...on the Aluminess Bumper
Ah the bare bumper, a sight which has occupied my mind the same way the spare has occupied the entire rear area of the van for several weeks now.
Aluminess' solution. This is actually to relocate a 35" tire off the bumper, rather than space out a thicker tire. It hardly mattered as it is cut for a SuperDuty bolt pattern. Not to mention it would mess up my temperature sensor install which was one of my first modifications.
Not to mention I couldn't even get the studs out on my own. You can't really tell, but the vise is visibly bent. The trick it turns out is to hit the bolt tip with an air hammer while the plate is braced and the stud is not. The local Aamco transmission shop was nice enough to sic their mega air hammer on it.
So here is the idea, two steel triangles, welded up.
Just need to fit a 8 on 6.5. That should be easy enough, right?
Turns out there is an aluminum and scrap store near enough that I went to kick around and found some ½" plate. My first holes did NOT match the bolt pattern after all.
After being so careful I couldn't tell if everything would wind up, and while convenient, the aluminum was not cheap enough to blow another set of holes. Eventually I decided using the aluminess carrier as a pattern wasn't the worst thing I could do.
Now we're ready to cut. Say goodbye to 3 new sawzall blades…
Ah-ha! What I meant to say is "using the aluminess as a pattern was a brilliant stroke of genius!"
After the studs I center drilled one, fitted and then drilled the other. This allowed me to bolt them together so there wouldn't be any questions on fitment when welding.
I sure miss my welder, or rather having power to run it. A buddy turned these welds out at work.
Believe it or not I have other plans for that bolt, my original steel design included a center tab for future use.
Just need to counter sink the bolt, nothing a little machining at home can't handle. Then again, lucky this is going to be hidden.
When people say the threads in the bolts aluminess uses eat the hinge, this is what they mean. This is not threaded, the bolt falls through like the rest. A steel sleeve insert would solve this problem.
One of these things is not like the others, one of these is doing it's own thing… It's probably bad that the small one is kind of up, but oh well. Grade 8 should be able to take it.
All mounted and ready to go.
This isn't about "pretty" this is about getting the dang tire back on the dang van so I can drive around without feeling stupid.
Hopefully the studs won't spin after loading.
Did I say grade 8? That's probably a Grade 2 lock nut. Hmm… should really switch that out.
Did I mention this isn't about "pretty"? At one point I'd probably intended to shoot this with Rustoleum.
The tire is touching at the requisite 2 points (according to Aluminess this keeps it from cracking the welds through bouncing)
And the temperature gauge mount is preserved. I was going to brag about the 57º, but the next day it was 78º so I guess it's moot…
) has been directed towards the inside. Here's the one I do have, next to my new 285/75/16 Nitto Terra Grapplers on the F250.
Linear Mode
