Day one of fabrication... just cut up some 1/8" plate steel and did a little welding..
Hopefully tomorrow i can start on the brush guard (2" box tubing).
You can see I just used the stock bumper mounts and beefed them up a little bit, probably going to add some more angle iron on the inside to make it strong enough to bolt a winch up to some day.
Any further suggestions?

 

looks good, but I will tell you now that people are going to tell you that the bumper needs more mounts

 

looks good nice start, didn't see any mention of using this bumper for recovery right now or such, stock mounts will be fine for looking good, and ya i'd run some angle AND gussets for the mounts...
BUT for winch mounting you will need to tie in to rails with more than just the 6 stock holes

 

1/8" won't stand up to a deer.

 

hahahaha

 

I just hit 2 deer in the past 2 weeks with the stock bumper and it barely kinked that which is what like 16 gauge?.. but yes I just picked up some angle iron and scoped out some more mounting points. The diamond plate on the corners is 3/16". And I'll be using 3/16" for the next set of mounts. Glad you guys all feel that way, the mounts are what I really wasn't sure about

 

it should look good when you are finished

are you gonna paint it?

 

Yeah, I'm also building some fender flares to match, thinking about doing everything in some kind of textured black, like a powdercoat look, or maybe rhinoliner

 

Sharpen two pieces of rebar into a point and weld on either side of ur bumper and you could take the deer home with ya!

 

lets see some pics... the only deer i've ever seen hit with a cherokee that didnt do that much damage were pretty small.....

 

I'll take some pics tomorrow if you want. Not much to see though, its all to the drivers side corner. Buckled the quarter panel, small kink in the bumper where it bolts to the frame, the fiberglass is busted just below the turn signals, and the turn signal and side marker lenses are busted out.. I'm sure to have it all fixed at a body shop it would easily be in the thousands, but I do my own body work and besides I'm not that concerned, it a jeep. What I am concerned about is the radiator being smashed up, so with that said....
I was trying to keep the weight down with this bumper, hence the 1/8" plate.. since that seems to be under heavy scrutiny I'll run the option, back to the metal shop for some more angle iron

 

I got to do some more work today. Ground down some welds and added 4 new bolt points for mounting. Also threw on some angle iron gussets for some front corner support.
Got to start on the grill guard, its not attached yet, just sitting in place. I'm trying to decide whether the light guards coming off it should come down at a diagonal angle or 90 degree.. any thoughts?

 

not sure why thats real funny....

 

just my .02 but i'd pull your center section of your "grill guard" out a little farther... i guess think of it this way.... say you hit another deer, and the grill guard and light guards bend from the massive meat tenderizing going on... do you want them to immediately tear into your newly replaced header panel and lights or would you rather they have some give-space to just possibly bend back and all there is to replace it steel for another grill/light guard...

regardless of the lack of thickness in material though. It looks like your doing a pretty darn good job.. love the diamondplate outers

 

your mounts still are not strong enough....

1/8" unsupported like that wont do alot. I have seen alot of deer hit a cherokee. never a good outcome. I have seen a dog total a front end of a cherokee before...

Not to knock ya just want you to be safe. this is all real world feed back.

here is a tip on mounts:

http://www.cherokeetech.com/VBull/sh...nt-Cad-Drawing