I need pictures of heavy duty front bumper mounts - Diesel Forum

Jerry Miller · 04-13-2006, 03:52 PM

I'm finally getting around to building my front bumper, since my stocker just got destroyed (different story). Anyway, I don't want to mount to the two little flimsy angle iron tabs that held the stock unit in place. I was wondering what others had done. Right now I'm planning to slide box tubing over the factory frame horns, but am open to other ideas.
Thanks,
Jerry

realbadlarry · 04-13-2006, 04:09 PM

Just remember that Ford spent a lot of time and money to engineer those frame rails. Anything you do is going to change the way the vehicle will react in a collision. Transfer of energy to the wrong spot could be trouble. Anything that has a dimple in it is a crush zone and designed to distort. Just a thought.

Jerry Miller · 04-13-2006, 04:25 PM

I appreciate the concern. The way I feel about stiffening the front end up for a stout bumper is that it isn't much different than installing a snow plow mount or a front receiver hitch. Unlike it's 1/2 ton brother, the 250's and 350's did not get crumple zones built into their frame rails. The 150s actually have an accordian (bellows) design at the end, where the 250's and 350's are essentially straight tubing.
Thanks though,
Jerry

93turbo'd_animal · 04-14-2006, 12:59 AM

I built my bumper to bolt on to the factory mounts if you wanted a little more you could add a plate welded to the bumper that goes along the out side of the frame and then drill thru and bolt it that way but yu have to be realistic I built my bumper so if I hit a dear or some one backs into me or slight fender benders nothin will be hurt be if its a full on wreck I want the front to give as much as possible [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

Jerry Miller · 04-14-2006, 08:37 AM

Aric,
I agree about what you said about a full on wreck. I'm planning to make mine with elongated slots, not only for adjustability when installing but also in a major collision (hopefully will never happen!) it will allow it to shift in the mounts.I had the stock bumper with a Tietjen's brush guard that looks similar to Ranchhand. It used brackets that wrapped completely around the stock bumper and bolted to the stock mounts. The problem with that was you could grap the brush guard at the headlight guard area and flex it.....meaning those angle iron brackets on the frame were flexing. Do you have any pictures of yours showing the mounts?
Jerry

1996CC · 04-14-2006, 12:41 PM

I would want the car I hit to be the crumple zone, not my truck!!!

However, If you sleeve the rails, you could put bolts all the way through, in a heavy impact, they could shear and allow the bumper to slide back, therefore acting as a crumple zone.

93turbo'd_animal · 04-14-2006, 09:37 PM

1996CC I would want the car I hit to be the crumple zone, not my truck!!!

The only problem with this logic is if you hit something as big or bigger then you [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shrug.gif[/img]

Jerry I have some pics of my bumper mounts PM me your e-mail addy and I'll send you some my bumper is 1/4 plate steel with 2" sch 40 pipe all mounted to the stock mounts and I gaurantee you can't grab my grille gaurd and wiggle it [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/biggrin.gif[/img]