Sorry about the new thread, but I felt it was deserved!

The turd is done except for the Hi-Lift mount which will be all bolt on from this point. The lower support for the Hi-Lift will be through the lower part of the arm and the upper support arm is welded in place awaiting some bolt action.

Anyway, as you can see I've completed the large parts of my mission and it all came together nicely. The only problem I have right now is that the ConFerr jerrican bracket for Blitz jerricans doesn't clamp all the way down on the Blitz jerrican for some reason. I even put washers in so that the clamp could screw down more and it still doesn't secure the can. Hmmm!!! :( Hopefully Synchro will have some advice when he gets back. At this point it looks like either ConnFerr made the bracket too tall or Blitz shortened their cans. I can probably modify some parts and make it work, but why can't things work out of the box? :rolleyes:

So, here are some pictures of the final project minus the Hi-Lift.

And another.

And another pic.

AF is going to hate me...here's another!

And yep, another!

And finally the last one (for now!).

Looking good Chuck. I have a KMA front bumper that I bought from a frontier bumper. Overall the bumper seems well made and very stout. I did have some minor alignment problems. The "arms" that bolt to the frame were just alittle to wide. I was able to pull it together for the most part. The only thing I don't like about the bumper is a 2" open gap across the senter portion. I plan on fabbing something to give it a more finished look. Again, your bumper is looking good......

It's funny, of all the KMA's that have been made, only Will's and mine managed not to suck incredibly (and mine didn't fit quite right into the frame rails after all.) Of course Todd has spent a ton of time working over mine to make it work with the body lift (also redid the mounting arms so they slide all the way back into the boxed portion of the frame now)...so really, of a lot of 7 or so, only 1 still stands the way KMA shipped it (surprisingly, though, Will's came out pretty darn well...must have been a sober welding day...)

Glad yours worked out in the end...think, it's not *just* a bumper anymore, it's a labor of love. Yeah, that's it. :rolleyes:

Well, I don't know if it's been a labor of love, but it's been labor! Actually, I think it's been more of a labor of hatred towards KMA. :angryfire

Thanks for the compliments guys...it makes it much more worthwhile.

Here's a straight on ass view (it was getting dark though).

Looks great...
When are you going to start taking orders :)

Originally posted by rhombus
Looks great...
When are you going to start taking orders :)

:rolleyes:

Yeah, like I have time to be fixing more bumpers! Actually, if I had the tools and the space to do it, I would build them from scratch so folks could have a decent bumper.

Fixed the Blitz can issue. Turns out that there must have been changes from Blitz because I bought another one at a different store that was 1/2" taller. It also had a better looking seam at the bottom than the other one. Both cans had the same numbers and such so there must have been changes made in production. All fixed now though! :)

Hmm...that ass-view makes it seem like the tire blocks a lot of the rear view. How does it look from the inside when you're driving?

if it is anything like mine it does block much of the view back there. but you get used to it and get used to using your side view mirrors quite effectivly. i have yet to have any real problems with it. <knocking on wood>

hey chuck. is the top pic the farthest the tire goes in close to the truck without the gas can? and what's with the angled hitch tube? it looks good, but you kinda pidgeon holed yourself in the design.

Synchro:

I angled the hitch tube so that the tire moves upward as I pull it outward for better clearance. That way when it's in all the way it can sit lower. That was kind of a later change (after already having the actual tire mount piece made), but one I thought about for a long time. I don't regret doing that and I think it looks better than having it straight. I may add another hole to the insert so that it will slide in more, but then the end of the insert will be closer to the hatch than I would like. If I shorten it then there won't be as much of it in the tube when pulled out and I'm not sure if I want to do that. I'm thinking about it though. I have about an inch more that I can go toward the gas can mount. My hatch is already bashed too, so i'm not sure why I'm so worried about having the insert sit close enough that it will hit if I get rearended! :rolleyes: It woud have been a lot easier if I had bought my jerry can, holder, and Pirelli tire and fitted everything before building the swingarm. Also, I sent my plans to a guy in oregon to build the tire mount, I cut the other pieces at work using existing steel, and my Brother welded it all together, so it was not all done together and at once. All things considered, I think it turned out great!

mudphud:

Yes, it blocks some view, but the reality is it has very little effect on backing up since I can't really see out the back anyway; especially to that side of the window (my head can't turn that far!). The biggest problem is seeing if there are cars behind me when driving. Not much you can do about it though unless you buy a Honda CRV sized spare! :apuke: Like Synchro mentioned though you get use to using the side mirrors more and can also see a little through the openings in the wheel.

Originally posted by gothamist
It's funny, of all the KMA's that have been made, only Will's and mine managed not to suck incredibly (and mine didn't fit quite right into the frame rails after all.)


Mine doesn't suck incredibly - it has served me quite well, after I redrilled all the mounting holes.

BTW - I thought Will was having his re-done ... ?