you really want to be able to hit tough stuff without issues, weld some support bars from the top of the grille guard panel back to the truck frame. Often though, the radiator and some parts make this difficult to do.
- Last but not least, it’s time to paint. You might want to consider powder coating since it can give your very own truck bumper the corrosion-resistant and tougher finish.
During the fabrication process of your own truck bumper, you’ll be able to fix any mistakes as long as you are an experienced welder and fabricator. You won’t have a problem with buildin’ your own truck bumper if you are lookin’ for a project that will take up days or maybe even weeks. But if you want to save time and don’t want to risk placing a lot of time on this only to be unsatisfied with your final product, you should consider gettin’ a truck bumper built by professionals. Here at BumperOnly, you will be able to find all kinds of truck bumpers built by experts, matching all kinds of budgets. Feel free to contact us and let’s have a chat, we’ll be happy to assist you in finding the Best Bumper that is exactly how you would build it.
