Angle Iron Bumper

I want to build a bumper for my TJ jeep out of 4x4x5/16, or 6x6x1/4 angle iron. Where is the best place to look for angle iron.

Thanks

Reply to
Kevin
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At the nearest scrap dealer or local steel supply. You might try some fab shops and look for a drop as it will be lots cheaper than paying for a piiece and cutting charges.

Why angle? Just curious. Not much strength to an angle iron, as compared to a steel tube and the tube is much easier to work with and looks oh so much better!

I had a 1978 Dodge Power wagon I made a front bumper for out of 2" x

6" solid stock, with 1/2" inch thick attachment brackets. No more bent bumpers with that baby. Yes it was way overkill but I got the steel stock at that time for free so why not.

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Reply to
Roy

I thought the purpose of a bumper was to be weak. It provides a crumple-zone that will absorb the energy of a crash and which is therefore not transmitted to the passengers.

Reply to
PhysicsGenius

Reply to
Roy J

I had a 6" channel iron on the back of my bronco II Worked good for me I was able to weld a hitch to it, had some tow hooks. I was hit at a light speed by a full size Bronco and he had damage I had a scratch. Now I realize this was a low speed bump and a high speed crash is different. But I was very happy with the bumper.

Reply to
Wayne

Like someone mentioned earlier, I think I'd want something a bit weaker than a stout round tubing, etc. Otherwise the unnecessary stresses of a collision, etc will be transmitted to the frame of the vehicle that could possibly create more damage to the vehicle than would occur with a weaker bumper. I'd agree that these stresses would aggrevate the seriousness of injuries to passengers. Indy cars used to be made to hold together in a wreck (circa 1950's), now they design them to fly apart to allow the forces to be dissipated elsewhere, other than the car itself.... I'm thinking that's why the idea of the angle iron is probably the best plan.

Just my two cents.....

Reply to
Dave Young

This is true for small tiny roller-skate cars. For big huge trucks, the bumper is designed and fabricated so that the occupants don't notice it when they drive over a tiny, roller-skate car.

:)

Jim

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Reply to
jim rozen

Rail road track also makes a great bumper

Gunner

"Gun Control, the theory that a 110lb grandmother should fist fight a 250lb 19yr old criminal"

Reply to
Gunner

I saw a PowerWagon with bumpers made from 6 inch redwood logs. Really cool.

ff

Reply to
ff

Find yourself a bricklayer who has been at it awhile. They will usually have angle of this size as cast-off lintels. My brother-in-law keeps me supplied like this.

RJ

Reply to
Backlash

Roy wrote: (clip) I made a front bumper for out of 2" x 6" solid stock (clip) why not. ^^^^^^^^^^^ If I put those bumpers on either of my vehicles, my gas mileage would drop in half, and the handling would be affected.

Reply to
Leo Lichtman

That m ay be true but I wanted a substantial bumper that was not going to give, and to be frank, the bumpers on those models of power wagons were made of lead. Just look at them and they bent. They were also so close to the grill just a slight bump in the middle would also get our hood and grill. After bending a few in the woods and in the streets is when I decided the next time I don't get any damage. I just used what was at hand.

I made a bumper from some 4" steel tube with 3/8" walls (same stuff I am using for my bandsaw frame) to make a front and rear bumper for an early model Bronco. I think it would have looked better with rectangular shaped metal but my friend wanted it square so thats what he got. He said the square tube went better with the squared look of that model Bronco ;-)

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Reply to
Roy

You could seal off the ends of the pipe and install an air fill valve and a threaded nipple for an air hose. I used this on 2 pickup trucks. Keep the bumper(s) filled with air. Many times it was just enough to get to civilization after installing a tire plug. I never had an "issue" in over 10 years.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing. . . . DanG

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Reply to
DanG

I made a rear bumper for my 63 Dodge W200 using 2 pieces of 6" channel welded together to make a rectangle. Had a piece of tubing that when cut in half lengthwise made a perfect cap for each end (saves the knees). Nice spot to hookup chain when dragging oak logs up the hill, sometimes a whole tree. Hasn't budged.

michael

Reply to
michael

A former cow-orker did this, he made his Toy truck bumper out of rectangular steel tube, about four by six inches. Welded the ends on and put fill, drain ports on it.

We always wondered what would happen if he happened to have a crash, when it had a few hundred psi inside. All I could think of was, "reactive armor."

Jim

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Reply to
jim rozen

Brings to mind the truck from the Dennis Weaver/Spielberg film "Duel".

My brother had good luck with using a piece of rough sawn

3x8" red oak. Bevelled the ends slightly after he cut it to length (with a chainsaw), and then soaked it with used oil/ diesel oil. At least it matched the flatbed. This was in a 72? 3/4 ton Chevy...

--Glenn Lyford

Reply to
Glenn Lyford

The purpose of a bumper is to be strong, so you can push another vehicle, wagon, mud boat, etc which got stuck, or so you can tie a chain to it and drag a log out of the way, or so that if you do get in an accident on the road, it is the other guy's car that crumples.

Gary

Reply to
Gary Coffman

A new type of heavy duty air bag

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Reply to
Colin French

The best bumper I ever had on a vehicle was the Model "A" front bumper I installed on the rear my first car ('50 Austin A-40) The stock bumper on this car seemed to be made from annealed pop cans. Of course I did have to have the ends curled to use up the extra width. I have often threatened to have another made from extra long main leaf springs but have yet to find that elusive, round Tuit! Gerry :-)} London, Canada

Reply to
Gerald Miller

If you are ever going to do some serious offroading in a Jeep you want a front bumper only strong enough so that you can lift the truck with a high-lift jack. I would use 2x4 tube 1/8 wall or 4 inch C-channel

3/16th. Later on you might want to add a winch and if you have too big of a bumper you are gonna need heavier springs, etc etc etc. Keep it light! Dave
Reply to
David De Vuono

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