The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop Custom bumper fabrication

Hi all, I'm putting this question in the HIPO section since it deals with a street rod I'm building. Has anyone had front and rear bumpers fabricated from round steel, about 1 1/2" in dimeter. I'm thinking of having the front bumper a one piece unit that is bent to follow the contour of the grille, and the rear bumper would be one straight piece. Who would do this sort of work, can't weem to locate anyone in my area. Thanks for any suggestions, Don

A single round pipe kind of bumper can force an object either over or under the bumper, resulting in lots of damage. Don't ask how I know this. And no I didn't take any pictures.

OldSub is right. Another consideration: I sometimes step on the bumper when checking under the hood or loading stuff in the box. Try standing on a pipe bumper when it's wet; tough on the shins - owww!

You can get square or rectangular steel tubing in a variety of sizes. This stuff is properly known as Hollow Structural Section. I am thinking 2x4 or 2x6 would be good for a truck.

Here's an example of what you can get:
HSS sizes

This stuff is commonly used in construction. Check your yellow pages for a steel supplier near you. Ask them what sizes they stock as not all suppliers carry all sizes. If you are not doing your own welding, the steel supplier would probably know the name of some good welders.

I can't imagine what a custom bumper like this would cost if you had it made today. It follows the contour of the fender making a nice step area.
[img]http://www.angelswest.com/_borders/treetruck500.jpg[/img]

Check your local yellow pages for a race car shop or dirt track. The 1 1/2" pipe is what most dirt cars or drag cars use for safety cages. Really its 1 3/4" but you might find they can bend smaller pipe. Next stop would be a muffler shop, they to should be able to bend that size of tube.

Joe

Measure and go to the junk yard... Find something "cool" and stick it on!
Customs rule!
jason
p.s. keep us posted

I may do the same thing for the rear bumper myself. It would seem that stock style bumpers are really hard to get. Classic Industries lists them but they are back ordered forever. No doubt these are made by companies that prefer to wait until they get a large order of 50 or more before they do a run on them. I've had an open order for several months now, and I'm getting tired of waiting. I might as well fabricate a rear bumper as well, and if and when one ever comes in, I can replace it with the right one.

I got a hitch for my '52, but it would hang down below the bumper and look stupid without some kind of bumper above it.

My father fabricated a rear bumper for my 1965 Chevy, C-10 out of 4" diameter steel pipe. He welded flat end caps on it and added a metal valve stem for filling with air, an air pressure gauge and a female fitting for attaching a short air hose I kept under the seat with the truck jack.

I used it often to air the tires up on my little John Deere lawn mower I used in my mowing business when I was in high school.

Back to your question regarding pipe bumpers. My father was a welder at the overhaul base for TWA in Kansas City for thirty years. He made many pipe bumpers for various vehicles over the years. Many of them doubled as air tanks. Most steel fabrication shops have the capability to cut, mandrel bend and weld most diameters and thicknesses of steel or stainless steel pipe. You may save some time and money by making a cardboard template of the contoured front bumper for the fab shop.

If you run into a dead end, e-mail me personally and I will put you in touch with my father who is a retired, certified A&E welder and fabricates many items for the aviation, agricultural and automotive enthusiats from aluminum, stainless steel and mild steel.

A bumper air tank? That would have been fun in a rear-end collision!

Since the pipe bumper idea hasn't died, I will tell you why I think its a bad idea.

If you hit something below the horizontal center of the front surface on that pipe bumper your vehicle is going to climb up and allow your bumper to damage someone else's tail lights or trunk trim or other sheet metal.

Or, if your bumper is lower than what ever you hit, its going to climb up over your bumper, possibly destroying that classic old grill you finally found.

I once found someone else's bumper sitting on top my steel tube bumper and embeded into my grill. My radiator did not survive either.

No pipe bumpers for me. I'll take a mostly flat horizontal surface instead. If you have to carry compressed air in your bumper look at rectangular tube instead.

Why not stack a couple of pipes to make a bumper? Could even weld 1 or 2 inch spaces every so often to make more surface area without addind too much weight.
Scott

I think of these little pipes as Nerf bars. I like them and they look good. As far as function they may not be the best, but if we were looking for the best we would all be at the surplus yard taking the front push bumpers off of old police cars.

Find a local metal shop. Tell them what you are thinking and see if they can fab something for you. You can clean it up and paint it or spend a lot of time smoothing it and send it to a chrome shop.

Good Luck

Buddy

It seems many of the Stovebolters replying to this post have the "What if the sky falls tomorrow" approach. With regards to hitting someone or being hit, most of these old trucks we all chose to drive outweigh most of the vehicles and are built better than most anything they may strike, with the exception of some of the larger SUVs. Secondly, the pipe bumper is better suited to deflect the forces that occur during a collision with another object. Ever heard of "crumple zones"?

The tube bumper that doubled as a air tank was made of 4" diameter pipe with 1/4" wall thickness attached directly to the rear frame channels. I backed into a steel pipe bollard filled with concrete one time and thought I had hit a parked tank. The bumper did not fail, nor did it explode, even though it had 120psi of air in it. I haven't done the calcs, however the volume of air in a 4" diameter pipe that is less than 6' in length would sound like you sitting on a whopy cushion at your 60th birthday. Not enough air volume to create a problem.

For those of you that think that a custom bumper, fabricated from some type of pipe/tubing is the best fit for your custom Stovebolt, then I say go for it. Many old schoolers may not have the forward thinking mentality required to come up with the next trend. Your idea my be the hot new bolt-on for 2005!

Sky is falling? Open you eyes and look around a bit. Many of the old trucks out there already have some body damage, and some of those parts are not easy to find. Why would you want a bumper that could increase the damage your truck suffers in any accident?

Most our half-ton trucks weigh under 4,000 lbs and there are a lot of vehicles out there that weigh more. But you are not thinking about the forces at play. In the example I offered my truck mounted pipe bumper lifted the car in front of me and slid it deep into my grill.

Yeah that car was much lighter than my truck. That did not work in my favor. One of the stoutest parts on that little car was its rear bumper. Once it slid over my tube bumper the little car bumper crumpled my grill.

Which side of this discussion are you on? The specific situation I described earlier was an example of how the pipe bumper 'deflected' a car into the grill of my truck. The result was a 'crumple zone' that I had formerly called a grill.

Your 1/4-inch thick tube isn't going to crumple much unless you hit something like the concrete you described at high speed. Otherwise it’s more like a battering ram. Any car it hits will either deflect or crumple. A crumple zone is supposed to absorb energy as it crumples. The idea is that the crumple zone absorbs the energy in the impact so that energy doesn’t destroy the bodies occupying the vehicle. If your bumper deflects that energy instead of absorbing it, that energy may still cause someone great hurt.

This may be why some of the gray-haired among us think some young bucks aren't too bright. It’s definitely why I felt I had to respond to you instead of ignore you.

You’ve connected my thoughts about tube bumpers to a statement suggesting a lack of forward thinking mentality. I take that comment personally. My profession is one that didn’t exist when I graduated from college. I’m one of the people who created it, and the young bucks I work with (people with degrees in math and engineering, and experience in fields like nuclear power) come to me when they can’t figure out what to do.

But your statement referred to ‘old schoolers’ plural. So it’s not just me you’re jibing at, but everyone here who might be a little older than you. You used a computer to post that statement. What OS does it run? Are you using the OS from my contemporary Bill Gates or the one from my contemporary Steve Jobs? If not you may be using one of the *nix variants that were developed by guys older than me or a look-alike created by a younger guy who borrowed his base ideas from the old schoolers at AT&T.

My tube bumper was trendy at the time it was built, so maybe this hot trend for 2005 will be another rerun of an ‘old schooler’ idea from a previous generation. Trends and styles change. The physical laws that govern bodies in motion have not changed, and will continue to define how tube bumpers and little cars will interact when they come in contact.

If we think the sky is falling it’s because some (not all, but far too many) of the kids we see running around demonstrate an inability to think. That scares us.

Go read the post in the General forum called “You gotta love the old folks!” We old schoolers know the kids are coming up behind us and will need to surpass our accomplishments to establish themselves. But you can be sure we won’t be impressed until you accomplish something. Spouting off about the people who preceded you won’t earn you any respect. Show us stuff that is better than what we’ve done. Acknowledge where you’ve stood on our shoulders and take pride in how you’ve taken it further.

Challenge us to do better and we’ll try to do it. Question our mental ability and you’ll need to watch out. Old age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill every time. And many of us are smart enough to know a lifted finger isn't going to hurt anyone. We have more effective ideas.

I'm struggling with the state of Pennsylvania I have to have a rear bumper to pass a Collectible Registration inspection. When I had the 235 in it I tried for a Historic Registration, you have to provide pictures of front, rear and sides. Mine was all Orange in color and they refused stating I had to have chrome bumpers and grill. I guess they never heard of the Korean Police Action(not a war)where they stopped chroming and SS, though it was a different color than the body. But before I challanged them the six ate a valve. I have now installed a V8 and auto but still lack a seat to get it Collectible inspected. They won't accept my box. 4 miles from my house is Maryland, bring the title and money and they title and tag, no questions asked other than do you want Historic or Street Rod but thats a different state. I hope my seat arrives soon my driveway seems to be getting smaller and smaller. Zeke

Hey, 38Chev, where did you go? Any ideas working out yet? Another idea I like is narrowing the orig. bumpers a few inches and tucking them closer to the body.

Buddy

Oldsub, right on.
Just be mindful we don't know what the name 'LilRed refers to. I assumed it was his truck.

So did I based on the signature:

Back in the 70's I owned a white big-window '66 C-10 with a 327 and a Powerglide. I replaced the 327 with a built 350 but sold the truck before I got to the point of upgrading the transmission.

I have been unable to get my daily fix of Stovebolt Forum for the last few days, however it appears my comments regarding the "Old Schoolers" and "forward thinking mentality" have invoked the ire of a few fellow stovebolters. If, in fact, I have irritated someone/anyone, I intended only to encourage "thinking outside the box".

In any event, I see we all are very passionate about our hobbies, interests, professions and all other things of importance, therefor we all have our opinions about what is the right approach to fixing a problem or addressing an issue. And to each his own!

In closing, my experience with a pipe bumper on my first vehicle, namely an old Chevy truck, was a pleasant one, with no adverse side effects, I encourage anyone to do the same, if they desire. Whether one considers themself an Old Schooler, Old Timer, Jet Setter or the New Kid on the block, we all have enovative thoughts and opinions. Since there was no malicious intent, on my part, I would hope no one would take offense. No harm intended! Happy Holidays and I hope Santa brings you everything your heart desires.

Hey OldSub & Tony M, LILRED66 does refer to my truck. I just assume OldSub refers to your truck, as well. Enjoy the day.

Well Tony you certainly invoked my ire. As a relative newcomer here I'd encourage you to be careful how much you assume you know about the people you meet here, and to be careful that your choice of words not suggest you're putting any of us in derogatory or stereotypical boxes.

At least some of us will kick our way out of your box.

I'm not sure what "enovative thoughts" might be, but I would suggest that pipe bumpers are old school and NOT one of the better ideas you might adapt from your elders.

The '39 Chevy pickup I bought in '72 or '73 had a rusty and dented tube bumper. It was probably 20 or more years old then, making it at least a 50-year-old idea.

Innovation is not recycling ideas (good or bad ones) from the past. Innovation is either coming up with new ideas or combining old ideas in new ways that create a dramatic improvement.

Talk about innovation is empty. Demonstrate innovation and people will pay attention.

In the 70's I had a VW bug where the rear bumper doubled as a waterpipe. It came in real handy. It basically got me through High School...

Waterpipe? The only intrepretations I'm coming up with for that were not exactly legal when I was in high school.

I also had a bug while in high school. Only had it a few months before trading it for a '61 Buick convertable with nailhead.

Back then my old trucks were always projects, never drivers. Now my demands are a little higher, at least one of the trucks has to run so I can get to work!

Yeah it does. I figured your's out from your signature. Mine lists the seven of my eight trucks that fit the pre '73 nature of this board.

I've found another that I want, but haven't figured out how to park a COE where my wife won't be reminded of the truck count or the truck expense...

Maybe if I put it one my Christmas list?

We also did the most high school seniors in one bug and went around the high school followed by a three wheeled meter maid. Mine was a '64.
It is the same vehicle I broke the record for the longest slide on the drivers side throwing the most beautiful sparks . Dang those things tip over easy. Two new fenders, a little bondo and she was good as new. Drove it for years.

Pipe, of all shapes and sizes, have been used on civilian and military vehicles long before you and I were present on this planet. I am well aware of that fact and in no way suggested that using pipe as a bumper or a reasonable facsimile thereof, was my innovation, nor do I post to this forum to draw the attention, respect or any other form of affirmation from the individuals who read it. In fact, quite the contrary. I simply share my experiences, good or bad with others who care to read it.

I praise both my father and grandfather for the invaluable information I have learned from them during my 40 years of being around and working on trucks and other mechanical creations. My grandfather, who was a farmer his entire life (93 years old at the time of this posting), used round and square pipe as bumpers for many of his farm vehicles and implements and they proved quite durable and reliable. I don't recall my grandfather reciting the negative consequences of using pipe as a bumper. It just seemed like the right thing to use at the time.

I guess I never considered the use of pipe as a bumper would complicate or compound the consequences of contacting another vehicle. My lack of knowledge, experience and pipe bumper savvy is perhaps a glaring inadequacy of my trucking intelligence quotient. I will make every attempt to observe proper etiquette, political correctness and civility when posting.

I am often humored by the seemingly harmless things that people take offense to. I was always taught that if something doesn't apply then let it roll off your back. I believe that no matter ones age, they probably learned most of what they know from the ones that came before them. That being said, the one who knows the most is the last one standing. You appear to be a wealth of knowledge and I will attempt to read your posts in the future.

Cheers.

Listen Tony. I have been dancing around this thread with humor but... You can keep talking until you are a LILblue in the face but the arguments used against pipe bumpers were simply layed out for anyone to understand. Your first reaction was to be rude, your second reaction was to say it was just too new of an idea for us old folk to understand. Your last argument is that the pipe idea is so old your grandfather invented it. Well, just because he had no fender benders on his farm with his farm equipment doesn't negate the arguments stated above about using round shaped bumpers and their effect of redirecting the other vehicle below or above said bumper.

I can't wait to hear your next argument.

Harmless is in the eyes of the beholder. I was taught that if you take a swing at someone don't be surprised when they take a swing back. And be prepared for them to swing harder...

I'm tired of this argument. I was walking through a parking lot the other night looking at bumpers and thinking about how energy would be redirected or transfered if 'those two' met at speed.

Its Christmas time and I have better things to do! For instance I bought my wife a new dishwasher. Now I have to put it in...

Merry Christmas and may your truck(s) get everything you want them to have...

As for me, there is a '54 GMC COE I've been hinting about to my wife..

There is no argument. Pipe bumpers are and will continue to be effective, whether you like them or not! The music has stopped, so you can stop dancing! I couldn't care less about the people who don't like the idea. I don't like every idea I see or hear about either. Ever heard of "different strokes for different folks"?

If the music has stopped why are you still swinging?

If you guys want to pick on someone, pick on me, I'm used to it. Hell, I'm used to women pointing and laughing at me too!
Scott

Scott I can't pick on you as long as I'm laughing with you about that great tagline!

An effective bumper is one that will inflict more damage to the other guy's car than he can do to mine. Who cares if it's a tube, a rectangle, a bit of angle or "C"-channel, or 26 dead cats mounted on a 2x12 board???

Patrick go back and reread my story about having an accident with a pipe front bumper.

Because the other car was lifted by the slope of the pipe my truck sustained more damage than it would have with that 2x12 with cats approach. I like that idea, but don't tell my little girl, if you did she'd hit me!

After reading through four truck magazines I get on a monthly basis, I discovered that there are only a few of us who care about the use of pipe for bumpers. By that I mean, 99.9% of every truck pictured and 99.9% of every product sold, in some way lifts or lowers the factory stance.

Apparently, it doesn't matter how high/low a bumper is, nor what it is made of. The masses seem to think being lower or higher than what you hit is the most important thing, judging by the number of trucks that are "slammed", "lowered" or "lifted".

End of subject for me. Lots to do before Santa comes. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

So it is back to rude. I think you just don't know any better. Maybe you should read some of your posts back and see how you might come across.
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We care for you.

Tony M:

Take a chill pill and stop taking everything I say so negatively. Your posts my strike me as rude and obnoxious also, but I'm not getting uptight about it. Let dead dogs lie.

Howdy everyone! Why don't we all take a break, go have your favorite beverage and come back in the morning refreshed?

And a very Merry Christmas to all!

Regards,
Sheriff John