NEW CUSTOM BUMPER??

Okay so I have always wanted a new bumper both front and rear to put on my AV but everything is SOOOOO expensive that I am in the process of talking to a buddy to get together and build a custom one over a weekend hopefully. I am thinking of going for a design like the ones from Addictive Desert Racing ( http://www.addictivedesertdesigns.com/front-bumpers/2007-chevy-tahoe/suburban/avalanche-stealth-front-bumper/ ) but also want to do a rear bumper but make sure to have the corner step so maybe one like the ranchhands and integrate my back up sensors like this one for the 'Rados ( Ranch Hand Part# SBC08HBLSL ) but would do it all in 3/8 steel and bring it to a shop and have it bed linered. What do you guys think? Also what about my windshield washer fluid container? It hangs down pretty far into the wheel well behind the bumper but what do I do? Relocate it? But where? Or would I just get a different one and hang it there?

Even though you aren't interested in buying their bumper, you may want to call ADD and tell them you are considering it, and ask them about the ww fluid container.

I actually did that via email and will call them today after school. I also will probably do the same thing as in that picture and make the grill option to cover that up so I dont have to go cutting up my front fascia (is that how you spell that?)

And I will then put on some lights on there with the grill lights I have now by buying some from either a buddy of mine of rubicon LED from puddlestompin on here to help out some of the forum guys

so did you end up ordering it? I plan on building one of myn own but that looks cool curious how it came out

Nah man I am going to have a custom one built like this for front and rear

this is the one we built at the local 4WD shop i work at! what do you think? i like the way your drawings are looking I dont know if mine is what your looking for but none the last I think when you build your own bumper you are definitely more proud of it! hope it works out the way you want it to man!!

Man that thing looks really good!
The way I want it done is different, I want that super beefy look, but still be as light as possible. I want to have a tube frame welded and then have a little bit thinner steel attached to that to keep the strength of it pretty strong but still be light enough to keep that level stance I love about my truck right now. And then I will want the back to be a little bit heavier as well to try and offset that weight and give a little more level to it.

Any suggestions? I was thinking of a 1.5" .120 wall tubing with some 3/16" steel plate welded to the shapes and everything that I want.

Or should I just have the shop build it how they want to build it? What do you think?

I like the drawing Of yours plus I want to put a plexi glass in the middle a stop to put a led bar behind and possibly same idea to mount a gopro still u decided there

09chevyavy said:

Man that thing looks really good!
The way I want it done is different, I want that super beefy look, but still be as light as possible. I want to have a tube frame welded and then have a little bit thinner steel attached to that to keep the strength of it pretty strong but still be light enough to keep that level stance I love about my truck right now. And then I will want the back to be a little bit heavier as well to try and offset that weight and give a little more level to it.

Any suggestions? I was thinking of a 1.5" .120 wall tubing with some 3/16" steel plate welded to the shapes and everything that I want.

Or should I just have the shop build it how they want to build it? What do you think?

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I used 3/16 plate for my entire bumper and the tube i believe is 1.5" but i am unsure on thickness. my bumper was suprisingly light for how big it was. (Obviously heavier then stock) but no noticeable difference in ride height when i put this on. i like the thickness we used. I have a customer that brought one of our earlier bumpers we made and he claimed to have hit at least 13 deer with it (lived out on a ranch in the middle of SD) and if that is true there was no evidence on the bumper or the truck that he had hit anything! Minus a little section of beat up expanded steel.

As far as whether or not you should attempt this project, if you have the tools, the time, and the willingness to do it like i said earlier it is always a better feeling when you build something of your own! Its always fun to show what YOU did not what you paid someone to do!

If you are not set up to build the bumper exactly the way you want it, it may be beneficial to use a shop to get EXACTLY what you want.

What ever way you decide to go at the end of the day all that matters is that your Avalanche has a Bad A** bumper on it!!

I hope I helped a little bit and feel free to ask any questions and I will try to answer them the best I can!!

we have a welder and asmaller plasma cutter but more importantly I can run solidworks (3d desighning program) and theres a shop near by if I desighn it they will cut out the pieces and bend them for me and I can weld them that's how I plan on going about as far as exact materials yet haven't got that far

Dakotawilk said:

we have a welder and asmaller plasma cutter but more importantly I can run solidworks (3d desighning program) and theres a shop near by if I desighn it they will cut out the pieces and bend them for me and I can weld them that's how I plan on going about as far as exact materials yet haven't got that far

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Using solid works and having someone willing to cut out and bend your parts will set your bumper apart from the bumpers made in a small garage with scrap metal to looking professional it sound like you have a decent plan going for you! I am excited to see how this turns out for you!! Keep the updates coming!! Personally I think you will be happy with 3/16! especially when the backside is braced properly!

One other thing to consider, I am not familiar with how the 09 chevy bumper is mounted but i know that my 03 has kind of a "weird" design for the mounts compared to like a ford superduty. so we actually fabricated mounts that go from my factory mounts to adapt a superduty like mounting system for easier installation. Honestly the mounting system probably took longer then the actual bumper construction!

I don't have a clue how im gona mount mine I have to pull off the bumper one day and see my options and when I was talking to my dad about it he brought up a good point you want it weaker than the frame cause if you get in a accident easier to replace a bumper then fix a frame that would suck but I got some ideas down on what I wanna put into it and how I want todo it but as of now inadequate funds ha however designing is free im gona start putting pencil to paper next time I get time I got to start a build thread hey off topic again but how do you start a thread? still a newbie here ha

Dakotawilk said:

I don't have a clue how im gona mount mine I have to pull off the bumper one day and see my options and when I was talking to my dad about it he brought up a good point you want it weaker than the frame cause if you get in a accident easier to replace a bumper then fix a frame that would suck but I got some ideas down on what I wanna put into it and how I want todo it but as of now inadequate funds ha however designing is free im gona start putting pencil to paper next time I get time I got to start a build thread hey off topic again but how do you start a thread? still a newbie here ha

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go to the section that you want to post in and up top is a new thread button 

ok one last dumb question what would be the best section to put this under I apologize for being  but asked in the thread for this no reply.....

Custom avy and ext trucks is the one mine is in... There's a link to mine in my signature under the pic then go to the section... Id post the link but I'm on my phone and it's hell navigating lol

awesome bro yeah ha I knowit was there  yup ok thanks dude well ill start myn soon