Front winch bumper build (80)

[Paul_Humphreys]

EDIT - actually Paul, all I need to do is pull the adapter out 1" and then it's clear isn't it?

Could be.

Paul

 

[karl webster]

looking good mate

 

[Chris]

OK, so what are these mystery items then? Hmm. Eh?

Guessed what they are yet?

Getting the hang of this fabricating lark. Just tacked up at this point

Now then - are we there yet?

Oh yes. Well look, if I had the money, I'd buy something snazzy too. But I haven't so there.

I can't bend pipe yet, so this will get trimmed and there will only be the single pipe, with a light bar as well lower down.

Pretty pleased with that bit. Mind you, it's getting heavy.

Chris

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Looking good as usual Chris, should look like a bought one when you're done

 

[Chris]

Thank you Jon. Appreciated. Like a bought one eh? That's Gary's usual line. Far from that I'm afraid. You can see the joins! Once this is blasted and powder coated I think that it will look pretty sharp. Having that Plasma cutter would make things like this so much easier and neater too. Complex shapes are nice and when you have to cut every thing with a disc it limits you somewhat.

Finished off the mounting points into pockets too. Now it's really solid. The were open sided brackets before but now they are fully enclosed. Not much more to do.

Jon, does a bumper make a good enough ground plane then for a CB aerial?

Chris

 

[Frits Metz]

Very nice job! Like your ingenuity!

One comment is on the air take-off. For people like me that would be a knee-buster sticking out like that

 

[Chris]

Then I suggest that you don't step out in front of me Frits!

There is no such thing as a pedestrian friendly winch bumper. Not when it's attached to nearly 3 tonnes of 80. It's actually pretty discrete. It doesn't stick out that much. Proving very handy for kneeling on is this bumper. Good for getting over the engine to fix stuff. I could make a special step that slots into the high lift points. In fact that's a damn good idea. I shall follow that up.

Chris

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Jon, does a bumper make a good enough ground plane then for a CB aerial?

yes, but it will prefer to be on top of the metal rather than having metal alongside it i.e. on a tab off the top bar is better than on the main bumper along side one of those supports.

 

[Chris]

Look, I know that you are all desperate for news on the bumper front, so here's tonight's efforts. Now that's enough! Don't over do it. You'll make yourself poorly!!!
Thought about cutting a section out of the rib to lighten it up a little. But it's a pain without cutting gear. Look nice though.

Chris

 

[TonyP]

Well the balance looks spot on

How heavy is it now?

 

[Crispin]

Can I buy it (BW) when you done and acquire your 200. (or a bus. Give Chris a bus and he would put a winch on it )
I could have sworn there was a thread somewhere saying you would not do things to it

Looking good though.

(still, when you ready to sell, let me know Should not be long after the rear bumper is done?)

 

[Andrew Prince]

Wait for the diffs to be regeared for 35s and an intercooler to be fitted

 

[Crispin]

Wait for the diffs to be regeared for 35s and an intercooler to be fitted

A valid point - thanks. Does it have sliders yet? I need sliders too.

 

[Chris]

BOG OFF!

It's mine I tell you.

C

Of course it has sliders. 200 series? I think not.

 

[KZJ90]

Nice, nice! Chris, the bumper maker. Maybe you should consider mass production?

 

[Chris]

There is no chance of that I am certain. Far too much work to make custom stuff for people. These things are all a one-off. Maybe when I finally get plasma things will be easier. Produce a set of wooden templates, cut around with the torch and weld together sounds good. But to be fair, people don't generally want to pay the money. I think that the factory stuff is very overpriced and with modern methods for cutting and welding etc, they should be a deal cheaper. But as much of it has to come from Oz and goes through many hands, it's ridiculous by the time you get it.

The materials are pretty cheap, but it's the time and effort involved. If ARB winch bumpers were £400 I'd probably just have bought one.
But they aren't.

Chris

 

[Chris]

Put some real effort in today and I must only be one or two steps away from getting this to the coaters. Gave it a good polish down, did some filling and smoothing too, then stuck it on to see how it looked. Pretty happy, to say it's made from scrap.

The I decided that it looked a bit solid. So I set too and cut some sections out of the uprights to lighten it up a but. Need a bit of filing down and tidying. Another case for buying that plasma torch! Dear Santa, I have been very very good this year....

Chris

 

[Ecoman]

Wow that is an amazing piece of kit you have put togeher there

 

[Chris]

Thanks for that. Once they are blasted and coated these things tend to really start looking like 'a bought one'. Looked nasty all covered in rust, so I thought I whizz that all off with the grinder and cup brush. However, I seemed to have ended up storing most of that up my nose!

C

 

[Ecoman]

mmm black bogies