I have the bender sitting in my storage ready to go to work for me but need a little direction as to how to go about building front and rear bumpers. What size tubing should I get and such? How to go about getting accurate bends where I want them? And bracketing ideas. I plan on shaving the lower half off of my factory side bumper panels inline with where the body is to cover the ugliness. Now to protect those panels I want to run some tubing over them to keep em perty. the rear I am still undecided as to my design. I will be keeping my hitch unit so I want to go along with the lines of it. With the front bumper I plan on getting creative in my design. I want the badlands tube style. So who has some tips or tricks to accomplishing this job.

 

From what i hear, all you need is .120 tubing. A lot of people use 1 3/4 inch diameter, but i do not think it matters all that much.

As far as everything else, sorry, i can't help you much. Try looking on www.pirate4x4.com and look through the "picture of your favorite toyota" and i think theres a thread about bumpers too, maybe you can get some idea by looking at pictures.

Also, sorry i forgot, what kind of bender did you get?how much was it?

 

I forget the name of it but it was inexpensive being around $118 shipped. Its heavy as hell with all of the bending parts. Dyes? I just want to use it so bad.

 

I saw this one on a SAS 3rd gen, it's more like the style you see on 2nd gen 4runners and late '80's p/ups. I just think he needs to cover the side sections with plate steel or 11 gauge sheet metal to keep it looking good and cover the flapper thing. Does the 2nd gen have that thing?

 

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/bendin_tube/index.html

Your pipe bender will likely kink tubing.

 

Rob: Thats a badarse 4runner. I dont like the rear bumper though. 2nd gens have similar ugliness also. thats why I plan on shaving the lower half of the side bumper panels to cover the area.

Cebby:I heard that if I fill the tubing with sand and tape the ends my bends will come out with little to no kink. make sense? im clueless on that one.

 

Doesn't hurt to try it I guess...

 

Bend tube with a tube bender. Bend pipe with a pipe bender. Cross them and kink them, you are describing a bandaid.

As usual, the Pirate link has the best info, but that is for a tube bender.

 

You're gonna need some amazingly strong tape, the amount of force it's going to see as the tube is being crushed will be extraordinary. Just go slow with that pipe kinker and don't try to make any safety devices (aka roll cage) out of it.

 

Yeah I am just looking to build a decent looking tube bumper. I am lifted high enough I doubt I will be playing bumper tag with anyone so its mostly for looks. Thanks Shane

 

 

Like Flygt said, a tube bender is for tubing and a pipe bender is for pipe, try and make the wrong one make due and you won't be happy with the results.

Piping is sized off a nominal ID
Tubing is sized off a nominal OD

Personally, I got access to both, but if I didn't most folks have tubing benders that I know. Pipe is easier to find thought IMO.

Good luck and happy bending!