Show off your DIY armor!

Look at rogue Fab. For 820 you get the bender kit and a die with a upgraded pressure roller. The cylinder from harbor freight and you are bending for less then 1k.

 

Are these designed to be bolted or welded onto the truck? Also, do you happen to know if there is a plan/measurement pdf anywhere of this design?

 

Did you end up welding them on? Or bolt on?

Very nice looking sliders!!

 

Weld on. No warranty to worry about anymore lol

 

For majority of you guys starting out and learning, I'd suggest using Gas Shielded Flux core (as long as you're welding on 1/8" or thicker) Better penetration, more room for error if you have a slight breeze as the Flux core will assist in shielding with any gas loss, and better penetration. Bonus, the Flux also helps keep the welds clean vs solid wire. Metal should be cleaned completely of oils, mill scale, etc and be right down to the base metal. With Flux core, it gives you more room for error as the slag will actually pick up millscale/oils/dirt/etc, giving you a little more room for error.

Solid wire has its place, better suited for smaller Guage metals, or if you prefer the beads of solid wire (short circuit, globular, spray arc) all have very specific looking weld beads along with being able to Manipulate the weld even more for customized looks. Flux core will always have a more or less flat or slightly wrinkled look to it.

So for those of you looking to get started, Flux Core Mig, using C25 shielding gas. You'll pick it up quickly, and be ready to start fabing your own parts after a day or 2 of practice. Try to do all your welds flat position, as over head/vertical/horizontal are a little more advanced and will take a bit more practice to land it correctly.

Any specific questions, feel free to hit me up. I'll try to assist as much as I can.

 

If you can add some plate cleanly that would be good. Or make some sort of cover with thin UHMW. Could also just paint in there with colour matched paint to it all matches and doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb.

 

I think it could look really clean especially if you added a little bit of plate elsewhere on the bumper too. Make sure you leave a solid gap so it doesn’t smash your tail light or body

 

Where do you guys buy the steel sheets from?

Im considering making skid plates..

 

In va we have steel supply places, where you can walk in and buy whatever you want

 

I think this is a must for 1st gens that have a winchbumper. I just about pulled the bumper off the frame winching because these weak plates started to come out. Bent the bumper down significantly. Should be much more solid now with 1/4” plate in there, welded all the way around.

 

Really like the looks of that bumper! Sorry if you already have been asked, but could you provide some more details on the construction of this bumper? Looks like you used rectangular tubing for the main body? Or is that channel? Mounting brackets?

Thanks!

 

6" channel for the main body. 3" angle coming straight off the frame rails for the brackets.

 

Awesome thanks! Do you like how tight it is in to the truck? How do you feel it would protect the tailgate/rear end in event of a collision? I am seriously thinking about using some of your ideas from this bumper to build my own, it looks great!

 

Yeah, I like the high and tight look. As for a collision, its hard to say. Most cars would go under it, most suvs and trucks would see a lot of damage lol. The way I see it, if I get rear ended to the point where I'm questioning whether or not the truck is totaled, the stock bumper versus my creation wouldnt make a difference. I did back into a tree the other day and the step tube took it like a champ, barely even bent. It was a hard hit too.
I got the idea for it from Addicted offroads Tundra bumper, I wanted to have the ability to add the wrap around tubes should I ever want to in the future, and I like a high clearance bumper that still retains a step and hitch receiver.
I didnt like the license plate mount they used so I opted to mount the receiver under the bumper and have the plate be flush on the channel.

 

I’m been skimming through here recently and I am fairly competent at tig and might get a mig welder soon. Does anyone have cad files for a first gen rear bumper? Stock or custom?

 

Just tear your stock bumper off and start drawing on some cardboard. I tried to make a cad file for my sliders but it just made the job more confusing. As for my rear bumper, I looked at some pics of what I liked and went and bought metal lol. Nothing to it but to do it!

 

I have a bunch more question so I’ll just move this to a new thread

 

Finally got this pretend armour done. Just wanted a way to mount the lights, nothing I saw on the market would fit these rounds.
The Radar/crash sensor still work.

 

@jjsul how's the bumper coming?