Ford Econoline upgrades

[Hound]

Thanks to many of the knowledgeable folks on this forum, I recently decided to purchase a ford e350. With the exception of the MPGs, I have fallen head over heels for this rig.

I am now looking forward to planing some upgrades for my beast. First off, I am wondering what the collective opinion(s) are regarding aftermarket bumpers?

I pulled the rear most bench seat out of the van this weekend and am left with the floor brackets. I went to remove the bolts holding the brackets to the floor and noticed the biggest torx bit I had (t55) was not large enough. Does anyone know what size torx bit I need? Is there any reason that I should not remove the seat brackets?

I'm sure I'll have many, many more questions going forward, but that's all I have for now. Thanks crew!

 

[packmule]

The Torx bit size is T-55 Plus. You can use a T-55 to remove those bolts if they're not rusted too badly. I used a T-55 and a long handled ratchet to remove them in my van. I just took it easy and would have backed off if I felt too much resistance.

 

[Hound]

The Torx bit size is T-55 Plus. You can use a T-55 to remove those bolts if they're not rusted too badly. I used a T-55 and a long handled ratchet to remove them in my van. I just took it easy and would have backed off if I felt too much resistance.

Thanks for the info. I just removed the brackets with a t-55. Did you just put the same bolts back in afterwards? Is there anything else I can/ should do to ensure waterproofness?

 

[packmule]

I put the original bolts back in the holes after removing the brackets. If you want something flush with the floor, you can get headless set screws from McMaster. I haven't done anything else for rust prevention. There was no rust on the bolts when I removed them.

 

[bknudtsen]

I put mine back in as well. Just be careful when crawling in the back. They hurt when you get your kneecap right on them!
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What's the specs on the van? 5.4, V-10? Looks like a Quigley... As far as bumpers go, Aluminess for front and rear, UJOR for the front, Buckstop, and then various custom jobbers. I guess it depends on what your ultimate use will be. Do you want a winch, spare tire, or gear box? Etc.....

 

[Hound]

I put mine back in as well. Just be careful when crawling in the back. They hurt when you get your kneecap right on them!
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What's the specs on the van? 5.4, V-10? Looks like a Quigley... As far as bumpers go, Aluminess for front and rear, UJOR for the front, Buckstop, and then various custom jobbers. I guess it depends on what your ultimate use will be. Do you want a winch, spare tire, or gear box? Etc.....

Thanks for the tip, my right kneecap already fell victim to one of the bolts and it was most unpleasant

The van has the V10 and it is a Quigley. I would definitely like to get a tire carrier for the rear. As far as the front is concerned, I would like to add a winch eventually, but would say my top priority is tuffness (don't think that tuffness is actually a word, but hopefully you get the jest of what I mean). In the event I were to ever get in a front-end accident, I want to have as much protection as possible. Does this mean aluminum is out?

Funny that you mention buckstop. My buddy brought them to my attention last night and I had never heard of them before. After checking out their website, I must say that I am impressed with the apparent beefiness of their designs. Any firsthand experience with their bumpers?

By the way, I've been following your build thread. Your rig is one of the reasons there is a van sitting in my driveway

 

[mgmetalworks]

Buckstop is just a couple miles from my house. I've been over there before. They are well made bumpers. I'm not a fan of their styling but they're one of the nicer bumpers out there (for build quality).
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I plugged the holes in my floor with plastic push-in body plugs similar to these...
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They fit tight but I did use a little silicone to make sure they're sealed.

 

[bknudtsen]

Tuffness? No not a word. Toughity is the scientific term. The relative toughity of any bumper is limited by what it is bolted to. Our vans have a pretty significant crumple zone built into the frame rail right behind the horns, so the more rigid the bumper, the more energy is transferred to the frame. Aluminum is still a viable option for the front.
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What aluminum doesn't like is being cycled over and over. I would be more cautious with an aluminum tire carrier if the weight of the combo causes the mount to wobble.

 

[Hound]

Buckstop is just a couple miles from my house. I've been over there before. They are well made bumpers. I'm not a fan of their styling but they're one of the nicer bumpers out there (for build quality).
.
I plugged the holes in my floor with plastic push-in body plugs similar to these...
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View attachment 219665
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They fit tight but I did use a little silicone to make sure they're sealed.

Thanks MGM, you were also a big reason why I now have a van in my driveway, considering I did not originally want a slider...

I like your solution of using plugs/silicone. Can I find those plugs at any auto parts store? Are they pretty much one size?

 

[mgmetalworks]

The exact parts I used were these:
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got them at an auto body supply store. I see they're on Ebay too...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&vxp=mtr&item=161268714305
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They come in all kinds of sizes. I just picked one that worked well for the application.

:beer:

 

[Hound]

Thank you, sir. I owe you a beer; I feel like I might need to start a tab...

 

[Hound]

Tuffness? No not a word. Toughity is the scientific term. The relative toughity of any bumper is limited by what it is bolted to. Our vans have a pretty significant crumple zone built into the frame rail right behind the horns, so the more rigid the bumper, the more energy is transferred to the frame. Aluminum is still a viable option for the front.
.
What aluminum doesn't like is being cycled over and over. I would be more cautious with an aluminum tire carrier if the weight of the combo causes the mount to wobble.

Ahh yes, Toughity, that's the word I was looking for... Sadly my brain just does not function as well as it used to. Appreciate the insight regarding bumper material. I owe you a beer too. Why do I feel like this is going to get expensive rather quickly...

 

[Heloflyboy]

Van looks good. I have reunel front and rear on mine and I like them. I do not have a tire carrier yet but I am going to add one.

 

[Hound]

Van looks good. I have reunel front and rear on mine and I like them. I do not have a tire carrier yet but I am going to add one.

Thanks for the compliment on the van, man

I'd love to see any Picts you have of your Reunel bumpers. I've heard they make some serious beef and that their rear bumpers are capable of towing quite a bit. Oh and by the way, your avatar flex shot is ridiculous!

 

[steelheadbum]

Hound,
1st congrats on your rig!! Now when it comes to protection Steel is the only solution....have you ever hit a deer/elk? I have and I can tell ya that I'm only still around because of the custom steel bumpers that I had at time, hell I rolled a Toyota on the interstate end over end as a teen and its because of the custom bumpers and rollbar that I'm able to write this today, I came down on the front bumper so hard that it broke the frame of my Toyota then flipped and landed on the back bumper and broke the frame again....we ended up on its top and if it hadn't been for the rollbar....well you get the picture. My truck was totaled but my bumpers didn't even brake a weld I was able to have them powder coated and installed on another yota. Aluminess makes great products, I have their nerf bars and ladder on my rig but their bumpers are usually purchased for weight/anti rust reasons than protection since our vans after build out push the scales up at around 8500-10,000 lbs....any way we can shed weight is always a good thing Oh by the way don't forget to see Ujoints bumper, they look sick!
That said welcome to the club and I'm looking forward to your build.
Buck
The Redneck Mexican
2002 E350 7.3 PSD 4x4 8inch lift pop top conversion....