front bumper
Posted: Mon Feb 27, 2023 10:41 am
The other day I got thinking about loading some dirt into the back of my pickup. And I realized that having a front bumper would be nice. Not so much to protect the front hood of the loader, although I don't want to tear up the front hood of the loader... But more to protect the side of the more valuable pickup truck. And the hydraulic drive for better or for worse I find to be a little bit surge-y.
It is a bit of a challenge to pull forward to a precise spot. Especially with a heavy load in the bucket. And if the ground is uneven etc etc.
So I'd like to have a front bumper that would provide some protection for the object that I'm pulling up to.
The other day I started working on a front bumper made from 1-in sprinkler pipe. I made it about 22 in long and then notched and bent the outer two and a half inches to about a 25° angle and welded that smooth. And welded a little domed piece of steel on the open end of the pipe, to give it a nice smooth round appearance all over.
But then I realized that running this piece of pipe up against the side of my truck isn't going to help. It's just as damaging to the paint as the nose of the tractor would be.
So I put on my thinking cap and realized that the front bumper on my late '90s club car golf cart is actually pretty close to what I need. So I ordered a replacement one from eBay. About $25. And manufactured a bracket to attach that replacement bumper to my front snap fast pins.
Now this isn't a how-to, because most people can't use their snap fast with the deck installed, because the deck's mule drive is hogging the snap fast. But that was one of the first things I ever fixed, was attaching my deck straight to the frame, leaving the snap fast system free for other uses.
And my machine has that extra horizontal rib that's serving as the base for the triangular supports that run up to the top of the loader receiver stanchions. And I have a couple bolts running through that horizontal rib, which is what keeps this new bracket from rotating downward.
So my bracket won't work for anybody's machine but mine. But the basic idea is there for anybody that likes it:. Pick up a replacement front bumper for a club car DS. And it's pretty easy to fabricate a bracket to mount that bumper out front.
Bob
It is a bit of a challenge to pull forward to a precise spot. Especially with a heavy load in the bucket. And if the ground is uneven etc etc.
So I'd like to have a front bumper that would provide some protection for the object that I'm pulling up to.
The other day I started working on a front bumper made from 1-in sprinkler pipe. I made it about 22 in long and then notched and bent the outer two and a half inches to about a 25° angle and welded that smooth. And welded a little domed piece of steel on the open end of the pipe, to give it a nice smooth round appearance all over.
But then I realized that running this piece of pipe up against the side of my truck isn't going to help. It's just as damaging to the paint as the nose of the tractor would be.
So I put on my thinking cap and realized that the front bumper on my late '90s club car golf cart is actually pretty close to what I need. So I ordered a replacement one from eBay. About $25. And manufactured a bracket to attach that replacement bumper to my front snap fast pins.
Now this isn't a how-to, because most people can't use their snap fast with the deck installed, because the deck's mule drive is hogging the snap fast. But that was one of the first things I ever fixed, was attaching my deck straight to the frame, leaving the snap fast system free for other uses.
And my machine has that extra horizontal rib that's serving as the base for the triangular supports that run up to the top of the loader receiver stanchions. And I have a couple bolts running through that horizontal rib, which is what keeps this new bracket from rotating downward.
So my bracket won't work for anybody's machine but mine. But the basic idea is there for anybody that likes it:. Pick up a replacement front bumper for a club car DS. And it's pretty easy to fabricate a bracket to mount that bumper out front.
Bob