Anyone ever used square tubing for a bull bar?

[Pender1]

I'm planning on fabricating a front bumper for my K5. I don't have a tubing bender, so using DOM is out of my price range. Has anyone ever made a bull bar/grill guard out of square tubing? I don't think it'd look bad given how square these trucks are. If anyone has, some pictures would be awesome.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

Are you building it for pretty or are you gonna smash ****?

 

[Rusty Nail]

Ya. Pretty sure those things are made of round tube because it's alot stronger...
Seems to me that square tube would cave rather easy.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

I was gonna suggest if it's for show only he could bend up some emt. Hand benders could be rented cheaply at the home death spot. Once it's painted it would look like dom.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Dude. Look at us all kickin in different takes and views and ****. That's badass.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

 

[Georgeb]

Do you have any pics of what you want to accomplish. IMWO if you use 2"x.125" AW square tube it will reasonably take whatever you throw at it within reason. If done right square tube would go well with the square truck. You could also be on the lookout for other bull bars that could be used as donors for pieces.

 

[theblindchicken]

Strength is determined by the shape of the profile, overall size and wall thickness.

Round tube will be a bit stronger than square, but square tube will be more than strong enough unless you opt for a 1/32" thick wall.

 

[Pender1]

Are you building it for pretty or are you gonna smash ****?

Oh it's going to smash into things at some point in its life. Nothing about my truck is relying on being pretty.

Dude. Look at us all kickin in different takes and views and ****. That's badass.

Aren't we awesome?

Do you have any pics of what you want to accomplish. IMWO if you use 2"x.125" AW square tube it will reasonably take whatever you throw at it within reason. If done right square tube would go well with the square truck. You could also be on the lookout for other bull bars that could be used as donors for pieces.

I don't have any specific pictures, but there are tons of different ways people have styled them on these trucks. Might start hunting craigslist for other bumpers I can cut parts off of. Problem will be getting something wide enough to look right on this truck that's not curved like the more modern trucks.

Strength is determined by the shape of the profile, overall size and wall thickness.

Round tube will be a bit stronger than square, but square tube will be more than strong enough unless you opt for a 1/32" thick wall.

I'm aware that round tubing is by far the better option, but I'm an engineer by trade so I'm aware of the sacrifice I'm making. I have access to a lot of good scrap steel. 3/16" wall is probably my best bet for strength vs weight.


I did some work with a company that was puting curves in their square tubing frames using a shaped cut-out and welding it back together. Their rigidity was pretty good, so I was going to give that a try.

 

[CSFJ]

What about a push bumper from an old tow truck? There might be a member or two on here that could recommend a place to check for them. I remember seeing one years ago that I wanted to grab for one of my trucks. Didn't want to do an e-stop in the semi, so I figured I'd grab it on my run the following week. Guess I underestimated its desirability, because it was long gone by then. Lol

 

[theblindchicken]

Shaped cutout like cutting it the backside of the tube all the way to the single outer wall and then shaping it like you'd skin sheetmetal to a curved form, just pull and tack it all the way around?

Would a ton easier bending flatbar to your desired radius, plate the flat bar, cut the tube and weld it all back together. Hardest part would be cutting the tube nicely.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

What about a push bumper from an old tow truck? There might be a member or two on here that could recommend a place to check for them. I remember seeing one years ago that I wanted to grab for one of my trucks. Didn't want to do an e-stop in the semi, so I figured I'd grab it on my run the following week. Guess I underestimated its desirability, because it was long gone by then. Lol

That's what I was thinking he could trim it down some to lighten it up a bit

 

[Pender1]

Shaped cutout like cutting it the backside of the tube all the way to the single outer wall and then shaping it like you'd skin sheetmetal to a curved form, just pull and tack it all the way around?

Would a ton easier bending flatbar to your desired radius, plate the flat bar, cut the tube and weld it all back together. Hardest part would be cutting the tube nicely.

I have access to a plasma table. It'd take some setup work, but I could do it.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Eeekkk!

This is what I see in my mind's eye and i'm like - ewwww.

It's for sale in the OKC Craigslist -$150.

Eww.

Holy crap that's nasty.

 

[Honky Kong jr]

This is what I see in my mind's eye and i'm like - ewwww.

It's for sale in the OKC Craigslist -$150.

Eww.

Holy crap that's nasty.

That's horrible and should be illegal. If loud exhaust is audibly desturbing the peace then that thing is visually disturbing the peace