How Difficult....

If you already have the welder and you don't count your time, it will be much cheaper, cost of steel and materials is it.  How hard depends on what you want it to look like and what it takes to get it there.  Simple channel or rectangular tubing is simple and cheap (relatively); plate and complex shapes get more expensive in both time and cost of materials.

If you have to buy the welder, it will probably be more expensive, but you'll have a welder to ammortize over many projects.  A mig welder will work, even a 110 VAC version (this is what Jeremy uses), I did both of mine with my 240VAC L-E mig.  If you have to pay someone to build one for you, get your checkbook ready, it will be expensive, also.

The benefits of doing it yourself is learning how to design and fab, it's built like you want it with the features you want and you don't have to spend a lot of money on it (essentially the cost of steel and welding materials).

Find one you like, get the appropriate materials and go to town.  It's what I did for the two I've done.  They haven't fallen apart yet and it got easier the second time around.

Good luck.

Al

All you need is an old bed frame...

You see that on Pirate too?

Coming to a cross-dressing 4wd shop near you!

Unfortunately Case, no!

It is for sale on E-bay right now.

Link

Well....it looks like I'm buying a bumper. Cause it sounds to be beyond my skills. Heh, $250 is like what? Three weeks pay on minimum wage?

bluetoy wrote: YJWonderboy wrote: cause I want the grill and hood guard, Build one like this. I hear this is the newest trend for hardcore rockcrawlers. If you can't afford to have it chrome plated, you can just use some "chrome" spray paint. It's the coolest.

This makes my eyes hurt.

Thanks!

Case wrote: stick of "2x4" steel. measure to fit truck. cut to fit truck. cut hole(s) to mount Clevis Bar(s) Weld clevis Bars into steel on front and back of bumper make/buy brackets to mount bumper to frame weld bumper to brackets sand and (spray) paint bolt bumper to frame. Steel + clevis bar + brackets (if bought) + paint = about 100 bucks. it aint fancy, but it will stop rocks and small cars real easy.  You can even add whatever bells and whistles you want to it later like stingers and/or winch protection.  See picture below for what mine looks like:

20' stick of steel = @$100 It has been a while since I last priced it.  The picture shows 2"x4" box tube 3/16" thick.  If you buy a whole stick you can possibly build both bumpers and a set of rock sliders if you play your cards right.  This is assumeing that you have the means to move something 20' long or you pay to have the shop cut it for you.

Clevis bar = $15 each plus shipping

Bumper brackets = $35 per end plus shipping

Paint, misc hardware, welding wire, mig gas for welder, cutoff wheels, etc = $20

It all comes down to how much equipment and time you have.  What is more valuable to you, taking something out of a box and bolting it on in 1 hour, or fabing something from scratch taking a few evenings...   You decide.