Topic: Tube Front Bumper

[TheBandit]

I am pretty new to the board and haven't posted anything of value yet, but figured I'd give it a shot with my upcoming first tube project. I'm a mechanical engineering graduate student and my undergraduate senior project was a hydraulic tube bending machine. After over a year building the machine, I'm finally ready to start my first project. 

It took a lot of sketching and resketching, but I finally came up with this design.



After holding up some scrap pieces of bent tubing to the truck and scratching my head, I decided it would be worth spending some time in Photo Shop to see if I would like the design. Here is my 4Runner with a PhotoChopped bobb, paint job, and minimalistic exocage.



Okay, I like it! Time to get to work. The next step was a lot of careful measuring. I sketched out front, side, and top views of the key points on my 4Runner. Then I took lots of measurements and drew in circles to remind myself to offset to account for the tube. Next, I transfered my key points into Bend Tech Pro.



There are a few different ways to make parts in Bend Tech Pro. I like to get all my pick points figured out, then connect the dots. You can also make each piece individually in EZ3D and then couple them together.



Here's what it looks like using 1-3/4" tubing and a 6" CLR.





There are two pieces with four bends. The very uppermost piece (number 6 below) is a multi-plane part with four bends. It's hard to see but there are some smaller bends just outside of the two middle bars. I circled them in red.



I don't have a notcher and since I have NO EXPERIENCE with tubing, I'm going to rely heavily on Bend Tech Pro's tube coping feature.



This will be my FIRST TIME ever bending tube to make something useful, so I may need some help! Please let me know what you think of the design and if you see anything that I need to look out for! ANY FEEDBACK good or bad is greatly appreciated! I would much rather find out I need to change something now before I start cutting and bending.

[DTB]

haha. I saw the first drawing and was like  this coming from an engineering grad. then i saw the bender program stuff. anyways, looks tight!  are there winch accomodations?

[abnormaltoy]

I've seen you post on Pirate. Killer bender.
I think you may need more support on your exo for it to have any function other than aesthetic.
How do you like the Bend Tech? I'm learning AutoCAD 06 and Architectural Desktop, if you can do those is Bend Tech an easy move?
Some things I don’t remember seeing in the bender posts…what was the final cost, were all the parts custom or were there any “off the shelf” parts (dies, etc.)?
Anyway, the bumper looks cool and like DTB asked, what about a winch? Welcome to Marlin’s,
Mark



BTW, I've been here a couple of years and have yet to post anything of value!

[yotaboy79]

id suggest more triangulation
can you post some pics of the bender
thanks and good luck
kyle

[cheap sunglasses]

You spent a year designing a bender and have no experience bending tube?

anyway..
Do you think its necessary to have the upper bar tucked into the truck so much? If you kept the 2 center support tubes a bit straighter they would be stronger wouldnt they?

I plan to be a mechanical engineer as well someday, but Im still a high school junior so my technical knowlegde is lacking.

[KYOTA]

damnit! I shoulda splurged for  Pro instead of EZ3D  Clint so Pro has EZ3D within it? I think its gonna look good, keep us posted. I gotta get back over to OFN and catch up  8)

[TheBandit [OP]]

are there winch accomodations?

I made room for a winch and I plan to run the fairlead between the tubes labeled "2" above, but I will not be making the winch mount at this time since I don't have (or have funds for) a winch.

I've seen you post on Pirate. Killer bender.

Thank you!

I think you may need more support on your exo for it to have any function other than aesthetic.

I think so also. I plan to add more supports once I get the main assembly mounted to the truck. At this point it's hard to visualize the best places for support tubes, so the only mounting shown is at the front crossmember.
 

How do you like the Bend Tech? I'm learning AutoCAD 06 and Architectural Desktop, if you can do those is Bend Tech an easy move?

I love Bend Tech. I used it for my hydraulic hardlines and every one of them came out the perfect shape and length. The software is incredible and VERY easy to use. I highly recommend it!

Some things I don’t remember seeing in the bender posts…what was the final cost, were all the parts custom or were there any “off the shelf” parts (dies, etc.)?

I quit adding up the receipts after a while, but it's near $2k. The only items donated were the PLC (thanks Mitsubishi!) and some scrap tubing for testing (thanks PolyPerformance!). Almost all of the bender is custom made, but I did use Pro Tools dies (which I modified), off-the-shelf hydraulic components (valves and fittings), encoder, and a Mitsubishi PLC. The cart, the hydraulic lines, a significant portion of the electronics, and the bender assembly itself were all custom machined, welded, and heat treated from raw steel and aluminum by yours truly.

id suggest more triangulation
can you post some pics of the bender

I plan to add some more crosstubes and bracing once this main assembly is done.

Here are some current pictures of the bender for you:







And here are some videos:
  Initial Hydraulic Test - http://bender.xtremefabricator.com/BenderTest.wmv (2mb)
  First Tube Bending Test - http://bender.xtremefabricator.com/BenderTestTube.wmv (18mb)
  NC Controller Test- http://bender.xtremefabricator.com/BenderTestNC.wmv (5mb)

You spent a year designing a bender and have no experience bending tube?

Necessity is the mother of invention! 

Do you think its necessary to have the upper bar tucked into the truck so much? If you kept the 2 center support tubes a bit straighter they would be stronger wouldnt they?

I have considered moving the upper bar a little higher, especially since it would help protect the radiator in the event of a rollover. I played with the design in Bend Tech and decided I didn't like the aesthetic change, so I am keeping it about an inch higher than what's shown in the above pictures. The center support tubes would be stronger if they were straight, but in my opinion they are more than strong enough as shown and I think it helps the aesthetics of the overall design. I do, however, plan to add supports that run straight down from the upper cross tube to the frame crossmember at the same nodes as those bent pieces you are referring to.

I plan to be a mechanical engineer as well someday, but Im still a high school junior so my technical knowlegde is lacking.

Don't cut yourself short. A lot of what you will learn is quantifying what you already might suspect.

damnit! I shoulda splurged for  Pro instead of EZ3D  Clint so Pro has EZ3D within it? I think its gonna look good, keep us posted. I gotta get back over to OFN and catch up  8)

Don't worry about buying EZ3D instead of Pro! When you upgrade, it doesn't cost any more in total than if you had bought Pro from the getgo. Talk to Cris at 2020ssi (aka fabcam on OFN) and he will hook you up with an upgrade. Yes, Pro comes with EZ2D and EZ3D built in. You can use parts interchangeably and take advantage of features from both. Definitely consider the upgrade - it is well worth it! I think you would have really liked it for doing that flatbed of yours (which turned out awesome, by the way!)

[DTB]

  So, when can I come over and play? hahaha. I could definitely have some fun with that. I like the avatar too. It's funny. 

[yotaboy79]

nice work on the bender cant wait to see how the exo turns out

[TheBandit [OP]]

Thanks guys!

UPDATE

Got a few pieces bent today. Here's my plane of bend bracket, which was custom made by John (aka CaptainFab) on www.offroadfabnet.com. John has been following my progress on the bender and offered to make this for me to save time. He even custom powdercoated it yellow (the future color of the bender) and added a knurled setscrew. THANKS JOHN!



(below) The first piece I made was the lower hoop. This came out perfect, but I ran into a bug with the cutting templates (now worked out) and will have to cut it for fit tomorrow.



(below) Here I am measuring to check the angle. I didn't have to rebend a single piece today; springback was consistent from tube-to-tube and the bender nailed every angle. Bend Tech Pro worked awesome!



(below) The next part is the waistline hoop. This is a four bend, single plane part. Here I am gearing up for bend number 2.





(below) The completed part, ready to remove from the bender.





(below) I did this work today by myself, so I didn't have anyone to hold it up to the truck to check fit.



(below) Later in the evening one of my roommates got home. I had him hold the part up while I took pictures. It sticks out a little further than I had pictured, but the measurements are correct and it should accomodate a winch without moving the A/C condensor.





That's all for tonight.

[cheap sunglasses]

Looking great. Your bender's kickin some ass.
I have a feeling that once its all together you will not be dissappointed with how far it sticks out.

[DTB]

  looks good to me....

[DTB]

doesn't look like it really decreases your departure angle any. well, not if yer gonna have a winch, anyways.

[gotrocks]

wow I'd love to have a bender like that. Keep the pictures coming I love it so far

[KYOTA]

Don't worry about buying EZ3D instead of Pro! When you upgrade, it doesn't cost any more in total than if you had bought Pro from the getgo. Talk to Cris at 2020ssi (aka fabcam on OFN) and he will hook you up with an upgrade. Yes, Pro comes with EZ2D and EZ3D built in. You can use parts interchangeably and take advantage of features from both. Definitely consider the upgrade - it is well worth it! I think you would have really liked it for doing that flatbed of yours (which turned out awesome, by the way!)

thanks!
 I'm going to talk to Cris about getting the Pro upgrade. It's just easier for me to be able to build the entire part and see it like you can in Pro, where as in 3D you can only build one part (piece of tube) at a time. Also the coping calculator, awesome!!
 Looking good there man, cage for the Nova is next right? 

[TheBandit [OP]]

Thanks guys. I think the departure decrease is pretty typical for a winch bumper, although I have seen some really nicely tucked winches. I would have tucked it in further, but I wanted ample room for the A/C condensor.

KYOTA, I have been using BT Pro since it's humble beginnings as a beta. I was one of the first beta testers and have really put it through the ropes. I am very familiar with the program, so if you ever need any help or have questions about it's features/capabilities let me know! It is very well worth the upgrade from EZ3D!

Of course you know I am going to be tubing everything I possibly can when I have a house and garage of my own!

[82toyotakid]

that will be sweet when u going to do that bumper and stuff?

[TheBandit [OP]]

UPDATE

After getting a little more familiar with Bend Tech's cutting features, I spent most of my evening cutting tube. I started with the lower hoop which needed to be fitted to the frame.



I suppose I could have cut it in a chopsaw, but I figured I would be less likely to screw up using a cutoff wheel.



It fits perfectly as designed!



Bend Tech prints out these neat wrappers for coping tube. I'm finding them to be quite handy! For pieces that are fishmouthed at both ends, you have to line them up somehow, so I initially used my table to do the job.



Then I found it was a lot eaiser to use a piece of angle iron.



(below) Here is an example of a short piece with fishmouths on both ends. You can see the lines printed on the wrappers for lining them up. One thing to keep in mind if you are using these is to cope the tube so your seam wont be visible on the final part.



(below) It takes quite a bit of time using a cutoff wheel! I really need to get a hole saw type notcher - these would go much faster.



(below) Since the tubing has some thickness, you can't just cut along the wrapper line and expect it to fit. It takes a little grinding on the inside to get things right.



(below) After a while I started getting a feel for what areas needed grinding to get a nice fit.



(below) No less than four hours later cutting and hand notching parts, here is where I left things for the night.

[82toyotakid]

see u already did it lol

[KYOTA]

Sweet! definately giving Cris a call to upgrade to pro!  the coping calculator and printable template look to be invaluable

[82toyotakid]

looks good is it a four runner or apickup iwouldwant to put a top camper shell thing like urs if it is indeed a pickup!!! where did u get it or did it come with it?

[Wermz84]

Looking good!!  Keep up the good work.      More Pics please...



Just get proE wildfire.  It's only like 5 to 10 grand   

[TheBandit [OP]]

looks good is it a four runner or apickup iwouldwant to put a top camper shell thing like urs if it is indeed a pickup!!! where did u get it or did it come with it?

This is a 4Runner. I have both the factory hardtop and a Kayline vinyl soft top. Not sure which one you're referring to as they are both shown in the pictures above.

Looking good!!  Keep up the good work.      More Pics please...
Just get proE wildfire.  It's only like 5 to 10 grand   

Thanks Wermz! There are some more pictures below. Modelling software is very expensive; I feel your pain. You can do amazing things with it, though. In this case, however, I am using Bend Tech Pro which is VERY reasonable ($175 IIRC) and will give you tubing functionality you wont get with most 3D modelling software.

UPDATE

It may not seem like I did much since last time, but it took me about an hour to tack these together. I'm sure more experienced folks wouldn't have taken nearly as long, but I took a ton of measurements and did a lot of creative "fixturing" using things laying around the garage to get all my angles right. I also did a little grinding here and there to get better fits on my notches. So although it doesn't look much different from where I left off yesterday, all this lower half needs now is finish welding. Here it is loosely attached to the truck (using bailing wire)





Do you think there will be enough room for a winch? I left about 8" in front of the radiator to work with.



Here is one area I would do differently a second time around. I am not happy with how much space there is between the marker light and the bend at the corner. If I moved the bend apex toward the rear of the truck this area would look much better.



It doesn't look too bad from this angle.



Here's what it will do for my approach angle. What do you think? Liveable?



33s and IFS



My next step will be making the plate for the front of the crossmember (that should be pretty quick/easy) then I will get started on the upper assembly.

[KYOTA]

Well try not to think of it as worsening your aproach, but gaining a 'slider' to get up on stuff when you need it, and in all reality you didnt lose that much.

[82toyotakid]

i would want to have a soft top bikini style top on the top of my bed where can i find one?

[Ramrod]

i would want to have a soft top bikini style top on the top of my bed where can i find one?

why are you asking that here? start a new post or use the search option or google search, jeeze

[82toyotakid]

k sorry :rivers:lol

[TheBandit [OP]]

UPDATE

I am going to take apart my bender and bring it to campus for a display and demonstration later this week. I wanted to get all my bending done today so I can tack the bumper together and put it on display next to the bender.

Below: I started with my first multi-plane part: the upper hoop. This has four bends to bring it up and around, following the front profile of the hood.


Note: In the above picture it looks like I collapsed the tubing with the clamp for the plane of bend bracket. That dent is actually from before I got the tubing and it was shipped that way.

Below: Here it is with the third bend completed. These are very small (3 degree) bends, however the springback was still the same as with the other bends I've made.



Below: I also bent two smaller pieces which will form the uprights in front of the radiator.



Below: Although I still have some cutting to do, I used some bailing wire on the lower half and had my roomate hold the hoop up so I could snap a few pictures. This is the money shot as far as I'm concerned - the design is turning out exactly the way I pictured it in my head.



Below: Here it is from the side. He had it tilted down a little bit; the hoop will actually be slightly higher than the front of the hood. It may not be tall enough to protect the radiator in the event of a complete rollover, but that was a compromise I decided I could live with. I have some other ideas for protecting the radiator, but I'm not quite there yet.



Below: Here it is a little further back. I can't wait to get the other pieces fitted to see what the whole shabang is going to look like.

[yotaboy79]

lookin good!!

[cheap sunglasses]

lookin very good!!