im builing this bumper out of 7 inch aluminum channel, this is the design so far. im not sure if i like it too much or not. but itll hold a warn winch hidden from sight. itll also have some plating or mesh added to the top to fill in the gap. ill post more pics after i weld her up

 

also on the sides it will have a radius cut to match the wheel cutout ^^

looks good. how will that aluminum hold up to getting banged around is my only concern.

Well it'll hold up way stronger then stock. It's also strong enough to support the winch I used quarter inch channel. I think it'll be relatively similar to a normal steel bumper once I send it in to be re hardened. Welding it has softened it up a bit

Honestly I would go for 4". Just my opinion, but hey, you did ask!

 

I think the 6" looks a lil un-proportionate.

 

$0.02

 

Spencer

 

Edit: I dunno, looking again, it's not WAY out of proportion. Tough call. It'll look better after you radius the corners etc. I'd still probly wanna do one in 4".

Edited September 10, 201213 yr by obk25xt

It's actually 7 inch. I was thinking the same thing after the material showed up from the truck. It all seemed so right on paper and in planning. But the goal was to be able to fit a winch inside completely hidden and protected.

It's actually 7 inch. I was thinking the same thing after the material showed up from the truck. It all seemed so right on paper and in planning. But the goal was to be able to fit a winch inside completely hidden and protected.

 

Maybe leave the center section the full 7", and then taper down to 3" or 4" by the time you get around the corner and meet the fender. You'd lose the flange of the channel, but you could always weld a piece in to reinforce the edges that ended up flangeless.... Then you're hiding the winch and streamlining into the body.... Food for thought....

Not sure I follow what you mean. Once I use the full 25 feet of channel I was forced to buy ill be able to redo the bumper and make it better. For now I think it'll be alright