Chevy truck bumper build

[oil pan 4]

I just realized I never posted the list of specifications this bumper has to meet.
Lower to the ground for on road use.
Be useable as a seat or step.
Have a solid steel reese hitch to connect a winch on a reese caddy and other equipment.
Hold a license plate (front plate is going to conceal the reese hitch).
Have an opening for water to air intercoolers and an air to air aftercooler.
I would like the bumper to be on top of some type of shock absorbers.
Be removable like a race car front clip.
Have that front clip section be made of stainless steel.
Place to install a light bar on it.
Install my auxiliary 100w each lights, if possible and it doesn't look like its going to be possible.
Hold a Hydraulic power unit.
Maybe hold the electric coolant pump for both the engine and the circulating pump for the air to water to air intercoolers.

So far I have been able to get if fairly low. I have made it so I can use it as a seat or step.
The reese hitch is installed that was the first thing.
The license plate portion has not been finished but it wont be a problem.
Openings for the intercoolers and aftercoolers are in work.
The shock absorbers are all installed.
It does come off like a front clip exposing all the structure and machinery and as you can see its made of stainless.
I did want to put my 32 inch light bar but the light bar feet were on top of but not lined up to the upper deck bolts, so I am getting a smaller curved 24 inch smaller light bar.
I did want to put some 100 watt auxiliary lights on there but I don't think its going to work. Also got the hydraulic power unit in.

[kach22i]

That is a big and ambitious list.

The removable aspect, is that just bolts and nuts?

Someone once rear ended me and bent down my trailer hitch, I had to replace the "to frame" securing bolts with metric ones, they are supposed to be stronger than regular steel ones.

[oil pan 4]

Yes the hardware that secures the bumper will be four 6 inch long 1/2 inch bolts and four, 4 inch long 3/8 inch bolts.

[oil pan 4]

Did some more work on the bumper.


I went with a curved 5 inch pipe cut into quarters for the sides. Radiused edges and a 169 degree wedge angle will cut through the air marginally better than a brick.
The bottom of the bumper is 1.5 inch 1/4 inch thick angle. That will give me a good foundation to attach an air dam to.

My 24 inch LED light bar also came in.
I measured its power input, 7 amps at 12.7 volts which puts it right about 90 watts.
The size is perfect and the beam pattern is lethal.

[kach22i]

Since this is posted in the Aerodynamic section of the forum, and I assume the photos are to encourage commentary, I'll say that you could have put a radius on the front bumper corners.

In turn, I'll add that the more important aspects of drag occur after the pressure bubble is built up at the high point, meaning the tail end should get priority.

[oil pan 4]

I thought about doing something like that but I needed the opening for water to air after coolers, transmission cooler and then I did know if I had a good way to bend the stainless like that. Then if I make a mistake there is no covering it up.

[kach22i]

Well, for your own safety at least, you did install a small radius edge at the top and sides. Certainly better than a near 90 degree angle or edge.

I will suggest adding a rubber lip of some kind to the bottom edge, not so much for aerodynamics but as a safety edge. If you can catch or cut yourself, you will, just a matter of time and circumstance.

Edit
.........................................
While out at lunch today I saw a tow truck bumper similar to the one linked below.

https://www.pushbumper.com/images/hp...ugust-2011.jpg


I thought it was interesting that when the middle part gets pulled out, the corners can get bent back at an even greater angle.

I'm not 100% convinced this is anymore aerodynamic than a less protruding version, mostly because of the pressure bubble (gradient) I mentioned earlier, but it does at least look more aerodynamic.

Bluff Body:
http://fluidsengineering.asmedigital...icleid=1431196


Stagnation Line:
http://fluidsengineering.asmedigital...icleid=1484273


Edit-2
..............................................

Nice custom bumper with built-in winch on one, not exactly aerodynamic (so much air underneath) but very clean looking for what it is.

http://www.cncoffroad.com/custom-bumper-fabrication/

We offer custom bumpers for almost any vehicle! Jeeps, trucks, cars, custom vehicles, and more. Made from 3/8″ and 3/16″ steel, we make sturdy bumpers with high-quality fully welded front and back seams.

[oil pan 4]

The radiused edge isn't all that small, for the top I used a 4 inch pipe cut into quartered sections and the sides used 5 inch pipe cut into quarter sections.
The problem with thick heavy bumpers that most people build is they are heavy and if you do hit something it bends and breaks the trucks framework.
I did build a winch attachment that goes on the reese hitch.

[oil pan 4]

I don't see the point of leaving the winch out side, attached to the front of the vehicle all the time to get weathered, wet, dirty, exposed to road salt, stolen when you rarely need it or if you need it to pull you backwards.


Mine can go on the front or back and gets put away when I don't need it. Then 5 to 10 years from now it will still look like that and still work, aside from the cable and hook showing some wear.
If you leave a winch out side a vehicle for 5 years its not going to work after 5 years.

[oil pan 4]

I angled the bumper side plates as much as I could would out doing a curve that I may not be able to reproduce a mirror copy for the other side.


It is angled in about 20 degrees off orthogonal to the front end (not counting the rounded pipe edge).

Winch.