Sorry for a delay in posting update....between business trip last week plus my street rod fab shop doing my prototype work wasn't available second half of last week. They basically shut down as they had 10 street rods they were entering into the
World of Wheels custom car show that was in Kansas City last weekend. They have all types of awards hanging in their office that they've won in previous years. Not certain exactly what they won this year, but when I quickly stopped by today at lunch, I saw a stack of award plaques.
Ok, now for quick update on the front bumper work. I went Friday night to pickup my additional Basic Grille Guard formed hoops and the extension hoops needed for the full-width Brush Guard option. We then spent 1.5 hours evaluating options to get the Stinger Hoop formed. I went back today after work and picked up the protoype Stinger Hoop formed tubing pieces and will deliver them to my street rod fabricator shop tomorrow.
Unless we run into some issues, which is always possible
(including the cold I've got doesn't get any worse) , I'm expecting we should be able to get a bolt-on hoop of each of the 3 different options (Basic Grille Guard, Full-Width Brush Guard style and Stinger Hoop Style) fit and tacked up so hopefully I can bring them and my KK home next weekend for some extended scrutinizing, test fitting with the winch and some photo ops. Stay tuned.......
For the rear bumper, the parts I redesigned and had remade by my sheet metal shop a few weeks ago worked out as intended. So, here's a few quick photo updates with captions:
Overall shot (taken today) of the reassembled and refit Basic Rear Bumper. Part of what you can barely make out in this photo is that I've included 3/4" round steel slider skid bars for the full 2" tow hitch receiver. Since the KK's tail is so much longer than most any other Jeep (due to the undertail mounted spare tire), that is why I've shifted the tow hitch receiver up and in as far as physically possible (without cutting out a hole in the KK's OEM rear structure) and it still sticks out that far. If you go back to my
first rear bumper post on page 1 of this thread, you'll see how beat to heck my OEM tow hitch assembly was. Thus, I knew from the beginning that even though my Basic Rear Bumper design moves the tow receiver further up and in for more clearance, that I wanted it to have some skid surfaces to help protect it and to help that long tail piece slide off obstacles when it takes a whack.
Here's a little dated up-close photo of the tow receiver area when I last test-fit the tow plug assembly. Note, this photo was before the round bar skid assembly was welded up below the tow hitch receiver. What's that below the tow hitch receiver you ask, well, it is welded to and mounted on a heavy walled 2.5" square structural tubing member that forms the main structural "backbone" of my heavy duty Basic Rear Bumper. Why such a serious structural element? Well, go back to how far back the KK's tail hangs and if you've taken it off-road like I have, you know how easy it is to get beat up. Since there's no reasonable way to shorten the KK's overall tail overhang, it is still going to be prone to take a beating when off-roading. Thus, I decided to place some serious structural protection down low between "frame" mounts to offer the maximum amount of protection (and much stronger than just some sheet metal or formed plate). All the rear bumper plate pieces you see in this earlier fit-up are 3/16" plate steel which the rest of the bumper fascia is made of.
This photo, although a little dated (before the recent parts refit), shows that I've designed my KK Basic Rear Bumper to integrate a genuine Jeep rear bumper scuff plate. Since the KK's rear tail dictates such an overhang anyway, figured I might as well dress up and add a little more function to the top of the rear bumper.
Armoring my KK into a TanKK
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2009 KK Limited 4x4Jeep Green/partially dechromed/Sunroof/OEM Skids/
Gray Leather/uConnect GPS-Nav/DVD Head Rests/
MtnLuvr's Off-Road Front Winch Bumper, Heavy Duty Rock Sliders, Heavy Duty Off-Road Rear Bumper/JBA 4" AaS Lift w/UCAs/16x8's w/ 245/75R16 GY MT/Rs
Coming: