Bumper Attachment Guidelines/ Tips

Posted by LongTimeLurker818@reddit | Battlecars | View on Reddit | 1 comments

I'm about to start modifying a 2015 Toyota Carola. I have plans for a Unistrut based roof rack and I'm looking into tires. But I'm scratching my head when it comes to mounting a decent bumper to my car. I don't want to overwhelm the suspension, I also don't want to do much unnecessary drilling or cutting. I want to design a bumper that can support a winch and some accessory lighting.

For what it's worth I have a decent amount of fabrication experience, so I'm not shy when It comes to making my own mounts or modifying existing products. I just want to make sure that my mounting points don't threaten the overall structure of the vehicle. I want to add a tow hitch package to the rear as well.

Any advice for mounting points or fabrication choices that could make my build easier or more successful? What steel thicknesses should I consider for cosmetic vs structural parts?

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Darkest_Hour55@reddit

The first step I'd take is remove the plastic bumper cover and look at what you have underneath to use for mounting points. There should be an aluminum crash bar that should have robust mounting points to pick up. As long as you find some steel, that should be strong enough to pull the weight. Camry's don't weigh that much.

Obviously don't mount stuff to the aluminum crash bar, but on the ends. Once you find points there, you should be able to map out and drill holes through the bumper cover, if that's the way you want to go. Or you can make a pre runner tube style bumper with either inch and a half to two inch diameter tube. Anything larger will look goofy, trust me I once thought three inch pipe would be great, but it sucked.

Think light! Especially on a small car, I'd advise keeping the weight below a hundred pounds.