Pictures of the Front Bumper Gussets

I bolted on the gusset brace to the bumper to aline the frame plate on the tips of the frame. Still need to weld them but they are in place and you can see how they are mounted. The gusset is 3/16" plate steel and the frame plate is 1/8" plate steel. I want the bumper to be able to be removed if nessasary so that is why I bolted the gusset to it. Mark
pictures
http://ImageEvent.com/willy/62cj5jeep

 

Looks like it's gonna be beefy. I'm thinking about beefing mine up for when I mount the winch. Curious why you are beefing this area up so much. Sorry if it's an ignorant sounding question - just wonderin'

 

I wasn't going to do it till I found some small cracks forming in the bottom part of the frame where the leaf spring mount is welded and riveted to the frame do to flexing I guess. Figured if I boxed it above the mounts and with the gussets like they have on the old power wagons and M37s it would solve the problem. The PWs and M37s used one on each side going to the bumper but they are 1 ton rigs too. I figured I want the ends to bend if hit instead of bending the frame to. Mark

 

Very nice. I have some cracks in the same area. You would't happen to have a template of the parts you made that I could get??

 

Looks like good work - very neat. IIRC cracks around the spring mounts are common. I'd be tempted to add a U-channel hidden behind the bumper, and dispense with the bolts on the gussets entirely.

 

Nice work Mark.

 

Not hard to make. The frame box plates are 2 3/4" x 10" X 1/8" plate. As far as the gusset take a section of 3/16" plate steel about 10 inces long by 6 inches wide and cut it into gussets with one cut corner to corner. Clamp 1 1/2" of the wide end into a vice and using a 2 pound hamer hit the steel till it bends a little bit at the vice edge (not hard to do) Put it on you bumper to check angle the bend the other one to match. Come up with a patern for the 3 holes of your choice and drill the bumper first. Lay the gusset on the bumper over the holes in place mark one, drill it on the drill press, bolt it to the bumper use a drill to center drill some the other 2 holes per gusset, unbolt and drill them out on the drill press also. This way you will get a perfect fit and tight holes to bolt with on the bumper. I used 3/8" bolts grade 5 more than strong enought for the bumpers steel gauge. Mark

 

That would work also but I still wanted the frame ends to flex some to stop the cracking in another place. If it was rigid it would either bend harden the U-Chanel or fateig the welds. Resoning is like why you do not weld a hitch on the frame and use bolts instead. Mark