New to me 87 and introduction

[rainamy]

Welded different plus big tires plus dry pavement sounds like a short term plan.

Also, if you are driving on the street and wind up involved in any type of accident where someone gets hurt, and that welded on tube stock rear bumper is involved you could be staring down a lawsuit and liability... making your own bumper is fine for trails, but on the street it better be DOT approved or someone is gonna lawyer up quick.

Even if the accident is their fault, contributory negligence just isn't really much of a defense these days, they're gonna hammer you for "worse injuries" and "excessive property damage" from it.

If you're driving on the street just use an approved bumper.

[Edahall]

Interesting.....

I see a lot of trucks in my area with replacement bumpers that look like battering rams and cost a fortune. In a major collision, everything gets bent but the bumper and it causes much more damage to the other party.

And how about lifted vehicles?

Originally Posted by rainamy

Welded different plus big tires plus dry pavement sounds like a short term plan.

Also, if you are driving on the street and wind up involved in any type of accident where someone gets hurt, and that welded on tube stock rear bumper is involved you could be staring down a lawsuit and liability... making your own bumper is fine for trails, but on the street it better be DOT approved or someone is gonna lawyer up quick.

Even if the accident is their fault, contributory negligence just isn't really much of a defense these days, they're gonna hammer you for "worse injuries" and "excessive property damage" from it.

If you're driving on the street just use an approved bumper.

[mongocanfly]

I've never heard that about the bumpers....can't be any different than running into a dump truck or a Mansfield bar I wouldn't think....

[coveboy]

Appreciate all the replies and welcomes! I drove the truck around my property for a couple hours, gave it a little hell to see how she'd hold up and truck did great. 4x4 functions properly and the ride isn't quite as rough as I was expecting it to be considering how bad the suspension looks. However, the transmission did spit some fluid back up the dipstick. I'm unsure what caused this; thinking either the breather is clogged or filter shot. I'm going to dig into this this weekend, but the truck was shifting fine through all the gears with no other adverse affects. Anything else I should check?

As far as the welded rear diff goes, I have a Land Cruiser to daily drive so this truck will see mostly dirt and very few paved roads. This will be my last modification on my list, so the truck will get some good use before I take it to that level and possibly destroy the differential. If I find out that after a few times off the road the truck handles well without the welded rear, I'll probably leave it open until I can afford a better alternative. Once it's shot out the truck will go back under the knife for whatever I can scavenge from pick n pull or craigslist, hopefully a 14 bolt and dana 60 for the front and a 205 transfer case.

With regards to the rear bumper, I haven't found any affordable or appealing aftermarket rear bumpers, and the stock options hang too low/far out without offering much protection and zero recovery points. With such a big truck I'm sure I'll be draggin ass on the trails, so I'd like something that won't get completely mangled or ruin departure angles.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, I genuinely do appreciate the concern and do not wish to cause harm to anyone, but the truck won't see much pavement time and I have never heard of nor can find any laws that I would be breaking with a home-brew rear bumper. I was just thinking a basic ~6" or so tube that spans from corner to corner with a couple points for D-rings to attach to. The tailgate it shot out, so I don't mind bolting the license plate straight to it. From what I have read, DOT laws on bumpers only apply to passenger cars-not pick ups, SUVs, and vans, and the truck won't be tall enough for regulations on distance between driving surface and impact area to apply. Therefore, there would be no grounds for a lawsuit against me and any claims would not hold merit. I see tons of trucks and Heeps around here with tube work bumpers and the police never seem to bat an eye

[rainamy]

Originally Posted by coveboy

Appreciate all the replies and welcomes! I drove the truck around my property for a couple hours, gave it a little hell to see how she'd hold up and truck did great. 4x4 functions properly and the ride isn't quite as rough as I was expecting it to be considering how bad the suspension looks. However, the transmission did spit some fluid back up the dipstick. I'm unsure what caused this; thinking either the breather is clogged or filter shot. I'm going to dig into this this weekend, but the truck was shifting fine through all the gears with no other adverse affects. Anything else I should check?

As far as the welded rear diff goes, I have a Land Cruiser to daily drive so this truck will see mostly dirt and very few paved roads. This will be my last modification on my list, so the truck will get some good use before I take it to that level and possibly destroy the differential. If I find out that after a few times off the road the truck handles well without the welded rear, I'll probably leave it open until I can afford a better alternative. Once it's shot out the truck will go back under the knife for whatever I can scavenge from pick n pull or craigslist, hopefully a 14 bolt and dana 60 for the front and a 205 transfer case.

With regards to the rear bumper, I haven't found any affordable or appealing aftermarket rear bumpers, and the stock options hang too low/far out without offering much protection and zero recovery points. With such a big truck I'm sure I'll be draggin ass on the trails, so I'd like something that won't get completely mangled or ruin departure angles.

I don't mean to sound like a jerk, I genuinely do appreciate the concern and do not wish to cause harm to anyone, but the truck won't see much pavement time and I have never heard of nor can find any laws that I would be breaking with a home-brew rear bumper. I was just thinking a basic ~6" or so tube that spans from corner to corner with a couple points for D-rings to attach to. The tailgate it shot out, so I don't mind bolting the license plate straight to it. From what I have read, DOT laws on bumpers only apply to passenger cars-not pick ups, SUVs, and vans, and the truck won't be tall enough for regulations on distance between driving surface and impact area to apply. Therefore, there would be no grounds for a lawsuit against me and any claims would not hold merit. I see tons of trucks and Heeps around here with tube work bumpers and the police never seem to bat an eye

Nope, you don't sound like a jerk at all. Hope I don't come across too negative either. Just passing on what ive seen at work, and know to have had happen to some owners of trucks running those.

The DOT numbers on the parts constitutes irrefutable proof that the design and performance of the item, in this case a bumper, is safe and does not create a hazard on the roadways.

The legal mechanism most often used against those bumpers is gross negligence and reckless indifference to harm to other persons or property that the owner knew, or should have known, would result from their choice of materials and design, specifically by the removal of existing/approved bumper types and inserting a homemade contraption a reasonable person would know or should have known did not meet the applicable federal criteria for the year/make/model of vehicle.

Oh they throw other stuff in there too, but that's the biggest one...

[coveboy]

Lunchbox locker is a great idea! Completely slipped my mind. Anyone out there have any experience with one on a truck like this?

Originally Posted by rainamy

Nope, you don't sound like a jerk at all. Hope I don't come across too negative either. Just passing on what ive seen at work, and know to have had happen to some owners of trucks running those.

The DOT numbers on the parts constitutes irrefutable proof that the design and performance of the item, in this case a bumper, is safe and does not create a hazard on the roadways.

The legal mechanism most often used against those bumpers is gross negligence and reckless indifference to harm to other persons or property that the owner knew, or should have known, would result from their choice of materials and design, specifically by the removal of existing/approved bumper types and inserting a homemade contraption a reasonable person would know or should have known did not meet the applicable federal criteria for the year/make/model of vehicle.

Oh they throw other stuff in there too, but that's the biggest one...

You didn't at all! I just read my reply and tones are hard to portray in text so I didn't wanna come across negatively. I do appreciate the concern, though. I don't think what I have in mind would fall under gross negligence just because it's not factory, and if some ambulance chaser is that hell bent on suing me then I'm sure they'll find some reason to no matter what bumper I'm running.

If someone rear ends me, and then tries to sue me, I'm just going to go 19th century on them and challenge them to a duel. Settle the dispute like men. The biggest annoyance to me is distracted drivers; you are operating a multi thousand pound missile-look at what's going on around/in front of you and don't blame others when you screw up. You're lucky to be alive if you hit a full size truck! I know the law might not agree with me on this, but ehhhh (all kidding...somewhat)

[rainamy]

Originally Posted by Edahall

Interesting.....

I see a lot of trucks in my area with replacement bumpers that look like battering rams and cost a fortune. In a major collision, everything gets bent but the bumper and it causes much more damage to the other party.

And how about lifted vehicles?

It's a fine line actually. The biggest recovery we've seen at work the plaintiff that rear ended the truck got $42,000 (before the firm took legal fees and expenses). It's kind of like speeding... alls fine and well, and some cops even look the other way, until you get caught.

On a somewhat related note, the reason roll pans are approved for road use is that the trucks were available for sale new without ANY rear bumper on it. That's how they get around not getting ticketed for faulty or missing safety equiptment.

Many of the big tow style bumpers are either listed in the catelogs as off road use (much like many led bars and spot lights you can mount, but not turn on, on the roads) or had a dot approval number giving them cover. But homemade stuff... it's literally an at your own risk deal.