The Calmini Bumper/Tire carrier

[ChuckH]

Originally posted by Schludwiller


Let's try and keep this discussion out of the gutter, ok Mr. Peckham?

Hehe!

Ask him what Lil Xterra calls him on the XOC board. Fitting!

[Matt Peckham]

I talked with Steve at Calmini, and got a bit more on the rear bumper.

They are thinking of making several versions of the bumper, one that is similar, I guess, to the KMA, one that is similar to the one shown on the site, but made from three pieces (for shipping's sake) and possibly a 3rd version.

You will be happy to know that the Class II tow point is a 1/4" walled reinforced 2" reciever hitch, as one would expect. It is rated at 3000 pounds mainly because of liability, as the 5 speed owners are only rated to 3500#s, but also because a jacked up Xterra, say, with 4" of lift, even with a 7" lowering hitch, towing a poorly balanced load, can cause problems to vehicle handling. It's a safety concern for handling, not for dead pull strength. I am not sure if he said anything about the strength of the tow point for recovery, I imagine it's at minimum double to triple the rating for TOWING. Just because the bumper can handle the weight, doesn't mean the Xterra can pull it.

The rear recovery points are there, and they are made of 1/4" steel, plenty of strength for pulling and shackle attachment. They are also, I believe the point where the side pieces mount to the center bumper point, I imagine this makes the bumper setup a great deal stronger when it comes to lengthwise twisting.

The side pieces are bent to fit around the body inner structure, so the bend at the bottom has to be there to protect the truck's guts, and also reduces the departure angle from the sides. They also mount to the frame somewhere in addition to the mount for the center of the bumper, which mounts to the frame where the KMA does, adding to the strength of the outer corners. Steven said you should be able to drop the Xterra on them without damage when rockcrawling, something he intends to prove at GOX II, I think...

The swing arm is hinged from the passenger side, mainly because it allows quick access for the driver, as it swings one handed from the driver side. The accessory bar, mounted on the driver side, will accept a Hi Lift, or the stock license pplate lighting and mount, or a Jerry can holder from an external company, not sure what company... The tire carrier is set farther to the passenger side, and allows for depth adjustment, allowing for various sizes of tires and wheels, which can have various depths. I also asked about possibly moving it to the center more, allowing for better visibility to the passenger rear, he took note, and noted that the stress is diminished the closer the tire is to the hinge. This, of course, is obvious... The locking mechanism has a Delrin sleeve at the base of the swingarm, that rests on the bumper, preventing rattling and vibration. the locking mechanism also has a locking spring actuated bolt, but we didn't talk about that much...

Think that's about it. He has had some very positive responses to the initial postings, and if you have any concerns or questions, do as I did, and call him. He'll be glad to talk with you. Doubt he'll be posting to any of the boards, as they are a busy shop, think they have 500 part numbers for Suzuki products alone, and he said he is spending the next 2 years expressly on Nissan parts. 22 years of experience, and the main guy, Steven, owns an Xterra. I think we are in luck!

Matt

[warmonger]

Matt,

You say they are working on possibly three variations. Do you know if one will have a tire carrier but still fit the rear plastic bumper ends? My plan is to paint both my front and rear bumpers the original color of my old bumpers so they look factory. I want to avoid the look of the one displayed here. I want it to look more factory but would prefer one with a tire carrier/hitch receiver so I can axe both the under body spare tire and the rear hitch. It would be nice to hit the perfect 10 in rear bumpers. Yes, I would like to have my cake and eat it too! :-)

[Matt Peckham]

I believe they will offer a solution for those who want to keep the stock side bumperettes. Won't offer any side protection, but it'll be a solid bumper for holding a spare and a HiLift.

That's what I beleive I gathered from our conversation. He wants to offer solutions for various types of consumers.

[OffroadX]

Why won't he consider moving the hinge and the spare to the driver's side? I think most would give up the "quick access" for better visibility and an opening to the curb side. I couldn't give a rat's rectum about "quick access," I'll be in the middle of the situation either way. Some sort of detent to keep the arm open would be nice to deal with the road crown issue, but hell, I'd live without it to keep my visibility.

Brent

[Matt Peckham]

Do it. do it now. OK, might want to wait 5 hours until he is at the shop...

I asked him that same thing, and one of his replies was, everyone else does it... but I think he'd be willing to offer it set up differently. Just call him and ask.

By the way, would you actually be in the market for one?

[OffroadX]

A rear bumper is low on my list, and I don't think I would go with the carrier style anyway. But if I were to consider a carrier, that's how I would like it.

Brent

[warmonger]

Matt,

Just so you know, I will be in the market for a bumper if one is available when I reach Phase 5 of project X. At that point I will be installing a winch and bumper and would like to nail down the rear bumper at the same time. Would it be worth my while to call CalMini and let them know what I am looking for?

[Matt Peckham]

I don't know what you are looking for.... so if you are interested in a certain design, I would send them a message. They are not finished developing, and it'll probably depend on future customer feedback where the rear bumper is headed.

Call em.

Matt

[Philosopher]

Originally posted by warmonger


phase 5 of project X

???

Only a military guy would refer to a truck like this ...

[Whistler!]

Well, I like this bumper...It's made outta 3/16" metal & has 5/16" shackle brakets, and it's solid metal...This is not the final design, this one is only a prototype.

I really like Calmini's new center replacement bumper...It's a great replacement for our stock center bumper peice.

Well, maybe next year, once Calmini get all their prototypes ironed out into a solid product & readily available to be purchased.:smoka: