last weekend I picked up an 86 limited wagon, immaculate shape. The one thing that is really bugging me about the car, is the ugly square aluminum excrusion bumpers, I cannot stand them. So being a long time jeep owner, I naturally go right to the thought of some steel tube bumpers, maybe with some sort of fitted brush gaurd. Seeing that I spend most of my existence 60+ hours a week in a fab shop building the bumpers would be simple. My question lies in mounting. I notice that the stock bumper mounts to what appears to be a collapsing mount. Is this the case, If so how much force will they take? I know all the tricks when it comes to Cherokees and bumper mounting, but the eagle is throwing me off a bit. I want to incorporate some big 'ole D-rings, and possibly a wench, in which case i would need some seriously good mounting points. Any one have any ideas?
Don't know much about bumpers so I'm afraid I won't be of any help, but PLEASE, whatever you decide, keep those bumpers and write a line here when time will come to get rid of them.
I'm sure somebody here will be really happy to grab them ! ;)
Stock Eagle parts in good conditions are becoming scarce...
Eagles do not have collapsible mounts since they were considered a light truck and didn't have to meet the passenger vehicle crash specs. Those mounts are just steel tubing bolted through into the subframe. I know the rear bumpers were speced to tow 2,000 pounds. It's funny because I have never like tube bumpers on Jeeps. ;D I'm currently working on a rear bumper for my Eagle using 2x6 rectangular tubing and I will wrap around the sides with some 1/8" plate to take place of the factory bumper end caps. I am incorporating clevis mounts for D rings and also a receiver for a hitch. My plan is to weld clevis mounts to some 1/4" plate and bolt it to where the OEM bumper mounts and pass the clevis mount through the 2x6 tubing. Eventually I will figure out how to tie the bumper into the subframe a little better so it will be a little stronger for recovery.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/svoman2300/Eaglebumper1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/svoman2300/Eaglebumper2-1.jpg)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v637/svoman2300/Eaglebumper3.jpg)
Keep us updated when you do make them. I want to pull my bumpers off and fab some tube bumpers for mine as well. I just want something a little more sturdy that I can put recovery points, a brush guard, and a winch on. I'm looking at something similar to this 4runner (hard to see I know):
(http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac31/MontanaEagle/1212001218a.jpg)
(http://i883.photobucket.com/albums/ac31/MontanaEagle/1211001256a.jpg)
Hello, I know those front bumper mounts were not described as collapsing bumper mounts. But they still function as collapsible ones, found that out when someone cut me off on the highway one snowy day. I have some tube bumpers mounted on my Eagle Wagon. I think they look better than stock, and are definitely more functional. I have used mine for attaching chains to for pulling stuff as well as a quick and easy support point. I have had the vehicle supported by 4 jack-stands, one under each corner of the bumpers and they held no problem. I'll try to get some pictures up here in the next few days. I just used round tube steel, and some c-channel for mounting to the original bumper mounts, I just trimmed a little extra off of the lower part of the mounting face to make it a little prettier.
The factory mounts for the aluminum bumpers are jacking points and designed to hold the weight of the corner of the vehicle.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but if I understand correctly, by tube bumpers you mean the kind that act as a shock absorber that get pushed in, then recover back to the original position.
Concords have the tube style shock absorbing recoverable bumpers, and they are NOT meant to be jacked up by the bumper. On my Concord, the jacking location is the pinch weld, and specifically says in the owners manual to not jack the bumper up.
Eagles on the otherhand, had non-recoverable, non shock absorbing bumpers that were bolted to the subframe, which is probably why they could be used to jack the vehicle.
by tube bumpers he means steal tubing instead of the stock chrome plated aluminum bumpers that came stock on our eagles. i'm actually planing on doing something similar with eagle eyes.
Quote from: boreddead88 on April 26, 2011, 11:31:25 AM
last weekend I picked up an 86 limited wagon, immaculate shape. The one thing that is really bugging me about the car, is the ugly square aluminum excrusion bumpers, I cannot stand them. So being a long time jeep owner, I naturally go right to the thought of some steel tube bumpers, maybe with some sort of fitted brush gaurd. Seeing that I spend most of my existence 60+ hours a week in a fab shop building the bumpers would be simple. My question lies in mounting. I notice that the stock bumper mounts to what appears to be a collapsing mount. Is this the case, If so how much force will they take? I know all the tricks when it comes to Cherokees and bumper mounting, but the eagle is throwing me off a bit. I want to incorporate some big 'ole D-rings, and possibly a wench, in which case i would need some seriously good mounting points. Any one have any ideas?
Please post a pic when you get that "wench" mounted on the bumper :rotfl: - sorry couldn't resist the typo joke.
Quote from: 68AMXGOPAC on April 29, 2011, 06:47:53 AM
Quote from: boreddead88 on April 26, 2011, 11:31:25 AM
last weekend I picked up an 86 limited wagon, immaculate shape. The one thing that is really bugging me about the car, is the ugly square aluminum excrusion bumpers, I cannot stand them. So being a long time jeep owner, I naturally go right to the thought of some steel tube bumpers, maybe with some sort of fitted brush gaurd. Seeing that I spend most of my existence 60+ hours a week in a fab shop building the bumpers would be simple. My question lies in mounting. I notice that the stock bumper mounts to what appears to be a collapsing mount. Is this the case, If so how much force will they take? I know all the tricks when it comes to Cherokees and bumper mounting, but the eagle is throwing me off a bit. I want to incorporate some big 'ole D-rings, and possibly a wench, in which case i would need some seriously good mounting points. Any one have any ideas?
Please post a pic when you get that "wench" mounted on the bumper :rotfl: - sorry couldn't resist the typo joke.
I'm thinking it'll look something like the pirate ships of yore with the mermaid-esque statue leading the way.
I think I'm going to tackle the front bumper this weekend, I scored 4- 8' lengths of 3"x2"x1/4" channel from work, they were from a pallet we got a new barrel sander on and naturally if its free its for me. I think it'll give the desired effect without spending money on material, I'm going to gusset that front mount bracket, and possibly run a few more bolts through the uni-body (just don't like the look of those brackets). Then I'm going to use 2 pieces of channel one above the other to create a tube like look. I'm also thinking I'm going to use the stock bumper as a guide, and shape it so it has the same basic contour as the original. I have a pair of 150w daylighters I want to incorporate in there somewere, along with some old d-rings i didn't use on the last project. I'll get some pics up as it comes together.
Quote from: 68AMXGOPAC on April 29, 2011, 06:47:53 AM
Quote from: boreddead88 on April 26, 2011, 11:31:25 AM
last weekend I picked up an 86 limited wagon, immaculate shape. The one thing that is really bugging me about the car, is the ugly square aluminum excrusion bumpers, I cannot stand them. So being a long time jeep owner, I naturally go right to the thought of some steel tube bumpers, maybe with some sort of fitted brush gaurd. Seeing that I spend most of my existence 60+ hours a week in a fab shop building the bumpers would be simple. My question lies in mounting. I notice that the stock bumper mounts to what appears to be a collapsing mount. Is this the case, If so how much force will they take? I know all the tricks when it comes to Cherokees and bumper mounting, but the eagle is throwing me off a bit. I want to incorporate some big 'ole D-rings, and possibly a wench, in which case i would need some seriously good mounting points. Any one have any ideas?
Please post a pic when you get that "wench" mounted on the bumper :rotfl: - sorry couldn't resist the typo joke.
*winch* lol, you should't have pointed that out, I drove arround for 6 mounths with bull hourns mounted on the brush gaurd of my last cherokee. I just might have an 30's cadilac hood ornament laying arround here somewere, and due to childhood head injuries, It just might wind up on the fornt of the eagle.
It took me nearly 45 minutes to find the thread I was looking for, but titus made some pretty cool tubular end caps for his SX/4.
I'm also not sure how I came to find this thread, but I figured his end caps needed to be mentioned in here once I did find this thread.
Here is a pic of them.
(http://i451.photobucket.com/albums/qq240/foxymama2005/20100310_3.jpg)
And here is the link to his build thread. Really cool thread too! Link is to page 4 so you can see his end caps.
http://forums.amceaglenest.com/index.php?topic=14733.45
Was perusing Google images of 1980 Eagle Wagons and found this!
(http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6172/6139814632_34ef23b3ac_b.jpg)