getting a rear bumper fabbed

[BCJC]

hey all, well i'm gonna have to get a rear bumper fabbed up for me, as i have nothing available in the aftermarket. with less than zero metal work skills/tools, i'll be getting an "expert" to make one for me, this is where i get a little leary... seeing as i'm pretty much a deer in the headlight when it come to this subject, i'd appreciate any input you can give as to what to look for in a fabricator/metal shop. my current idea is to have a bumper like the bn guy's:


with a swing tire carrier like mlachica's


any idea as to a ballpark cost, just so i'm not gonna get ripped. thanks alot.

jackson

[vanguard]

My rear bumper is a lot like the second one in your pic. I got a quote for $375 before I decided to make it myself. I think Demello charges $650 so somewhere in there should be your range. http://www.demello-offroad.com//cata...5c358589744bbb

BTW, I've found that a lot of local fab guys don't think of paint as part of the job and installing one of these things can be a piece of work if the bolt holes don't line up perfectly. (The never do when I build them. ) It's just something to consider.

My bumper


BTW, I'm really please with the way that the hidden hitch worked out. I'll just post a pic in case you think it's an idea worth copying. I used to bang my normal hitch all the time but the improved depart angle made a huge difference. It was easily worth all the burns I got from the oxy/ace torch.

[goodtimes]

You will probably find a wide range of prices. Custom fabrication isn't cheap. Expect to pay 30 - 100% more than a similar bumper that is mass produced...and as mentioned, paint or powder coat usually isn't included, so be sure to ask. The bigger the name, the more it will cost. A professional fabricator in S. California will generally charge $60+ per hour....with many bumpers taking 10+ hours to build, plus materials cost.

Something you might consider which can save you alot of money....find a bumper made for a different vehicle with similar dimensions, and modify the mounting brackets to fit your vehicle. Some places will sell you one with no mounting brackets....so you just build (have built) brackets that work with your vehicle.

[The BN Guy]

Good choices on where to start.

For a bumper like mine I'd bet it cost around 500-600 easy. I built my own so I can't give you a solid number. If I were to build mine all over again and charge it'd be in that range. Steel prices are crazy.

Maybe a touch less. Not sure what paint/powder coat costs though.

[mountainpete]

A basic, wrap around rear bumper with a hitch and shackle points: >$400
A basic gate that can hold a tire: >$400

Add hi-lift mount: <$100
Add jerry can holder (not incl can) <$100
Latches, stops and limit cables: ~$100
Light/antenna mounts: ~$10 each depending on what you want.
Powder coating it all: ~$250

You can always get things cheaper, but this is what I have found to be ballpark for quality work.

Pete

[BCJC]

thanks alot for the replies! that sounds like what i was expecting, i've budgeted for up to $1000 (CAN), but don't want a "cheap" (sounds funny) rear bumper. i want this thing to last as long as my truck does, which will hopefully be many years to come. the reccessed hitch is a must for my personal design, and looks to work great! also, on the pc/painting issue, i live on the coast, and stuff rusts like it's going out of style, what's my best option to avoid that? i've got 3 fabricators withing 45 min. of me, so i'll probably show them some pictures in the coming days and see what they say. any other tips are gladly welcomed. oh yes, and about adapting the pre made bumper, should i just measure the width from qp to qp on my truck, and see if a toyota/nissan/cherokee has similar dimensions? thanks again.

cheers
jackson

[mountainpete]

Rust is a concern for me as well - not the same as you out on the coast, but due to the salt on the roads and the constant freeze and thaw cycles in Alberta. A good powdercoat will protect rust as well as look good. Then it's just a matter of keeping on top of it.

Best thing to do is always keep it as clean as possible. If there is rust spot, touch it up right away. Products like POR-15 do wonders at stopping rust. I also spray parts with Rust Chek spray regularily, although it does leave it a bit oily.

in the end, try to get parts that bolt on instead of weld. Then if you have rust issues down the road, you can always take it off, get it sandblasted and re-powdercoated. It will look brand new again.

Pete

[ZooJunkie]

I'm building my own, since only ARB and TJ makes a front bumper for the Trooper , and CalMini no longer stocks theirs. I purchased about $700 worth of steel tubing and one long 1"x1" steel square tube. I have about 125 ft of steel tubing, 1.25" diameter with an average wall thickness of .065".

The cost of a MIG welder will be about $350, and a tube bender will be about $200-600 depending on which bender you get.

The up front cost is quite a bit...but in the end you'll get a bumper you'll like and custom made.

I get my steel from AEDmotorsport.

[erin]

Another option for coating is to use a spray on bed liner of some sort. I liked this because of the very durable undercoating they apply to the steel before applying the liner material.

I have my sliders and rear tube bumper coated as such, and so far, I am very pleased with it. I think when my front winch bumper gets here I will have it finished the same way. Plus, it has saved me money over powder coating, probably $100 vs around $200.

Just another idea.

[goodtimes]

The cost of a MIG welder will be about $350, and a tube bender will be about $200-600 depending on which bender you get.

Those prices are on the optimistic side if you ask me (which you didn't, but I'll share anyway ).

To do much work, this is (imo) the basics.

Welder--200+ amps, $1500 (assuming MIG) + gas and tank
Welding hood--free - $250, depending on what you get--auto-darkening is super-cool to have.
Bender--$300
Stand and handle for bender--$50 for materials to build your own
Die sets--$250 each size (how many sizes do *you* want/need?)
Tube notcher--$200
Hole saw for notcher--$7 each size
4.5" grinder--$125
Abrasives for grinder--$30 +/-
Hand drill--$50
Drill bits (not chinese)--$25 - $150, depending on what you get
Files (various)--$50
Assorted clamps--$25 - $50
Decent protractor--$20

band-saw--$125+
--OR--
Chop saw--$125+
--OR--
Cold saw--$1200+ blade
(you could get by without these, but any one of them will make life much nicer)

The items below are optional stuff...but really do come in handy.
*Torch set--$300 + gas
*Plazma cutter--$1200+

And of course then there is all the sheet metal stuff....


Yes, it can be done cheaper...but with tools, it is cheaper to do it right the first time than it is to do it wrong the first time and then right the second time. I learned my lesson with a cheap welder. It worked OK for a year or two...but I was really limited in what I could accomplish with it. In the end, I bought a much nicer machine, and sold my "cheap" welder for about 1/2 of what I paid for it.

Some things you can find ways around (borrow tools, pay someone to bend tube then take it home and weld it up, avoid bends completely and use angled joints, etc), but my main point is that fabrication will nickel and dime you to death. I have so much money tied up in fabrication stuff in the garage that gets used so rarely, it will probably never pay for itself. Seriously, I probably have between 5 and 6 grand worth of fabrication tools in my garage. All told, they have built a couple of bumpers, a few skid plates, a roll cage, various mounting brackets, etc. (ok, some of the tools I used to use at work too....). But I consider what I have to be the "basics". For my vehicles, I have built probably $1500 worth of "stuff" with that $5000 worth of tools.

So, finally, here is my advice on the subject. If you are building your own bumper to save money and nothing else....forget it (unless you have the tools already, or know someone who will lend you the tools). It will cost you more for the tools than it will to pay someone else to do the work. If you enjoy burning metal and making sparks...well then view it like any other hobby. Your enjoyment and satisfaction may be worth the cost of the tools. It was for me.