OK guys, put your guns away... I have some more info on the Rear Bumper, we are talking about the Calmini rear bumper aren't we?

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I talked with Steve at Calmini, and got a bit more on the rear bumper.

They are thinking of making several versions of the bumper, one that is similar, I guess, to the KMA, one that is similar to the one shown on the site, but made from three pieces (for shipping's sake) and possibly a 3rd version.

You will be happy to know that the Class II tow point is a 1/4" walled reinforced 2" reciever hitch, as one would expect. It is rated at 3000 pounds mainly because of liability, as the 5 speed owners are only rated to 3500#s, but also because a jacked up Xterra, say, with 4" of lift, even with a 7" lowering hitch, towing a poorly balanced load, can cause problems to vehicle handling. It's a safety concern for handling, not for dead pull strength. I am not sure if he said anything about the strength of the tow point for recovery, I imagine it's at minimum double to triple the rating for TOWING. Just because the bumper can handle the weight, doesn't mean the Xterra can pull it.

The rear recovery points are there, and they are made of 1/4" steel, plenty of strength for pulling and shackle attachment. They are also, I believe the point where the side pieces mount to the center bumper point, I imagine this makes the bumper setup a great deal stronger when it comes to lengthwise twisting.

The side pieces are bent to fit around the body inner structure, so the bend at the bottom has to be there to protect the truck's guts, and also reduces the departure angle from the sides. They also mount to the frame somewhere in addition to the mount for the center of the bumper, which mounts to the frame where the KMA does, adding to the strength of the outer corners. Steven said you should be able to drop the Xterra on them without damage when rockcrawling, something he intends to prove at GOX II, I think...

The swing arm is hinged from the passenger side, mainly because it allows quick access for the driver, as it swings one handed from the driver side. The accessory bar, mounted on the driver side, will accept a Hi Lift, or the stock license pplate lighting and mount, or a Jerry can holder from an external company, not sure what company... The tire carrier is set farther to the passenger side, and allows for depth adjustment, allowing for various sizes of tires and wheels, which can have various depths. I also asked about possibly moving it to the center more, allowing for better visibility to the passenger rear, he took note, and noted that the stress is diminished the closer the tire is to the hinge. This, of course, is obvious... The locking mechanism has a Delrin sleeve at the base of the swingarm, that rests on the bumper, preventing rattling and vibration. the locking mechanism also has a locking spring actuated bolt, but we didn't talk about that much...

Think that's about it. He has had some very positive responses to the initial postings, and if you have any concerns or questions, do as I did, and call him. He'll be glad to talk with you. Doubt he'll be posting to any of the boards, as they are a busy shop, think they have 500 part numbers for Suzuki products alone, and he said he is spending the next 2 years expressly on Nissan parts. 22 years of experience, and the main guy, Steven, owns an Xterra. I think we are in luck!

Matt



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Prisoner #1403952

and what did you do today?