Welding Tips and Tricks

I'm about to buy a new truck(new to me) and its got the stock bumper still but a full replacement ranch hand already on it in the front was wanting to build a bumper for the back to save some money plus it would be a fun project anyone have any tips?? It's a 2002 dodge cummins 4x4

Take the ranch hand bumper off the front, sell the truck and buy a Chevy and put the bumper on it. I'm just picking. What kind of tips are you looking for? Designs, where to get metal, what to incorporate into it, What do you want to know?

Haha if I could find me a dirty max for a good deal here I'd take it but this one I'm getting a good deal on. But I'm mostly looking for things to avoid, maybe designs, thickness of metal because I want it to be heavy duty but not need a crane to get it on there

I would avoid the common pipe bumper. I have worked oil fields and a lot of the trucks have pipe bumpers because there are lots of pieces of pipe laying around and they are hard to step on and leave a small surface area to weld a hitch to. I would probably go with either 1/8" tread plate for the top part and 1/8" sheet for the sides. If you wanted a center step or a hitch in the middle, then I would go with 1/4" at least. I would also put some 1/4" braces inside the bumper to brace up your sides and top. I see no need to put a bottom on the bumper but if you want to that is up to you. The only thing you would really gain is more practice in my opinion. That is just my 2 cents but it is probably only worth about 1 cent,

I would buy a GMC
I have built a few bumpers for friends mostly. One I did used c-channel with plate on the top and the other was 1/8" diamond plate. Will have to get the pictures off my old phone. I built them in the garage and they wanted to help/learn some welding. They came out alright, I just did not like everything they wanted on them.
If you think you will be using it rough, go with 3/16" plate like a Road Armor bumper. These will take skill and time to make, but the reward will be worth it.
I also would not do the pipe bumper. There are a few that look nice, but for the most part (in my opinion) they all look the same.
I want to build a SS plate bumper for my GMC, something completely different and challenging (also expensive)
Do a Google search in the pictures and you will get all kinds of ideas.
-Jonathan

Check Lanse's video's - it was'nt for this truck - but he did a bumper build project a while back that may give you some idea's - things like bumpers are a personal taste thing more than anything - plus whether you want to tow from it or a separate towbar - maybe look at the ARB ones - their older ones I liked & were well made though I doubt they cover your model.

noddybrian wrote:Check Lanse's video's

Are you referring to ChuckE2009, He has some very good video's. They are a few notches below Jody but he covers a lot of stuff that Jody doesn't go into just not to the extent that I wish he would but he is great. I have watched all of his videos along with Jody's and his bumper build was very good.

noddybrian wrote:Check Lanse's video's

Are you referring to ChuckE2009? He has some very good video's. They are a few notches below Jody but he covers a lot of stuff that Jody doesn't go into just not to the extent that I wish he would but he is great. I have watched all of his videos along with Jody's and his bumper build was very good.

I think Lanse goes into more of a fabricator or garage hobbiest he knows his stuff don't get me wrong but when it comes to welding information and tips(and tricks) Jody's videos are more indepth!

Just keep in mind that when you build a really strong bumper and then hit something you will find the next weakest link in the chain. In my case it was the frame of the truck. The bumper survived (to be sold) after some new mounting brackets but the truck had to have the frame pulled. The jolt to driver and passenger are much worse when crumple zones are taken out of play.

You also need to check your state laws too. I know some states have regulations on how you can build them because of safety issues for other drivers. That is just something to think of.

In my book a truck bumper should be strong & fixed a long way up the chassis - the only crumple zone should be the car that hits you at a stop light ! - the main safety feature a truck should have is an alert driver ! keep all your air bags & plastic parts & wot knots for idiots in small cars that should'nt have a license !

Yes I was referring to ChuckE2009 - never sure whether it's considered bad form to promote other channel video's here - but I like him & his mate Pete - even Wyatt has had useful stuff after you wait for him to put his gloves on ! & Kevin Caron - none are at the level of Jody - but all have helped a bunch of welders out.

noddybrian wrote:In my book a truck bumper should be strong & fixed a long way up the chassis - the only crumple zone should be the car that hits you at a stop light ! - the main safety feature a truck should have is an alert driver ! keep all your air bags & plastic parts & wot knots for idiots in small cars that should'nt have a license !

One thing to keep in mind is your car and trucks are specifically designed to crumple so much so the they should go a certain way every time. I am just pointing out another view. I have heard of trucks hitting cars and killing the occupants because the bumper was aftermarket and did not allow the truck body/frame to do its job. Even though I will do a bumper build on my truck, I still do worry about killing others because my truck did not crumple like it should. This is not to say that you will only hurt others with a modified truck. It is correct that you can suffer more harm in this truck from the shock or impact traveling through the trucks frame and body.
Another thing I consider is, if it is a lifted truck and you were to hit a car broadside , more than likely you will kill the occupants in the other car. Bumpers like the ones we build may keep us safe, but maybe others not so much.
My humble opinion.
-Jonathan

noddybrian wrote:In my book a truck bumper should be strong & fixed a long way up the chassis - the only crumple zone should be the car that hits you at a stop light ! - the main safety feature a truck should have is an alert driver ! keep all your air bags & plastic parts & wot knots for idiots in small cars that should'nt have a license !

I drive a 2006 Dodge with the most ridiculous front bumper you can find. Lemme tell you, it makes me drive very politely and cautiously, because I know it would crush anything in its path and even touching another vehicle (literally) would lead to expensive body work. A co-worker with a similar but lighter bumper totaled the truck in front of him when he had a diabetic blackout, but had zero damage to himself or his truck.

Conversely, I could hit an elk on the highway and come away with little damage. Which is really the intent behind the design of mine.

I empathize with the need for a rugged rear bumper - I still need one too. With all the distracted drivers out there, I see getting rear-ended as a bigger hazard. (It's happened a few times on the freeway, which is why I keep my drop hitch on.)

It's tempting to build a rear bumper out of 3/8", but I wouldn't make it any heavier than the frame - it really is better for the bumper (or its brackets) to fail first. I'd lean toward 1/8", or maybe 3/16", and only use tread plate or somesuch in non-structural areas. I have an idea to do a 3D layout and have the joints cut with tabs on a waterjet; that's still on the to-do list.

Cheers,
Richard

Hey,

Just make one of these. We all have them here in Aus. For the roos and drop bears.

Mick

Mick
I like it! Don't think the local authorities will though.
-Jonathan

weldin mike 27 wrote:Just make one of these. We all have them here in Aus. For the roos and drop bears.

Holy smokes. Ok, mine's not quite that extreme. But, that sure does look "effective". Thing is, you add 400 pounds of steel to your front-end, and it changes the ride just a bit.

Out here we have more coyotes (dingos?) than kangaroos. They'll still do a fair bit of damage on a stock vehicle. Another co-worker lives outside town (desert) and run-ins are pretty common.

Hey,

That ute (pick up) is called a Feral ute, though that one likely belongs to a CONCRETE COWBOY judging by how shiny it is and the low prifile tires. It is part of the Bn S ball scene (bachelor and spinsters) which involves lots of drinking and rowdy behaviour .

I sincerly hope this one was put on only for the show and not actually driven anywhere. What a joke.

As for dingoes,

we dont see them where i live, but we have heaps of roos. Some roads are un drivable at night and early morning because of the shear amount.

The govt allows some culling but their numbers are way, way out of hand. (greenies) They are a constant menace and as my town expands further into farm land, the even come into housing estates and attack people . (contrary to popular belief, they are dangerous savage buggers)

Mick

Hm - that looks a real practical truck ! in my blissful ignorance I had assumed that Aussie trucks would be practical - but I guess every country has their share of these " pimps / drug dealers " more money than sense / taste vehicles.

On the bright side I take it if annoying vermin intrude on your property you can shoot them ? - we don't have roo's - only gypsy scum trying to steel scrap metal & they are a protected species - how wrong is that !

Thats it mate,

Any sort ofbull bar on a ute like that would be fairly useless, due to the lack of a heavy chassis. Anyone say "lever" lol ripping out of the sheet metal mounts. As for the gypsies, the seem like a wholly scary group of people, dont look at them or you be bashed and stuff...?

Mick

didn't see a Bundy sticker on it Mick,can't be a full blooded B&S er by the looks

Im sure theres one there somewhere . lol. Its the b n s way.

If you live well away from other houses or anywhere with CCTV gypsies are less of a problem - turns out their allergic to lead ! I got some 3" mag 12 gauge hand loaded with 6 cylinder size discs of 1/4 oz litho type - they travel as a slug initially but on touching anything turn on edge & go off in different directions - I tried them on bits of wood / old cars etc - but I sooooooo want the chance to try them on their intended quarry ! I think they'd be having very bad day !

Back on topic with bumpers ! apart from the insane shipping I really liked the ARB bumpers - are they still made? the old ones were strong & practical - good design to use as a pattern if fabricating one - still got a Toyota pickup with an early " air locker " up font ( Detroit rear )- been a good diff - compressor & solonoid valve not so great - I believe the later ones were better.

Hey,

Lots of troublesome people are allergic to lead... I dont have those troubles so the thought rarely comes to mind.

The ARB stuff is still made, and still claims to be the best. I have a mate who bought a 2013 patrol and went straight for an ARB winch bar. Money was no object for him (7500 on a new ss exhaust for it) so i guess they are still the best.

Mick