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DIY winch bumper 'builder' brackets


hawairish
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Thanks Kyle!

 

Hopefully we can get the pics showing again. Found out that PostImage had some issue with the postimg.org domain registration, but if the image URLs point to postimg.cc, all will be good. I pm'd RedPath88 to see if he can make a bulk change...it would fix it for everyone using PI.

 

Going to see if I can move this project forward a little tonight...

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  • 4 weeks later...

 

Not late, I'm just a little stalled for the time being. I'm trying to ramp back up for a v2 of the bracket, but too many other projects at the moment. Hoping to have a much better answer within a month.

First off, you needed to include a pic of that fantastic skid plate-you can barely see it in those pics.

 

I’ve seen hawairish’s bumper brackets in person & they are going to be well engineered. He’s currently tweaking for more universal application & fit & finish. I liked his as is already. Personally, I’m waiting for his product because it is so well thought out. His is simply a superior mechanical design to anything I’ve seen before. I’m going to take this opportunity to plug for a front receiver option again too. I don’t really need it but I know they’re super handy!

 

As an FYI, he is building his own rear bumper too but I’m not sure if he has any distribution plans for it.......?

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First off, you needed to include a pic of that fantastic skid plate-you can barely see it in those pics.

 

I’ve seen hawairish’s bumper brackets in person & they are going to be well engineered. He’s currently tweaking for more universal application & fit & finish. I liked his as is already. Personally, I’m waiting for his product because it is so well thought out. His is simply a superior mechanical design to anything I’ve seen before. I’m going to take this opportunity to plug for a front receiver option again too. I don’t really need it but I know they’re super handy!

 

As an FYI, he is building his own rear bumper too but I’m not sure if he has any distribution plans for it.......?

 

Here's a daylight shot:

 

3D10C10A-605C-4ED9-A8CF-377A13690DB9.jpg

 

One day, I'll actually start that rear bumper, giving me a better excuse to pull everything down and get it coated! We finally got some rain the other day...prior to that, it was fairly rust free.

 

On the plus side, I finally started v2 redesigns this week on the bracket. I'm at a minor blockage rethinking where to put the shackle mounts due to other modifications, though. I'm currently planning to move them closer to the OE tow loops, about where the lowest bolt is in the pic. That would provide the necessary space for mounting a crossbar/receiver under the winch channel. I'm also playing with the idea of lowering the channel altogether, for those not wanting to find an alternate control box mounting position like I did...but it would lose the option for a receiver.

 

I know this build has slow going, but we will get there...

 

Do we have a price?

 

Not yet. The original plan was to have a batch done by my local steel shop, but we're fast approaching the time when I'll be able to cut these in my garage for less. Equipment arrives late July, hoping to be on my feet early August. That gives me time to make my design changes, set up shop, get material costs, get a new head-count on interest, and start cutting stuff. Exciting days to come!

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...On the plus side, I finally started v2 redesigns this week on the bracket. I'm at a minor blockage rethinking where to put the shackle mounts due to other modifications, though. I'm currently planning to move them closer to the OE tow loops, about where the lowest bolt is in the pic. That would provide the necessary space for mounting a crossbar/receiver under the winch channel. I'm also playing with the idea of lowering the channel altogether, for those not wanting to find an alternate control box mounting position like I did...but it would lose the option for a receiver.

 

Exciting days to come!

Okay, can’t resist plugging a front receiver again. I don’t even need a front receiver but it would be SUPER handy (TownDawgR50 could certainly use it & you said you were considering a trailer).

 

Personally, I only want one new bumper, period & I would like the most functionality out of it. I think anyone who would purchase these brackets (& really anyone with an R50 who would consider a winch) will not see relocating the winch solenoid as a barrier. Technically, that’s an easy process that anyone who can mount a bumper should be able to do. Giving up the option of a front receiver to avoid that is a pretty hefty price to pay.

 

Anyway, you know I’m on board however it ends up. I’ve certainly got enough to do already that the timeline is fine for me too (though my wife is getting a little tired of my winch in our entryway - or maybe it’s the rack segments stacked up under the coffee table-it’s hard to tell)

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Sorry, what I meant to say was that I was considering supporting separate brackets, one for higher channel and receiver (for which I would also provide a kit), another for a lower channel without. Other ideas have also crossed my mind. Main takeaway at this point is that there will be options, including custom ones.

 

Since TownDawg plans to use part of his XJ bumper for his build, I've got an offer out to him to customize the brackets to his liking. Fact is, he's already a fabrication pro at that stuff (whether he admits it or not). Since we have the same CNC routing equipment, we'll be able to collaborate on the design pretty easily I think. As long as he can wait a couple more months for a finished piece!

 

But generally speaking, I'm hoping this project opens doors for other projects...you know, like a bolt-on SAS kit or something...

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That bumper and those skids don't look very good on your truck. I'm thinking they will look better on mine. I'll be over this weekend so we can swap them over! :lol:

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That bumper and those skids don't look very good on your truck. I'm thinking they will look better on mine. I'll be over this weekend so we can swap them over! :lol:

 

You might be right! Come on by and we'll get that taken care of!

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This is cool. Would it work on a QX4? Think you could put the bumper back on?

 

The brackets will fit a QX4; same chassis. There were variances in the bumpers and bumper covers, but mounting was largely unchanged.

 

Do you mean the bumper cover, for a hidden winch setup? If so, I've lightly explored the idea. If utilizing the same universal winch channel, it could probably be made to work by mounting the channel and winch upside down, but the OE bumper (hidden by the cover) would need to be cut or notched. The bracket sizes would also be in close contact with the bumper cover, but there's probably an easy workaround.

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Like Hawairish mentioned earlier, Ive started working with him on the design of these brackets. He sent me the data to punch out a set, using his current iteration, so I can start mock up on my rig and work with him on the R&D end. I have a chunk of time coming up and plan to push on this project so I can finally get rid of the XJ bumper and help however I can to get these on the market! 

mcLAEwl.jpg

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Like Hawairish mentioned earlier, Ive started working with him on the design of these brackets. He sent me the data to punch out a set, using his current iteration, so I can start mock up on my rig and work with him on the R&D end. I have a chunk of time coming up and plan to push on this project so I can finally get rid of the XJ bumper and help however I can to get these on the market! 


Hip, hip, hooray! Very exciting!
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On 6/21/2018 at 2:59 PM, hawairish said:

 

Here's a daylight shot:

 

3D10C10A-605C-4ED9-A8CF-377A13690DB9.jpg

 

I see you have newly-installed kyb's. How do you like them so far?

 

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Yep, KYBs front and rear (Gas-a-just). They’re ok. Rears are an improvement over the F-150 Monroes for sure, fronts aren’t as smooth as the OMEs were, but aren’t bad. But then again, the comparison includes different springs, too. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 7/28/2018 at 6:09 PM, AllTerrainR50 said:

Just curious on the progress of the kit, I'm definitely interested in buy one and hoping with a little modification if i can make it work with my bull bar.

 

It's in progress, I guess I'd say.  My plasma table is here and assembled, and early (maybe mid) August still seems reasonable to have the shop ready.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Well, looks like we're fast approaching September...

 

The bad news is that early/mid August goal didn't happen.  The good news, though, is that the conversion of garage to shop is progressing well.  I added several new circuits the other week, finished installing an air compressor and lines (I #@$%^& hate pneumatics) this week, and finally put the plasma table through its first cycle (no cutting, though) the other night.  The heat in the garage has became too unbearable, so I dropped some coin for a mini-split AC, which I'll be installing this weekend.  Then, lastly (ugh, I hope), I'll put in a fume extraction/ventilation system.  I can't explain the anxiety I've had from having to drill so many holes into the outside of my stucco house.  The grand finale will be a 6" one...still building up courage for that one. 

 

Bottom line is that I'm getting there!  I hit up the steel shop the other week to grab various plate scraps for some initial cuts once things are ready.  I've not looked into any actual material costs yet, though, so will still need to come up with pricing numbers for those interested.  As before, stay tuned.  This is gonna happen.

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Sometimes I can stand it, but for this particular project, I’ve basically been in my garage almost daily for the past couple weeks, sweating it out.  But, it would be another layer of hell cutting parts with the garage door closed without AC. 

Edited by hawairish
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  • 2 weeks later...

Alright!  I got the AC installed the other weekend, and it is GREAT!  Fired up the plasma cutter to do some by-hand cuts last week, and tonight I cut my very first pieces on the plasma table!  Nothing special, just some mounting tabs for a bracket to hold up a massive ventilation fan that @TowndawgR50 hooked me up with.  Getting the rest of the ventilation pieces tomorrow, and will hopefully weld up the fan bracket and get things installed over the weekend.  I think that's the last item on my list to complete the garage-to-workshop conversion...well, could use a TV in here, maybe move my mini-fridge from the other garage, some more lighting....anyway, details.

 

Over the weekend, I also got around to converting all my original parts and some V2 modifications into the CAD/CAM application I was hoping to use for both my CNC router and plasma table.  The application (Autodesk Fusion 360) is very frustrating, to say the least.  Some issues are surely learning curve induced, and it might get me where I need to be in time, but I'm going to explore some other options first.  Notably, it allowed me to cut my parts tonight, so at least I know we're heading in the right direction.

Edited by hawairish
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