CUSTOM REAR BUMPER/RACK
Welding by: Drake Welding in Campbell, CA
This bumper/rack is my design, and I had it created at Drake Welding in Campbell, CA. The bumper portion of it I modeled after Chris Geigers bumper. The main differences are the way it mounts to the frame, and the wrap around skirts I had made to replace the stock plastic skirts, and too protect the body. The main part of the bumper is 2x4x1/4" steel, and the skirts are of 3/8" steel.
The swing out arms I modeled after a couple of 4Runners I saw when I attended the 4Runner Jamboree earlier this year. John at Drake welding did a fantastic job with this rack, the rack does not rattle at all on the highway. The pivot points for the swing away arms are heavy duty hinges. (similar to door hinges) The arms themselves are 2x2" steel tubing. They latch in the middle with cane bolts. There are 3 cane bolts, and they are positioned so that none of the cane bolts can come out by themselves.
As you can see it currently holds my spare 32x11.5 tire. Since the pictures were taken the gas can was added to the other arm. I couldn't come up with a good place for my license plate, so I had it tacked on to the can. I just hope I don't run into an officer that feels it is absolutely important I have the plate illuminated at night...then I'd have to come up with something else.
I've had a few requests for my drawings for the bumper. The later versions of my drawings were mostly sketches, I left them with the welder and never got them back. (Which is fine, cause I didn't want them back). The latest drawing I do have was done on a CAD program, and it doesn't not have any of the swing away arm stuff on it....just the bumper and skirts. Since the drawing I changed the skirts from 1/2" square, to 3/8" solid pieces. Click HERE to see the drawing. Sorry it's not annotated.
