As mentioned, its DOM tube, not "pipe". The tube style isn't for everybody. However, Brad's stuff has probably the best approach and departure angles of anything out there. His designs are tight and clean, and durable. Plus he's a great guy to work with. When you get past the RoverTym hype you'll realize its just a bumper, and their stuff is overpriced though durable. Bottorf was a joke. His designs were terrible. Not only in their looks but also structurally. Going out of business is the best thing he ever did! HLC stuff looks good, but also looks heavy as hell.

 

Thank you for that, but I am well aware of what DOM is. It's not pipe, true, it is actually a really ****ty imitation of pipe. It is made from a piece of flat sheet metal rolled into a tube and then resistance welded, (not even a real weld like seamed pipe) hence it is really called ERW Tubing.

DOM actually stands for Drawn Over Mandrel, which is a process not a thing, but for whatever reason it is commonly known as DOM. It is basically the same crap you see in the walker exhaust bits display at your local autozone. It got it's start in automobile use to make space frame chassis' because it has good strength to weight characteristics and is very easy to form using the afore mentioned mandrel bender.

There are two ways to make things strong, with material and with geometry. ERWT is way more geometry than material, so you put a little dent in it or force it out of round and suddenly it's just a piece of sheet metal again. NOT what you want fending off rocks and tree stumps. You certainly won't be mounting a winch on that eurocool looking thing.

I am taking comments into account and will post some more CAD stuff tonight. Right now I gotta rustle up some potstickers for the kiddies.

 

You're right. Brad has no idea what he's doing and his products will buckle like a belt at the first sign of a rock. Bwahahahahahaha!!!!!!
New RockStar Fab project vehicle - Pirate4x4.Com Bulletin Board

Yeah, that DOM stuff is crap. Bwahahaha!!!!
http://youtu.be/lESFYq-VJps

 

Look dude, all that video does is prove my point - that thing is light as a potato chip but fairly strong as it has a space frame made out of (I assume) EWRT. And if you want, you can get 0.25" wall thickness, but you'll need a hell of a bender to make anything out of it. As for that thread, if anybody out there speaks moron and can translate it into english for me I'll take a look. What I did gather out of it was the dude with the ribbon bumper was talking about desert, not rock hopping and stump jumping.

I want to build a bumper, not start a flame war. If you want to help, great! If not, "brah", go back to the fanboy site (ooohh, Pirates!) and talk down to people over there, they seem to like that stuff.

 

Boys boys, let's chill for a moment. It's my fault for bringing up rock star. I know Fish likes the guys over there and in fact, I shot Brad an email and his response was instantaneous, so customer service is great from what I can tell. As for product, it's personal preference and environment on where you're wheeling. Out here in az not too many large trees to bother with, but lots of narrow rock laden trails, so what may work for one may not work for another. I've seen many of the RS f/r bumper set ups out here with a winch, looks awesome and from what the owners have said, don't add too much weight and seem to hold up, for half the cost of ARB. Now Geek, if you want input and you seem to have a great gasp of CAD and have the prod capacity, by all means, keep going and let's not have a pissing contest.

 

Geek,
A) this isn't your thread
B) I don't want to help you build a bumper
C) the OP wanted suggestions for bumpers and Rockstar meets that requirement
D) that Rockstar front will handle a winch just fine, I've seen it in action
E) I'm not on Pirate very often, that's where the build thread was located. And no its not a desert racer.
F) putting Geek in your name doesn't make you smart
G) go play "smart guy" somewhere else, or at least in your own thread

 

Ok, moving on -

Here is tonight's cut - increased approach angle on the wings as suggested and added mounting.



Suggestions/comments welcome.

 

One more plug to consider/include a good approach angle, strength, recovery points, winch tray, and the option for some type of bar.

ARB bumpers don't hold up well enough in the rocks - just ask my front fender and grill.

 

Can you take a picture and post it? I am curious as to the weak points. Do you have some calipers or a mic? I'd like to know what they are using in terms of material thickness.

Also - approach angle, do you think mine is too steep?

As for a winch tray, I'm still stewing over the details, same with recovery points.

 

Thanks again everyone. I am ordering the Rockstar front and rear bumpers. I personally like the tube look and it looks like the approach/departure angles are good (that is what I didn't like about the HLC's).

And now I can sound smart explaining the DOM nature of my radical new bumpers. Will post some pics here in a month once I have them on. (does anyone have any suggestions /advicefor trimming the rear 1/4 panels?)