Calmini rear bumper & SEMA truck

[ned946]

Hi-res pictures....enjoy!

http://albums.photopoint.com/j/Album...231&a=13904016

[Matt Peckham]

Wow, is that time elapse photography? It looks like it only took an hour or so to install that beautiful bumper! Looks great, and I like that nifty ARB tool. cool stuff! what do you think it woud take to install the bumper with a couple guys and no power tools in a driveway?

[rrdstarr]

I don't see there gas tank skid bolted to the Yellow X? I see blue Anti-swaybars in the rear picture is that to compliment the Shackles? The front bumper looks very nice! They photos for the rear bumper I'd need more detail? You can't see how it bolts up to the frame? Overall looks good!

[VaderX]

Wow that bumper looks fantastic and the finished paint job is just great. I noticed that you had the bumper on without the swing arm for a bit. How hard is it to remove the swing arm if you want to run with just the bumper in town.

[Schludwiller]

Overall I like the rear bumper. The ARB hi-lift attachment point is a nice. The delron plate for the tire carrier hitch is a good idea. (must have got that from ChuckH. )
Simple and effective. I still have concerns about the mounting, but that will be answered when someone who doesn't have a "business relationship" with Calmini actually provides some informative pictures and unbiased real world trials.

I really liked the airhose attachment on the one they had on Project X. It would be cool to have that as an option for people with air compressors (even better if Calmini offers their compressor/bumper as a complete option.

A couple of questions. Why are there rear swaybars on an offroad truck?

The 3rd brake light is covered and I would rather have the tire on one side or the other instead of just blocking both views. I wonder if there are any options to reposition it. Also did I miss the license plate holder?

I don't understand why there needs to be such a large gap between their front bumper and the body. Ian will probably say it's still not final, but it seems odd that an ARB not made for the Xterra fits better. The integrated skid is cool. But is it still mounted in front of the crumple zones? It would be great if someone would come up with protection for the skid bolts. I'll probably have to make my own. But it does look like they are using a larger bolt which should help them hold up better on impact..

Once the rear bumper mounting is answered (probably when Warmonger gets his), it looks like a solid option that will be the only one out there for most Xterra owners. Nice to see some good welds and clean design for a rear bumper. I guess the front bumper is still being worked on, but I didn't like the look of it at GoX. At least it helped hide the nasty front end of the 2002 redesign.

Thanks for the pics Ned.

[ChuckH]

Of course you like it Schlud; from the outside it's almost a direct copy of yours!

I agree, the finish work appears to be superb and Calmini used nice hardware for the latch and swing pivot.

As for the mounting, I just don't know without seeing up close how the center bracket mounts. I will say that the two frame rail attachements bolt to the very end section of the frame using the factory bumper mounting holes. Those holes were not intended to be weight bearing and are too close together to supply much twist strength (up and down). Also, that part of the frame bends side to side easily. That is why Nissan put the hitch attachment holes at the bottom with one of them being inside the box section. That is also why Nissan provides frame stiffeners with their hitches that help link everything together. Regardless, if the center mounting is strong, then there won't be too much worry with the frame rail attachments. It wouldn't be difficult to beef up the brackets later if you want.

Still, I wonder why Calmini didn't just add a few more inches of steel and put atleast one attachment point inside the box section of the frame and utilize the hitch mounting holes.

Now, as you may be able to see in this picture, my bumper is mounted using two of the hitch holes and one side bumper mount hole because KMA didn't make the insert brackets long enough either. On mine, I added an outer plate and an inner angled pice of steel to reinforce the end of the frame and I attaced them with the hitch mounting hole that is inside the frame rail. I think this is good, but we took things beyond that with Schlud's truck. He had new inserts put on that go all the way inside the box section and attach at all three lower holes and all three side holes.

Anyway, those are my observations. I really like the bumper and that's the one I would buy now if I were looking. I would probably make some alterations though, but that's just me!

[OffroadX]

Schlud,

Any chance you can lay off the anti-Ian undertone, at least until Ian actually provokes it in the thread?

Brent

[Schludwiller]

Sure Brent. Done.

I would ask you to consider however, that I had no contribution in the flame war here on AF except to delete posts that were offtopic. Ian then felt comfortable with dragging myself and the board into his personal attack at XOC.

Maybe that's why I'm just a little bitter.

I'll stop the BS. It's better for the board anyway. :smoker:

[rrdstarr]

That is why this board works so well! Everyone contributes! Even Claus!

[ned946]

I'll try to get some more detail shots of the mounting stuff soon.

[ned946]

Okay, I've added some structural detail shots.......ultra hi res! Same link as original post.

[Schludwiller]

Thanks for the update Ned.

This is the part that bugs me. That c-section coming from the frame can be bent with a hammer. I don't have a hitch, but isn't that why Nissan puts the frame strengtheners on?

BTW Ned, thanks for all the pics, and your great attitude about some of our questions. Nobody is trying to crap on your new purchase, we're just interested in a new piece of equipment and discussing trucks is what we do here.

[rhombus]

But that truck is WAY to clean

[rrdstarr]

OT

OT....I assume that means "Old Timer"

[xoc]

Originally posted by Schludwiller
A couple of questions. Why are there rear swaybars on an offroad truck?

Simple. The truck is designed to show off Calmini's parts, and those sway bar end links are part of their kit.