So... What do ya'll think of my custom rear guard?

[Habbibie]

Kool, when it's done maybe you could change the title to this thread to
"My $2000 tank"
Don't forget to put spikes on the side of your wheels like 18wheelers do with their lugnuts, and and maybe 1/4" armor plating on the bottom
Oh don't forget side mounted turret guns with laser and heat tracking you know in case a person texting and driving happens to be anywhere in your vicinity cause you know.... You're that kind of person... You know and I know where I'm getting at with this... $2000 tank woot woot.

 

[CertusExpo]

Scoff all you want. she'll be well protected front and rear.
If you're happy with plastic/Styrofoam bumpers, more power to you.

#Triggered #Jealousmuch

 

[poorboy1964]

Okay, been driving all over DFW non-stop. Get a lot of curious looks, a lot of Jeep dudes give me thumbs up and I even helped someone that was partially stuck in the fast lane.
A LEO pulled in behind me a few minutes later and ran blocker with his vehicle and lights.

HE LIKED IT and wants to get something made like it (Like I said, it's a part off a Caterpillar grader) for his wife's Tahoe.

As far as the liability from being hit. I've noticed a pleasant result. At red lights, cars are staying farther from my rear end. LOL, I think they're scared of even accidentally being pushed into it.

I like it

This other stuff has more to do with where you live in Texas and Utah no one is going to bother you for having something like that, I always keep an old trailer hitch in the receiver just for tailgaters and so does everyone I know, for the expedition I plan on welding up a large wide step so I can reach the roof rack from the back, It will be a stout collision preventative LOL

 

[Habbibie]

You guys do know the hitch is connected directly to the frame. A collision will bypass the impact zone and go directly to the frame increasing the amount damage to your truck. Insurance companies look at that stuff they investigate it and not having any use to the attachment raises flags as they don't wanna pay any more than they have to.

 

[jeff kushner]

Holy Crap! What are you expecting? That sure will stop anything short of a tank! I assumed that chromed 3-ball hitch would slow the average Honda fairly quick....but maybe I'm wrong!

LMAO.....more power to you brother!

jeff

 

[poorboy1964]

You guys do know the hitch is connected directly to the frame. A collision will bypass the impact zone and go directly to the frame increasing the amount damage to your truck. Insurance companies look at that stuff they investigate it and not having any use to the attachment raises flags as they don't wanna pay any more than they have to.

Not sure what your bumper attaches to but I'll bet it the frame, impact zone is for 5 mph bumps,, why are you having a problem letting guys do what the want to their own vehicles?

 

[ExplorerTom]

Exactly. A factory bumper is good for 5 mph. While all this thing would do would be to impale the vehicle before it did much stopping of the vehicle, it all eventually gets transferred to the frame.

Slightly on topic: here's a body on frame vehicle getting totaled after it rear ended a unibody vehicle with a plate steel bumper. All that happened to the Jeep was a dented lift gate when the tire carrier contacted it.

 

[Habbibie]

The bumper is not mounted directly to the frame, it has the foam impact absorber to minimize bumps at 10mph or less, then it has an impact bar mounted to hard absorbers that is designed to bend downwards in a collision above 10mph to redirect the force of the energy away from the car and its occupants, thus for reducing damage and injuries to both cars.

Go to national highway safety institute and do your homework first.

Second I'm not telling him no do not instal it, I'm advising a fellow expy owner of the consequences that will soon follow having a device as such, insurance companies do not play around, a penny saved is a penny earned and they love their every penny.

 

[ExplorerTom]

First gen (I know he doesn't have one) bumpers are mounted straight to the frame. There is no foam behind either bumper.

 

[CertusExpo]

My reasoning is that much like every other manufacturer out there, automakers saw the profit associated with engineering vehicles to not just crumple during an accident but for them to completely fall to pieces, therefore increasing the cost of the repair required to bring the vehicles back to OEM specs if not, (If they're lucky) be able to total vehicles out easier so as to create a new revenue stream via another car purchase.

I think they are now over-engineering vehicles to maximize damage, therefore maximize profits from repairs. A stupid little fender bender is easily $5,000!!

I decided to reverse some of their engineered failures and make my vehicle more capable of surviving an accident. I know that translates into more damage to the opposing vehicle but, in reality, that is not my concern nor my responsibility. My occupants and my safety along with the minimizing of my fiscal loss is mine.

That being said, I decided to add to the rear guard. I'm going to add solid 2x2 stock from the sides then make a 90 to a 1/4 plate that will utilize the hitch mount locations as well as make use of a third pair of holes that are rear of those so there is a wider area of coverage/protection. It will be completely bolt-on (Or of I can, slide in).

 

[CertusExpo]

First gen (I know he doesn't have one) bumpers are mounted straight to the frame. There is no foam behind either bumper.

That piece of foam is $100! I think that's criminal to be allowed to charge that for a piece of styrofoam.

has an impact bar mounted to hard absorbers that is designed to bend downwards in a collision above 10mph

That 'impact bar' is $200 and not much more than tin and I also plan on replacing it with something a bit more stout.

 

[whitelightning99]

Think i might get something like this THE HOOK

 

[CertusExpo]

LMAO!!

 

[poorboy1964]

Think i might get something like this THE HOOK

View attachment 18365

 

[tcwaltz]

Actually its not so much about profit, because many of the uni body vehicles end up totaled after a collision. The crumple design is purely to transfer energy to something other than the passengers in a vehicle. First gens bumper does attach to the frame but at the same time there is alot of pretty flimsy steel in there and does bend and fold and absorb impact energy. I want always take my trailer hitch off. Partially because I have a 16 year old driving the vehicle and if does something stupid I'd prefer that I not push a hitch and ball through someones car, but because I've seen accidents were the driver of the car with a hitch was backing out and someone hit it and if it wasn't for witnesses he'd have been found at fault.

Shit happens and if everyone can suffer less damage so be it. Its why I kind of dig http://www.weathertech.com/bumpstep-original/

 

[Trainmaster]

Look at Page 1 of this thread. I still wish I could buy one of these. Maybe I'll make one.

 

[Plati]

Look at Page 1 of this thread. I still wish I could buy one of these. Maybe I'll make one.

I think the shock absorbing design is better.

Avoid occupants getting whiplash.

Less fun , if you like that kind of thing I guess.

 

[CertusExpo]

Noticed some movement, thought I'd update.

I was rear-ended by a distracted driver in a Denali Sub. The Denali was totaled. Bonnie suffered two dimples in the rear hatch.

I've identified a manufacturing change that needed to be made to ensure the welds penetrate because there was a potential failure or just the point of impact versus mass versus speed +/- acceleration/deceleration because evidence showed she was still accelerating upon impact..

 

[CertusExpo]

'Potential point of impact' photo post-manufacture v1.0 and post impact.

 

[CertusExpo]

And the damage to Bonnie versus the damage to the Denali. It was DOA at the location of impact.