Front Bumper Development - watch and be heard!

This project went from paper and computer to wrenches and steel today. I'm going to do something a little different on this one. I'm going to post pics as things progress so everyone can get a peek into the development process.

This will also give you an opportunity to have a voice in what the finished product looks like and what features it has. So if you have any suggestion for things you would like to see on the final design, post up!

Here are a couple questions for you all to get things started.

1.) What color would you prefer. Black or grey? If you would prefer grey could you live with black?

2.) On first glance, it looks possible that the bumper could be designed for a considerably better approach angle by designing it to only work with winches w/o an integrated solenoid, i.e. the bumper would not stick out as far in the front. What would you prefer, greater flexibility in winch choices or a cleaner look and better approach angles?

Integrated solenoid:

Image link removed since Warn blocked them.

non-integrated solenoid:

Image link removed since Warn blocked them.

Jim

I love this!!!! How refreshing....a fabricator is taking the time to guage user input on his designs. An approach like this is terrific....and I am so happy to see that you are taking the time to listen to users' needs and build things that meet those needs. Jim....you are a new breed in customer service....You make great products (from what I've seen), but it's your customer service and willingness to listen to customers that sets you apart. This is a terrific attempt to reach out to your customers. Hopefully this is a new trend.....Keep up the great work.

Anyway....even though I have an ARB, I will answer what I'd love to see in a bumper.

1. Color....Black is cool with me.The grey, unless it's dead on can look a little out of whack, in my opinion (as limited in scope as it may be).

2. I have no problem with non-integrated solenoid winches...I actually prefer them in that the solenoid pack is a much easier part to replace, should it become fouled or whatever. So I would prefer the better approach angle and use of non-integrated solenoid winches.



EDIT: I wanted to edit my post and simply pare it down to what it should relate to....Jim's work for our Xterras. I will say that it was unnecessary to bring other fabricators into HIS thread. Please excuse that transgression.

Saw the frame horns off if you want approach angle and mount to the first cross member.

Pre 96 Pathfinders and Hardbodys don't have them and have much better approach.

Damn the DOT and their crumple zones.

yup the horns suck... in order to get a pre-runner bumper to look the way i want and be more than just a cosmetic add on, the horns are gonna have to go...

but on to the shrockworks bumper.

Even though I am not in the market for a winch bumper(if you build a pre-runner style I'm all over it), I have a couple questions/suggestions...

First, if the bumper is gray, can it be done in a flat finish to better match the xterra gray plastic? for instance the Calmini bumper is gray but still doesn't look quite right because it is shinny.

Secondly, are you planning a design similar to the Suzuki bumper you currently offer? Or is this bumper completely different? In my mind the xterra just wouldn't look right with a bumper like the one you offer for the Zuks.

------edited to add---------
Thank you.
This is quite possibly the best use of this forum ever. The idea that a manufacturer would take input from customers is astounding.

Honestly it is quite a refreshing change from the:

"we are building a bumper"...
"here it is hope you like it"...
"oh you don't? well we have changed it. is it better now?" approach.

It saves your time and money and shows the customers that you do indeed value their opinion.

Good job.
If you ever do release products that suit my needs/wants, I will buy from your company(over others) simply because of this gesture.

Well I'm really pleased to hear that people like this idea. I wasn't sure how it would go over. I think probably the reason you don't see more of this is that the product research becomes available to all of your competitors. It's a trade-off I supposed, but I definitely prefer to get things right the first time.

Funny that was one of my first thoughts after removing the factory bumper and looking around.
Hmmm "These "horn" things need to go. The grill needs to go, and it would be nice to move the front "axle" forward about a foot."

All that of course is well beyond a bolt on bumper, but it would be sweet.

People with grey bumpers and sliders. How to you touch up rock rash?

RE pre-runner, I'm going to show a few different tube options once the base is done for people to look at. I'll probably do one pre-runner style, but the bumper itself will be plate. Maybe after this is done, I'll look into a tube lower too, but first things first.

RE Sammi bumper, the design philosophy will be the same. It will be geared for extreme strength and very good approach angles, but the finished product will no doubt look quite a bit different. It will probably have a more minimalist look than and ARB, but it will wrap around the side and will look like it belongs on an Xterra. Our Sammi bumpers will survive numerous rollovers with only scratches. There are some pics here of it in action....and carnage.

http://community.webshots.com/album/69143442NoUVZv

I also appreciate what you are doing and coincidentally, I AM in the market for a new front bumper.

-I like the cleaner look of the integrated solenoid bumper.
-I also would like to see some D-Rings or recovery point as an integral part of the bumper.
-I also would like to see integral light mounts or access to the back or underneath to drill/place them myself.
-The only concern I have with your current Zuki bumber is tha minimalist bumper and the maximal tubes that protect the hood/lights and body. I want great approach angles and clearance but I also want to hit my bumper before my IFS if I end up hitting a small car.
-I am not sure what your definition of "different" is but if you can put out a quality product that exudes a look of strength and backs it up with useful features I'll take the second one:)
-And while I am getting everything I want I like Calminis idea of the receiver mount/cover for their product.

Thanks for letting me share

Great to hear... I'll keep my eyes open for it.

Dupli-Color T177 Gunmetal from O'Reilly's Auto Parts is a near perfect match for Calmini's powdercoat.

How about EPOXY paint options to match body colors?

Galvanized prior to painting? Just galvanized option?

Rhino lining woud look nice also Say in Bright red

A place to mount the factory fogs would be nice, but the 2000/1 are square, and I think the 2002/3 are round. Good approach angle is a higher priority for me than winch choice. A front skid solution that can be mated with the skid row middle skid would be a bonus.

Rhino lining looks like ass anywhere but on a truck bed.

Um, yeah; I'm getting flashbacks of the yellow rhinolined ARB...yikes!

:rolleyes:

Well I have been looking at my arb and am slowly being convinced that it is too heavy and is making my approach angle worse. I would be interested in a tubular winch bumper with a skid plate to cover the radiator. It would have to be strong enough on the sides to actually hi lift off of. Integrated recovery points would be a must and tubes over the headlights would be too. Black would be fine although bare metal would be acceptable too.

I am in the market for a new bumper - I have held off from getting an ARB because I wanted a front receiver option. I waited to order a Calmini because I wanted light guards. However now that Calmini has the bumper style out that I want the price is the major issue. The bumper is about $630, then it's about $130 to get the winch cover plate so I can have a receiver and to cover up the ugly gap left if you don't actually have a winch and hen it's $280 truck freight from Calmini to my house. So if you can beat a grand in price to my house for a bumper that will have a front receiver I'm interested...

To make the bumper cheap to ship, it would have to be made of paper :p

I would definitely be interested in a pre-runner style bumper, as would many others!

In integrating the "pre-runner" style that would please one group , you would still need to make it stout enough to support a winch . An essential need with a "pre-runner" style though is to keep the weight down since those of us who do more open trail running might have aspirations of getting our 4k Lb. minivans off the ground at speed and not nosediving on the way down.

The upside is though that the tube style would probably be lighter and it would be quite easy to controll your approach angles and integrate some sort of skid plate option.

Proto Fab makes a bumper for Cherokees and Broncos that I've seen that comes the closest to this concept:





I almost like this and it seems to be quite stout without being bulky. As far as powder coating and your color concerns , you would be able to provide an option of grey , black or whatever , or for the price conscious you can ship in bare metal and let the purchaser handle his or her own powdercoating.

With that metal plate style , safari guard looks like a little lower profile design that at least on the Discos , looks like it provides better aproach angles , has a smaller less bulky profile as well as the integrated skid plate as well as optional headlight protection.



BTW , something like this would look interesting on an X to some:



Now , I have no idea of you were looking at going with a steel plate concept similar to the ARB , TJM , or Calmini , but it would seem to me that that the market for that style of bumper is pretty much saturated unless you came out with a unique deign that was , lighter , stronger ect.

I already have my TJM, but here are my thoughts:

I like the fact that I can touch-up my black TJM with a rattle-can that I randomly picked off the shelf at a local parts store. Black is black is black (other than finish) and if I hadn't oversprayed onto the TJM sticker you would never know it was touched up.

I'd stick with non-integrated, our approach angle is poor enough as it is. Nevertheless, the longer nose of the '02+ models tends to require the bumper jut out further anyway to allow access to the clutch lever on the winch.
However, a integrated-accomodated design would allow a Warn 8274, that sure would be spiffy!

Brent

I can honestly say I would not buy a "prerunner" bumper that could support a winch...

Of the ones you postd, I personaly don't see a single one that I would classify as a prerunner bumper. To me as soon as it is no longer as light as possible... it is not a prerunner bumper.

The top version seems close to my ideal for the X. Good approach angles, looks strong and probably lighter.

I'm buying Bils this month and a winch bumper will follow. If you're building a bumper that's lighter that an ARB or a Calmini, I might consider your design. Question is, should I order the 20% stiffer front shocks?

Rovertym makes some good bumpers too.



and their rear bumper is a piece of art.


They are definitely on the right track. screw swingarm tire carriers, give me a serious rear bumper and I can do without the tire carrier...

Having had an ARB and probably the ONLY Ramsey sport bar.... :rolleyes: my thoughts follow the lines of others who have posted here. I've seen the defender 90/ disco bumper listed above and that seems to have the best function for a bolt on. A thin face to the bumper (like the one above on the land rover) and drop down to the mounting point. The only draw back is that on the xterra, the drop might be very steep and look funky. It would be cool to see a mock up though.

I currently have the ARB with a Warn 9500hs.
I would not want a pre runner type bumper.
The sides of the ARB are too long and need to be trimmed for larger tires.
Approach angle and a skid plate are important.
Here is another idea that could make your bumper stand out. A cutout for fog lights, a cutout on the sides for sideway fog lights and some brackets underneath to mount rock lights. Thats a total of 3 pairs of lights, that should make night runs more fun.
Optional bottle opener.
And black.

Richard

oh hell, you gotta add the bottle opener like Ian has on his ARB. make it a standard feature just for laughs. hell I know I would be inclined to buy from a company with that kind of sense of humor.

Oh you forgot the 12v hookup for the Margarita blender too!

I have found the bottle opener on the ARB to be too far away from the cooler in the back of the Xterra. It decreases my beer consumption at the campsite by quite a bit. I'll be putting one on the back soon.

Black and strong, just like my men... :p

Me too; I think I will be relocating mine to the back bumper.

Integrated fog lights.

I've been knocking this idea around. It will add some cost obviously.

Anyone ever price the 02 and up fog light assemblies from Nissan? I don't want to have separate bumpers for the two styles of the Xterra unless it proves necessary. Curious how much they cost. The other option would be aftermarket lights obviously.

Bottle opener. This I dig. I agree with the rear bumper placement though. Look for it on our rear bumper in the near future.

Thanks for the great feedback guy. Keep it coming.

[/QUOTE]Me too; I think I will be relocating mine to the back bumper.[/QB][/QUOTE]

Where at? Recollecting now that the 12v on the front was also for the cooler. Get the fire going, Plop the chair down and the cooler next to you and you are set for the night!

I think adding foglight openings for a standard sized light would be ideal. When I ahve some time I will try and do some research, but it would be nice if there was an ability to chose from several different types of lights. All you'd need is a dished cutout with a mounting tab...maybe 5-1/2"?

I love what your doing. I hope you get good input. For me clearance is a factor also the ability to add lights and possibley the stock ones would be nice. One thing I need is the bars around the lights for those dangerous trees and crazy animals:). I like a little bit thicker and more agressive look because the bush gaurds that I've seen are kinda of librarian looking, like glasses. Maybe some kind of cool grill protector would be cool too. So that the risk of things going through your radiator are decreased. Thank you for your time. Anxiously, Travis AZXC

Real men can open a beer with anything

Great Idea taking input. I would like to see a pre-runner style bar that mounts off the factory bumper and or frame. Mounts for four offroad lights (two is fine though) and maybe antenna mount. I would like to see two of the light mounts mounted high. The lower horizonal bar to wrap slightly. The winch mount is no real concern for me but others would, then again I would buy a ARB style bumber for that. BTW guys, real men twist their caps off!!!
Gator

I've got an ARB which has been cut and rewelded. I've been wanting to make another modification but due to lack of time have yet to get it done. Maybe some other people will like this also and it can be integrated and available as a weld-on for those of us that want them on our ARBs.

I like it. Not only will it provide side protection, but it will stiffen up the wings considerably.

SHROCK any updates on this project?

I myself really like the way the Trailready front bumper looks for the Liberty. Not the Liberty itself mind you, but the bumper. Spot for a winch, lights mounted in bumper and turn signal covers. If I rememeber right it's like 90lbs. So it's def stout. Just my 2cents on the subject.

We are finishing up the initial design of the middle section now. This is the most complex portion since it houses the winch, attaches to the frame, and sets the outside shape of the bumper itself.

I have a couple tubework designs done on paper also.

Should have some pics in a week or two.

Just a quick update. Rev. 1 of the design is done. Should have some laser cut metal to show in about a week.

Looking forward to seeing how this bumper progresses. I'll start saving my pennies so I can get one to match the sliders you're making for me...

- Christian

so whats the word?

Got swamped getting orders out last week, so I did not get as much done as I hoped. I did get all of the manufacturing details worked out for the design relating to how it will be formed (what gets bent, cut, welded and where etc.)

Unfolding one of these things into a flat pattern is quite a 3D geometry puzzle! My old CAD program has gone into the dumpster, and I'm learning and using a much more sophisticated one now which will make this much easier in the future.

I will have the final drawing to the laser cutter this week!

Black - POR-15 to be exact. After learning and discussion what POR-15 is, I now wish my Sliders were coated with POR-15 instead of powder coating...

final drawing to the laser cutter? nobody has seen anything but a gap toothed 2003.

Am I missing something? Is this a prototype, or the final product?

OK, so things are moving a little slower than I had hoped! Too many people were on vacation last week which left me welding and grinding and packaging all week.

Yeah, prototype from laser cutter. Here is a concept photo to digest until I get the real prototype in. The tube looks a little strange in the photo chop, but you get the basic idea.



Jim

Good Stuff! I like the look of the lowered center bar section.

Would there be an option to get it w/o the tubes? As in just a plain bumper?

That already exists, the TJM T17.

No tube will be offered at a discount, as will unfinished for those would want to save some bucks and paint or POR-15 it themselves or just want a unique color.

When everything is done and all the details finalized and released, I think you will like it better than the T17.

I like it when does it go into production and when can I get mine

Good to hear. That's kind of what I was hoping for.

Who makes this TJM T17?
Website for pics/$ please?

4x4parts

This is my T17:



It's nice, but could be more rigid. Price can't be beat though. Interested to see what Shrock comes up with.

Brent

Brent, that truck is uglier than mine!

Why thank you. I don't mind that it's ugly, it gets the job done.

Brent

TJM makes the TJM T17