Hey,
I'm looking at a custom bumper, the guy will make it out of 3/16 or 1/4" steel square tube, which should i go with? it has a recever hitch with no supports from the frame mounts into the center to support the hitch, only the brackets streight out from the frame, will it bend outword in the middle if i tow from it? Thanks -Jeff

 

search around a bit to get some ideas on designs

and use 1/4 for strength

 

Yeah the guy has an awesome design, I've been searching around and see that 3/16 and 1/4 are both common. I like strength but theres also arguments that if you go to strong you screw up the frame if you take a hit and it's that much more weight too. Thanks for the response, I am leaning towards the 1/4". Thanks again.

 

1/4 for where the reciever will tie in back to the frame. 3/16 for the rest.

 

X's 2

 

theres a pic of it, so the whole thing is gonna have to be the same...

 

i would not be worried about the tube the bumper is made of i would be worried about those frame brackets, even if they are 1/4" any decent side load will bend flat plate, i would consider welding that lower bolted section and then adding some cross bracing from theend of the frame to the center to laterally support those brackets.

that would be my worry, i had a doulbe tube bumper made in the 80's that had 3/8" steel brackets like those and a honda civic backed into it and moved it 3" over at less than 5 MPH!!!

 

i agree def want something to stiffen the mounts side to side. i would think 3/16 would have plenty of strength with that big of a piece of tubing plus if it were 1/4 ited be ridiculously heavy

 

Looks like it's angle iron up to where it bolts to the frame, think thats good enough or need more support? so ur thinking 3/16 is fine to tow off then?

 

Without having bracing from the receiver tube angled out to the frames, I wouldn't tow anything to heavy. For a light trailer it should be ok. I wouldn't pull a larger boat or car trailer with it though.

 

3/16" for the main tube is probably more than enough for anything a toyota can tow, i would make sue the angle brackets are still at least 1/4 though