98 Jeep ZJ "SHTFV"

[K2ZJ]

HAHA! I didn't know we were racing!! Rain...? What's that? Man, it never rains in San Diego I thought about attaching it to the hitch, but I was afraid it was going to hang down too far. You should post up some pics! And yes, Custom requires a significant amount of resources, even if it isn't all monetary.

No, no race. I am racing the clock, I leave for Moab in 3 days! It rains here once in a while, but not often or long, just enough to rust fresh metal. I was worried about overhang too so I cut off the receiver and put it flush with the cross bar. It was a hidden hitch type so that was behind the stock bumper. I am at 100lbs +/- and I still need to add the tire carrier. I like your way better and may make one out of aluminum that way. going into the "frame rails".

 

[Recce01]

Rear Bumper Build process

The next step was to add the rear plate. Due to the length of it, it too was bent a little. Not as much as the top plate, but still bent. I decided to clamp this one up as well for the tack welding process. It would likely result in a much more even and square bumper!

Sure, it looks rediculous but it does the job and does it well!

I took the oppertunity to tack weld that joint about 25 times to make sure it didn't move.

The inside looks like this

In order to retain the 90 degree angle of the plates, I decided to tack weld on the angled end caps

I knew that I had to do a lot more welding underneath the bumper still, so I decided to work on the side pods. I didn't know exactly where the side pods were to be mounted so I elected to make them on the bench first.

This was done 1 piece at a time

The tacked pods look kinda cool!

The next trick was to figure out exactly where it was meant to go on the bumper. This is the disadvantage of forgetting to take better measurements and notes during the planning process. It is way easier to replace blue painters tape and move patterns around than it is to weld, cut, move and weld again.

The next step was the lower side angled plates. I did very minor trimming to adjust the angle before tack welding them

I finally got back to another one of those moments where I didn't want to weld myself into a corner. If I welded the lower angle plate on now, I would not be able to weld the receiver tube in very well, so I elected to put the receiver tube in at this point

I used a standard 6" pre-fab receiver tube

This brought me to another thought. I had to weld and grind the center section of the bumper, or I would never be able to grind it round after the receiver tube was in, so I decided to weld a section about a foot long. So the clamps and rectangle tubes go back on (To minimize warping) and the section was welded

After welding I got after it with the grinder and smoothed it out nicely

Next I got to bust out the Plazma cutter again and make my square hole for the receiver

Then install the tube and weld it up as much as I could

One of the final plates to be installed on the bumper while it was still on the vehicle was the lower angle plate. Lucky for me, it fit right in, no trimming!

All that was left for this step was to replace the clamp, and weld it up! I used this cloth to keep the body and windows from getting showered with sparks and welding turds

Next time, I will go through the welding process and the addition of the final plates once the bumper is on the bench! Thanks for looking

 

[Recce01]

No, no race. I am racing the clock, I leave for Moab in 3 days! It rains here once in a while, but not often or long, just enough to rust fresh metal. I was worried about overhang too so I cut off the receiver and put it flush with the cross bar. It was a hidden hitch type so that was behind the stock bumper. I am at 100lbs +/- and I still need to add the tire carrier. I like your way better and may make one out of aluminum that way. going into the "frame rails".

That's really cool you cut off the receiver tube and added it flush with cross tube. That was my original thought on how to do it! I decided I wanted to go as high as possible, and thought inside the frame was the way to go. I'll let you know how it holds up over time. If you do have to remove those studs in the frame, good luck, they are a nightmare!!!! My job was done in a short time period as well. We thrashed to prepare for Overland Expo, so I feel your pain, and lack of sleep!!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Hmmm, I'm scrounging for some gold bars, looking good!

 

[Recce01]

Hmmm, I'm scrounging for some gold bars, looking good!

Excellent! I was only looking for Silver bars, but gold is even better

 

[Recce01]

Rear Bumper Build process

The welding process on the rear bumper was pretty straight forward. I followed the same theory as when I welded the front bumper by stitching a few inches from opposite ends of the bumper as I went. The only problem with doing this is the starts and stops . Generally speaking you will end up with high spots at all of your starts and stops which means you have to do the grinding process very carefully as to avoid the whoopty doo effect. I also left the bar clamped to the bumper as long as possible to keep warping to a minimum

The result was a bumper that stayed fairly square and where it was meant to be

This was a ton of welding. My levis had a hole in the knee, and I ended up with a nasty burn on it The bumper turned out ok though! i decided to do a little grinding with the bumper ttached to the vehicle, as it is much easier to apply pressure when it is solid mounted

Sometimes I find low spots and have to add a tack weld here and there to fill it. This is a PITA because if I do not grind it correctly, I make a mess of the area around it. I must also do this in the early stages of the grinding, otherwise I will ruin the final finish for sure!

The next stage is to remove the bumper and take it to the workbench.

While clamped to the bench, I have to weld the inside of the bumper and add the frontside and lower finishing plates. This consisted of 1.5" X.188 flat bar

It is always tricky installing these, as the angles are hard to find. I use clamps to make sure the plate I am welding it to isn't bowed after it was previously welded

The end result is much cleaner and stronger. You would be amazed at how much flex is removed with the small plates on a new plane

It is also my last chance to correct any warping by pre-loading the plates pre-welding

And now back to the least fun 4 hours to spend, the grinding process. I set up a few pallets outside the garage and break out the 7" disc sander, the 4" makita and the orbital DA

The results are well worth it though. I love it when you can't see where there were any seams!

Next on the list is the tire carrier!

 

[Recce01]

The tire carrier!

This is actually unchartered territory for me. I have built many many tire cxarriers for race vehicles/4 wheelers that are static, but never on that swings open. As expressed earlier in the thread I secured some components from Poison Spyder to get the job done. While I was there I also secured a little advice. I was told to preload the angles a little for smooth operation once it is loaded with weight. How much to preload was relative to the weight, so I decided I would fight that battle when I arrived there. First, the components....

The full-ish inventory list is as follows:
Machined spindle
2 wheel bearings
1 seal
1 decorative cap
1 latch mechanism/handle
1 latch mechanism cover
1 tube with races pressed in and threads machined in

I decided to at least get the spindle welded in while the bumper was off the vehicle, as I knew I would need access to the backside of the bumper (Very hard once on vehicle)

I had just enough clearance to add the tube to the bumper under the tail light without it hanging off the edge

I then sized up the spindle to see what size hole I had to cut in the bumper, as this had to be held in double shear to make it as stroing as possible

I next eyeballed where the center of the tube would be and marked the appropriate size hole in the bunper

Break out the old Plazma cutter and get after it! I used a plazma, because my hole saws are MIA (reminder not to loan tools out)

This is a step I hadnt thought of, cutting the spindle down and at an angle. I started with the chop saw (Flipping breakers every 15 seconds for 5 minutes) then finished with the APEX

At last it fit! Just had to add ever so slight angle on it for pre-load before welding. I did this via eyeball

The last step here was to add some under bracing to make sure there wouldnt be any flex, or at least minimal flex. It sure was messy under there with welding turds, but I had to crank up the heat significantly to make sure I got good penetration

Next step, the bumper goes back on and the swing out portion gets constructed!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

I'm so envious.

 

[xjman88]

Nice friggin bumper build. Thats next for the rear of the zj. Ive built xj front and rear bumpers but never for the grandy. Should be interesting in the end.

 

[Steingass]

Wow! That is some beautiful fab work on your bumpers. Nice choice on your wheels and hinge too. Great minds think alike

 

[Recce01]

I'm so envious.

Not sure how to respond to that, I kinda feel guilty now

Nice friggin bumper build. Thats next for the rear of the zj. Ive built xj front and rear bumpers but never for the grandy. Should be interesting in the end.

It is a hard vehicle to build a rear bumper for. Now that it is done, I am very relieved! I stressed over the design and style for weeks leading up to cutting patterns LOL

Wow! That is some beautiful fab work on your bumpers. Nice choice on your wheels and hinge too. Great minds think alike

Thank you! Now I just need some axles to match the lug pattern so I can get rid of those spacers

 

[Ted_Z]

The next trick was to figure out exactly where it was meant to go on the bumper. This is the disadvantage of forgetting to take better measurements and notes during the planning process. It is way easier to replace blue painters tape and move patterns around than it is to weld, cut, move and weld again.

First let me say great job so far!

But just an FYI, I fabricated a very similar rear bumper for my ZJ and found that I didn't leave enough clearance between the wrap around part and the bottom of the tail light. When coming off a ledge and catching the bumper corner the bumper or body would flex just so that the bumper hit the underside of the tail light. I've cracked the lenses on both sides because of this.

The other issue was the clearance between the tailgate and the vertical section. Again body flex would allow the edge of the tailgate to hit the bumper, rubbing/chipping the paint on both pieces.

 

[Recce01]

First let me say great job so far!

But just an FYI, I fabricated a very similar rear bumper for my ZJ and found that I didn't leave enough clearance between the wrap around part and the bottom of the tail light. When coming off a ledge and catching the bumper corner the bumper or body would flex just so that the bumper hit the underside of the tail light. I've cracked the lenses on both sides because of this.

The other issue was the clearance between the tailgate and the vertical section. Again body flex would allow the edge of the tailgate to hit the bumper, rubbing/chipping the paint on both pieces.

Hi Ted! I appreciate the insight, and can forsee potential drama if I make harsh contact with the earth. I tried to leave just under 1/2" clearance between the bumper and tail lights. I can already forsee issues with the gate, and will likely make a fairly significant change on the dimensions if I make any more. Do you have a build thread? I would love to see what you did with your ZJ! Thanks Ted!

 

[Recce01]

The tire carrier!

I decided to mount the bumper back on the Jeep to see how it looked, make sure it still fit, and also to build the tire carrier.

The vehicle is sitting very high at the moment, but here is what it looks like from the side. Will look better once the vehicle is at loaded ride height

The finishing of the front of the bumper makes all the difference in the world

and a few more views while I am at it

I started with the tube bolted to the spindle

My next step was to confirm the location of the latching mechanism. I decided to mount the latch laterally, instead of vertically like it is done on the Poison Spyder bumpers. I started by marking the striker location

I drilled the hole and installed the striker(with 3 flat washers to add to preload). I then mounted the latch inside the fab box, and clasped it shut in place on the bumper. The idea was the tail light should reamin free of ubstructions, and the latch could be opened by pulling laterally instead of vertically.

The next step was to add the main tube. I elected to run .120 wall 1.5" x 2.5" rectangle tubing for the main frame. I see a lot of guys running .250 wall on their carriers, and I think it is overkill and way too heavy. We will see, I may be on the side of the road hunting down my rogue spare. Time will tell

I mounted the tube to the outside face of the tube and bumper instead of the middle of the tube. The gate is very rounded, and I wanted some clearance from it.

It was also important to me that the swinging portion would swing a full 180 degrees. I intend to make a swing down table for it eventually.

The next step was to add the vertical portion of the carrier, I elected to use the same material. The location of this tube was critical, as it had to hold the spare on center and the spare had to clear the body shell when the carrier was open to a full 180 degrees. I had to leave some room off to one side for spare fuel cans, which I will get to eventually. I also has to leave clearance to go to a larger tire in the future, as I may go to a 33" tire. I made my own plate to mate to the spare tire base plate that I also secured from Posion Spyder.

The next step was to add some bracing to help keep this upright. For this I decided to use some 1.5" x .120 wall tubing. I couldn't resist adding some bend to give it some character

Of course I like things to look semetrical, so I made the other side tube look about the same from the back

I also figured some gussets wouldnt hurt so I whipped up a few tubes for the lower corners to bring it all together

The drivers side by the latch

and the passenger side by the pivot

Then it was time to remove it, and weld it up on the bench!

NOTE TO SELF.... do not weld outside of tubing that has threads inside, END NOTE

 

[Recce01]

To be honest I am at a loss with what to do for my next few posts. From this stage of the build on, it was a whirlwind of work performed by myself and a good friend of mine, "Gerf". It was coming up on the time we were meant to leave for the Overland Expo, and I still hadn't made a roof rack, painted anything, mounted the awning, the tent nor cleaned and loaded the rig. I was just about delusional from sleep deprivation and extremely short on patience.