I have decided to fab my own bumper I want to make a plate style bumper with a winch plate to build off of I also want loops for the lights I might do a all tubing one with a stinger on it as well like the trail gear one... I work in a industrial hardware store we deal with alot of stuff like farming equipment and have 3 fab shops I work more in the main store so I will be learning to weld and do this at my dads shop but I will be able to get all the material at work at cost... What thickness of plate do you guys recommend??? or tubing??? I DO NOT want to use piping I figured DOM tubing but what thickness for the light hoops or stinger??? Or any other recommendations??? I have searched and read quite a bit but feel I need more suggestions... Also I wont be fabbing the sliders I want to order the trail gear ones anyone have experience with them???

 

It is overwhelming isn't it. Like discovering something for the first time is this obsession with Toyota modding. My suggestion...shut up and read. Want to learn? Search. You are not going to learn near as much asking questions and having people spoon feed you as you are if your ask a question and go find the answer yourself, because in your journey you will find answers to ten more questions you didn't know you needed to ask.

Focus on one thing at a time, learn all you can about that, move on to the next thing. Shotgunning it is going to burn you out.

Good luck...you sound like you have it bad.

 

Oh I do I REALLY DO!!! haha I am ordering my lift kit this friday and want to order those sliders soon but I wanted to start getting Ideas for my bumper "sketching" now so I have a little time to think about it and start getting the material now... It makes it even harder working at industrial hardware store having all this stuff at my fingertips... I also want to get my rig up somewhat close to ready by summer for camping and deer/bear season...

 

Make a list. Research it in order. Put a build together. Execute it. Harem Skarem and you will never get anything done.

 

i believe wab put it best in a post i read some time back...

"you either sell it or you die, because the work is never finished". may have been a little different but close enough haha

 

I just really dont know where to start on the bumper or what size plate or tubing to use use my only problem... I am going to build of off a winch plate since that seems to be what everyone does I also dont know the main mounting points and what not I just dont want to waste the money on material and realize I did somthing wrong... kind of like measure twice and cut once I want to over research and get it right the first time...

 

just sell the yota and get a jeep. then you will "understand" what to do. seems like thats what the cool kids are driving. but i got my TG sliders installed yesterdya, no offroad experience with them yet but they look perdy sweet haha

 

Yeah right we have drove nothing but toyotas in my family off road and im sure it will remain that way just trying to figure this out...

 

Why don't you start by fabbing the sliders instead of ordering them?

Sliders are a lot more straightforward than bumpers ...

As for thicknesses - I would do at least 1/4" for the mounts. For the "skin" or if you use square/rectangular tubing, .120" seems to be the sweet spot. Hit it hard and and will dent, but going to .188" adds a lot of weight.

Decide on what your design criteria are up front - what do you want, and what is priority?
- Do you own a winch already? REALLY need one?
- Front receiver hitch?
- Air storage?
- Approach angle?
- Clearance vs protection?

 

Air storage??? Never thought of a front reciever hitch I was just gunna put anchor shackles on it I never heard of someone using a receiver hitch on the front bumper... I want maximum protection with a good approach angle my dad has a old warn winch he gave me and for where we wheel/hunt/camp a winch is a absolute necessity to have... what thickness of plates do people usually use on a plate style? and round tubing whats good tubing to use or the best I want the strongest is that DOM??? I would rather buy the sliders than fab them...

 

Think I could fab the trail gear bumper to fit my 3rd gen??? im wondering If this can be done fairly easy...

 

Also more pics if you guys could it is really helping me to somewhat come up with a design!!! thanks!!!

 

I built mine off a TG plate.....

took design from both TGs and Marlins bumpers.... It's basically a combination of the two..

There are only 8 bolts holding it on right now...I plan to add 2 more to the body mounts (like Marlins design)

 

Sweet truck!!! I am wondering how far and how much of a angle to put the stinger out???

 

My stinger comes up right to the top of my hood...not over....I can just see the top of the hoop from the driver seat.

I have a 121" wheelbase so I dont use a stinger for "stinger" purposes.....more for pushing the truck right or left and knowing which way my truck is going around an obstacle and ramping up inclines

 

A reciever hitch in the front is FAR FAR better, IMO, than any sort of "shackle" hanger.

It gives you a ton more surface area to weld to, you can box it in better, and it gives you multiple options for recovery: Hitch pin, shackle reciever mount, multimount winch, etc...

With a multimount set up, you get FAR better approach angles than an integrated winch, and you can move it to the back.

 

Where exactly would you put a receiver hitch in front? anyone got any pics of these set ups?

 

i built my tube bumper out of 1 /34" 1/8" wall tubing. and the mounts out of 1/8" plate. works pretty good. need to get more 1/8" plate and beef the mounts up more, i can wack some trees pretty hard with out bending it though. if you plan on mounting a winch up front, be sure to beef up the front clip a little bit so you dont risk bending that. just take your time and remesure a loot before you cut, bend, and weld.

 

look in the last pic of post 13!

 

Here is mine