I am wanting to do some modifications to my metal bumpers.
1. remove the bolts and weld in studs to get rid of the button heads on the outside
2. make a filler plate for the license plate
3. cut the ends of the bumper and bring them in closer to the body for tighter gaps
I'm afraid of warping it or deforming the metal (1st time fabricating) and not being able to make it straight. Don't want to turn it into a washboard.
Does anyone have any tips or have they done any of this type of work? I couldn't find anything here or YouTube
No actual directions. I would get an old bumper and practice on it. As always, on any kind of welding heat control is what you need. Tacking both ends of the first. Then stitch welding to keep warpage to a minimum. Look at any youtube videos on welding and you will see the same procedure on any welding job.
I did exactly the same things to a Duster I recently sold to a guy that lives in Oak Harbor, WA. I would recommend buying some 3/8" elevator bolts and weld them on the inside and fill the square hole at the same process from the outside. The metal is thick and as long as you move the heat around you shouldn't warp it. I TIG welded the ends back on after tucking them into the body, to reduce the amount of grinding but a MIG welder will work fine also. I also filled the license plate area but make sure you use the same thickness of metal. Good Luck, I hope this helps some.
Yes, youtube and a lot of practice. :yes: You can do anything you put your mind to, but it might take you a few tries to get comfortable doing it. Find a junk one like MoparLoe said and give it a try.
Nice work Orange.
Thank you all for the advice :thankyou:
If you wasn't all the way across the country, I'd give you a set of old bumpers to practice on, just to get them out of the scrap pile
its certainly worth the effort, shaving the bumper bolts anyway. I like the ideas for the rest to, but have not done it yet.
I had the bumper bolts mig welded, start on the inside the grind off the outside and fill the square holes.
I agree with the above comments, go slow, place a tack on one bolt, move to the next hole and then to the next and then back to the start to keep the heat down.
Jason
I like the hidden bolts and it's a relatively easy mod.