As soon as I started working in the Jeep, it was pretty obvious to me that I was going to need to make my own rear bumper, as the commercially produced ones were far to pricey for me.
I figured that even if I sprang for a new AC-225, I'd be ahead of the game.
I did better than that though, I found an old used AC-225 for $75.
I found a lot of uses for it other than the bumper.
Stick process isn't the prettiest, but it makes for nice strong welds!
I also repaired my radiator mounts, nerf-bars, and other parts too.
The rear bumper and hitch work like a charm!
I also added a front receiver as well. I cannot get over how wonderful it is to push trailers around with this set up. I was also planning on mounting my winch in a receiver cradle, but I think it will stick out too far. Perhaps I can rework the front bumper to bring the receiver closer to the radiator.
I built a tailgate for the Jeep as well. This body tub didn't have a gate opening, and it was very inconvenient to put things in the back.
Welding the 20 gauge sheet metal was quite a challenge with the stick welder, I'm just not good enough to weld such thin stock with ease. Need more practice!
The most recent welding project was this swing away spare tire carrier. I made it from a stock carrier, and a bunch of scrap tubing I had laying around.
It sure is nice to have the tire and other equipment out of the back. With all this stuff in the jeep, there isn't much room for luggage!!
