Building your own bumper may seem like a challenge, but with the right tools and proper knowledge, homemade winch bumpers can be easily done.
Why do you want to build a bumper? What equipment do you need? Is it difficult to build a winch bumper? If you want the answer to these questions, you have to keep reading below.
There are countless threads, posts, and videos on how to make your winch bumper online nowadays. It may sound counterintuitive, as we here at BumperStock.com sell bumpers, but there are many reasons why someone would need to build a winch bumper.
We have created this article to help you understand just how much work goes into building a winch bumper. From choosing the right steel, to painting it, and everything in between, we’ll show you all the steps needed to create your very own winch bumper from scratch.
Why Build Your Own Winch Bumper?
The world moves forward by advancing. And how do we advance? By building something better and tougher than previous versions.
Ever heard the saying: “If you want something done right, do it yourself?” This also applies to the bumpers. There are many reasons why someone would want to build a winch bumper, and we are going to go over some of those reasons in this section.
Not Available For Your Truck
In today’s society, if you want an aftermarket winch bumper, chances are that there is one available online. But, sometimes you just can’t find exactly what you are looking for.
BumperStock.com has a huge variety of aftermarket winch bumpers at some of the best prices. However, as big as the internet is, you might not be able to find the right winch bumper for your truck.
If you have a classic truck or SUV for example, the chances of finding a winch bumper are greatly diminished. So what are you to do? Just like any other American, if you can't find it, make it!
Cost
We here at Bumperstock.com keep prices low, but for some folks, it is still too much. If you live on a farm or somewhere that requires taking the road less traveled, the shipping can end up costing a fortune.
Even if you are a “city slicker”, the cost of a new bumper is nothing to smirk at. Costs can vary greatly from one manufacturer to another. Additionally, customers on a fixed budget can be unable to get an aftermarket winch bumper put on their vehicle.
Cool Factor
If you have a welder, some high-quality steel, and the proper know-how, why not build a custom winch bumper? Not many people out there can say they’ve “made it themselves”. Lucky for us, there are still some innovators left in the world.
The industrial revolution paved the way for cool inventions that helped us skyrocket into the 21st century. Luckily, that mentality is still alive and well. It's people like you that make the world go round, and if you can build something by yourself, why not do it?
Building A Winch Bumper?
We’ve created the ultimate step-by-step guide to building a homemade wich bumper. Everything from taking off your stock bumper to choosing the right finish can be found in this section.
Step 1: Taking Off The Old Bumper
This might sound simple enough, but old vehicles, especially the ones that have lived in a high-humidity environment can prove to be quite a challenge.
The best thing to do is to spray those rusted-on nuts and bolts with WD-40 or some similar penetrating oil the night before. By doing this, you have a better chance of getting everything off without much of a hassle. Of course, things always seem easier than they are. Unfortunately, they don’t always go to plan and will oftentimes involve the use of more swear words than you have in your vocabulary.
Step 2: Measure Twice, Cut Once
We can't stress this step enough. Always make sure you measure everything out properly. When you build your own winch bumper, it’s also good to have a rough idea of the style you are looking for. It will make your life much easier, trust us!
To further help out, use some scrap cardboard you have laying around to help bring your ideas to life. Most homemade winch bumpers will look better in your mind than in reality, so mocking things up with cardboard will let you easily make changes.
Step 3: Cut It Up, Weld It on
This step is where everything begins to take shape. All your hours of planning and envisioning how your homemade winch bumper gets down to this. Take the cardboard from the previous step and trace every piece on your plate steel. The thicker the better, but keep in might that the overall weight might take a toll on performance.
Now it's time to take those flat pieces of steel and turn them into something you can use. This stage is where everything begins to take shape. Welding is an art of its own, and mastering it means years of practice. A good weld will actually increase the strength of the steel. If you are not confident in your abilities, maybe this step is best left to the professionals.
Step 4: Add Accessories
The best part of homemade winch bumpers is that you get to choose your accessories and mount them exactly how you want. It’s like those “Choose Your Own Adventure” books but in real life.
BumperStock.com is committed to not only you how to build a winch bumper and is happy to supply you with a vast array of winches, light bars, and any other accessories that can help make your build that much easier.
Step 5: Finish
How to make a winch bumper look professional? Easy! Paint it black. When in doubt the color black will always make anything like it’s fresh out the gates of any top-notch builders factory. The good news is that most aftermarket truck bumpers are painted black. Granted, they are powder coated in black, but black is black and to the untrained eye it looks just like great.
Paint is about layers. The more you put on, the more it'll stand up to impact. Start by cleaning the entire surface with a microfiber rag and some sort of mineral spirit. This will help get any oil or grease off. Next, give it a good coat(or two) of primer so the paint has something to grab onto. Finally, the last step is paint. You can use a rattle can or a spray gun. If applied correctly, they will both give the same results. A minimum of three layers should be applied if you want the best protection.
Step 6: Install The New Bumper
So there you have it, you’ve solved the age-old question of how to build a winch bumper. Now that everything is together, and looking like it's ready for battle, it’s time to put that sucker on your truck. Even if you have a hoist, lift, and a come-along, you're still going to need the help of a buddy or two. Don’t worry chances are that they’ll do anything for a couple of beers.
If everything goes to plan, it should just mount up to the frame rails with no trouble. Some trucks have holes pre-drilled on the frame from past bumpers. But if yours doesn’t, make sure to measure everything up and pre-drill them. This way you won't have to keep your friends from holding the bumper up while you drill new holes.
What Equipment Do You Need To Build A Winch Bumper?
Homemade winch bumpers require a lot of knowledge, but most importantly, tools and equipment. It’s not something you can go down to your local hardware store and pick up. Well, it kind of is, but if you don’t already own the equipment needed for a proper build it may end up costing you more than the bumper is worth.
When you build a winch bumper, we assume all of the tools needed are already in your workshop. Nevertheless, here is a list of some necessary and not-so-necessary tools you’ll need before starting your project.
Necessary
- Angle Grinder
- Welder
- Paint/Paint Gun
- Sheet Metal (Scrap sheet metal will work as well if you have any lying around)
- A Winch
Optional
- Steel Press/Brake
- Angle finder
- Light Bars, Square Lights, Winch, D-link Mounts, etc.
Final Words
If you’ve gotten this far, we know you're serious about knowing how to make a winch bumper. Even though we specialize in selling aftermarket bumpers from some of the world's leading manufacturers, we try to offer you every resource needed when it comes to making your truck/ Jeep ready for the apocalypse, or the trails for that matter.
BumperStock.com Is here to guide you and help give your vehicle that tough, off-road look you’ve always wanted. No matter the reason you want to build your own bumper, our site has plenty of accessories needed to take your bumper from just ok, to holy S**T over-the-top.
Check out everything we offer by clicking here!