Bumpers

The bumper that is on my truck now is shot and I am looking at my options for a new one. I am going to run a winch when I build it, so I will have to do something for that. There is a set of winch bumpers for sale on Ebay right now for just under $100 (item # 2453528782), is this worth buying? Or do you think I should fabricate something? I was thinking maybe I could make one similar to what was on the origonal Power Wagons. Thanks.

depends on what kind of look you want to keep. Those ebay items are probably NOS since AB Linn is selling them... If it were me I'd make something smaller and tucked in, but I'm not really into the original trucks.
If you're going to fab something, why not fab up factory replacment style bumpers?

I could probably fab a factory replacment bumper farley easy, but I dont know if I want to go factory style or not. If I could find something I think would make the truck look better then I will do it.

Those bumpers on EBay are worthless unless you have or plan to acquire the brackets to go with them AND the original winch...$$$...cause they all sorta bolt together.
-G-

You could always make it look like it was smiling...lol.
If you don't want the original look then I would think your are only hampered by your imagination and skills.

I thought about useing a pice of tubing the same size of the stock bumper and cut out the back side where the frame mounts so that it don't stick out further than stock. I would also beef up the gussets on the outside of the frame seem how mine are tweeked in a bit. It would look close to stock but would be alot stronger.

I would make one similar to a Warn winch bumper.Have the bumper extensions angled back towards the fender on each side and then put expanded steel or diamond tread on the top so you have a nice platform to stand on if you want to wrench on your rig.Be sure and have some good supports/braces from the frame to the bumper extensions.

-Ben

Joe/IA built one that sounds almost exactly like what Ben described. Fits the truck very nicely also incorporates the stock lift/tow shackles. I have some pictures you can see it in but it's kinda muddy(!!!). Joe probably has some of it clean.

Send it to me, Ill look at as many bumpers as I can and see if I can get some ideas on how to make mine.

Cap'n,

Here's some crappy pics of my bumper. It's plenty stout and has a 4" flat top to stand on. I got a Ramsey 12000# winch in it. I got it fabbed at a local place- drew up the plans and he made it for $250.
http://imageshack.us/files/TOP19.jpg


http://imageshack.us/files/TOP16.jpg

What I did was get the winch extensions from Ablinn and then took some 1/4 plate and bent it to look like the original bumper then milled in the slotts for the cable and shackles then bolted 1/4 plate to the bottom of the winch extensions that the winch mount mounts to. I will be welding the 1/4 plate to the winch extensions to make sure it doesnt move and it should be good. It looks ok, I would center the cable slot better the next time but it works. You can see it at the URL below. I cant remember what the winch extensions cost but the 1/4 plate was about $30.00 from a metal shop and I have access to a mechine shop so that part was free. It took about 3 hours from start to finish to make it all.
http://www.geocities.com/ckswayze/index.html