Ok I'm to go try this.... and I was wondering what you did with the side brackets on the rear bumper? right now it looks you would have to either remove them completely or bend them out of the way? or remove them and use the existing 2 holes to put thru the new sides of the stubby?? anyway I don't know what i'll try yet, but i'm about to do it.... wish me luck!

ok, here it is...

http://thinkmud.com/img/bucksjk/DSCN0478.jpg
http://thinkmud.com/img/bucksjk/DSCN0476.jpg
http://thinkmud.com/img/bucksjk/DSCN0477.jpg
http://thinkmud.com/img/bucksjk/DSCN0475.jpg

my welds look nasty as all! but they are holding up. I put some sheet metal screws into the end pieces to hold them on while I did the welding stuff. I also left the stock bolts in the front bumper, so mine is a tad wider then Dozer's but I think it turned out ok, not a total disaster, haha... but close:eek!: I plan on just Hurculine it all later so hopefully that will cover up my nasty welds.

It looks great, good job! The more I see pictures of this mod, the more I like it.

Oh, I found that using a torch worked better then the little butane portable torch/soldering iron I tried (it was a piece of crap) so I'd use something with a stronger flame, the little butane one I tried at first did more heating and warping the plastic then it did melting.... Mine don't look half as good as Rubidozer's, but I tried and it was fun to do something next to free that looks so good! at a distance it looks nice:) but up close it looks like some of my old G.I.Joe toys that I mutilated with a wood burning kit.... :rotflmao1: I guess somethings never change....

They work! And I commend you on having the balls to try it! It isn't easy, and we'll definitely be in the elite ranks of those who are willing to cut, bend, and mutilate our rigs! Congratulations..... Now go beat the snot out of your rig to see if they will fall off!!!

An elite crazy club!! I thought they looked pretty nasty, but everyone in my local club said they loved it, so awesome idea Dozer, thank you so much for the write-up and balls to do it in the first place!! It satisfies the craving for new bumpers with next to nothing out of pocket!! Best afternoon i've spent mutilating my rig so far! (The second was mounting my Hi-Lift to my tail gate, just drilled holes through it and used the TJ bumper mounts;) )

my luck i would set the whole jeep on fire :eek!:

The next modification to my front stubby will be mounting a winch in it with a hawse fairlead. I'm gonna have to do it differently than INLO did his in the write-up, but that's because I have my swaybar disconnect motor in there.

Now to find a free winch......:thinking:

Could some one please explain the welding portion a little more detailed, like parts and technique.

Thanks

The welder is nothing more than a soldering iron. I always use a torch iron that uses butane for fuel. That way there's no cord in the way. You can find them at Walmart for $14, and they come with different tips for different things.
And I also found that the torch with a small flame is perfect for cleaning-up and smoothing all the rough edges and it will even fix any scratches in the bumper and flares!...

If you aren't familiar with how to weld plastic, just use slight movements in a knitting/stabbing motion. It should look a little like stitching. Just be sure to allow the plastic to heat enough so the weld penetrates deep enough into the bumper to hold it firmly. If you don't, the weld will split apart. Also, be sure to allow the weld to cool before letting go of the pieces or they will split...

Also, don't forget to use some extra trimmings from the plastic bumper pieces. You will need them to fill any gaps in the two ends being fused together.