when I dreamed up a protection system for trucks that takes bumper design to the next level.
Back
in the 80s, I built tube bumpers for trucks. Here’s a pic of my
94, and I built a lot of them in another lifetime. Happens to have done
an excellent job of protecting it from numerous deer, brush and other
vehicles like this poor Chevy that got sent to the junk yard while we
continued on to dinner.
Then I went to Engineering School and after 15 years in industry I
began a decade of building high performance Remote Control Monster
Trucks and fuel cells for Harleys.
Now I’m back to doing bumpers again. And it’s time to kick it up a notch.
It was 2011 and at the time I was designing and manufacturing tower cranes for the New Panama Canal.
In one of my many long waits in the airport I started to design a new
bumper for a new truck, based on the lines of the body; a series of
curved intersecting planes, cut away the material you don’t want and
what’s left is a natural shape that should nicely complement the
factory lines.
So without further ado I present the results of the project, the 2nd prototype of the SuperArmor Hidden Winch Bumper:
Combine these good looks with an internal rib structure and make it
fully boxed for strength. The end result is a super strong and
rigid yet relativly lightweight structure.
The triangulated and
braced ‘winch box’ has been designed to fit the industry leading Warn
16.5TI (and all the smaller Warn winches as well.) Other
winches like the Superwinch Talon 18 were also considered when
designing the SuperArmor and should fit as well.
The structure also contains hidden ribs to ensure integrity under even the harshest conditions.
The one thing that’s always driven me crazy about winches on the front of trucks is that they stick out a foot or more.
The Superduty is big enough that I don’t want another foot between it and the fairlead.
SuperArmor is only 1 inch beyond the factory bumper and yet hides the biggest winches in the industry.
You can also see in this rendering that the entire thing is contoured to the shape of the truck.
Due to the nature of it’s design, a number of different configurations are available.
Get the 20002B lower bumper only for a stealthy look
Some folks have requested just a center hoop like is shown in 40002H2.
Others have asked for double center bars like is shown in 40002HW2.
Personally I like the single center bar and the different grill which is 40002HW1
All of these and more are possible.
If you have a special request just contact us with your needs.
The ‘fog’ lights are designed around the VisonX 4400 series
lamps. These are available in Incandecent, HID and LED.
Price range is $60-$400. VisionX is known to be the best in the
industry which is why they were selected. I’m running the 7x5w
LED on mine and it’s extremely bright, I’m not even using my brights
anymore.
Vision X Item # VX-4410 (Euro Beam) Halogen (each)
Vision X Item # HID-4400 (Euro Beam) HID (each)
Vision X Item # XIL-UMX4410 (Narrow Beam) LED (each)
Finish
will be bare steel for this first batch. I will look into some
powder coating, but to be honest, I think these things look best
painted to match the truck and paint matching is a job for a local body
shop. It will also drive your freight cost up as it would then
have to be crated and packaged so as to not suffer any damage in
transit.
Made in the USA! That’s right, we use materials
made right here in the USA and manufacture it in our home state of
South Carolina.
From the development threads I’ve compiled a FAQ, but feel free to ask any questions.
Q: What is it made from?
A: It’s 11 ga and 1/4″ Steel.
Q: How much does it weigh?
A:
The second one we built which is closest to the 4002HW1 tipped the
scales at 235 lbs. I’ve lightened it some since and of course it
will depend on the configuration you choose. I put the first
prototype on the truck, the second one on with the winch and there was
no measureable difference in ride or hieght with either. Note: I
am running Icon springs in the front.
Q: Will there be a non-winch version?
A: Yes, in fact that was the first prototype, we’ll be resusicating it as soon as we get this one out the door.
Q: Will there be a rear bumper?
A: Yes, as soon as these are out the door.
Q: Will other lights fit?
A:
I got the CAD models from VisionX and used those in the design, so I
know those work. The lamp is rotated 90° (stems towards the
center of the truck) so the optics need to rotated also to
compensate. This is possible with the VisionX, not sure about
other brands. The opening is 4.9″ tall (or wide on the lamp) and
4.5″ wide.
Q: Is it available in Chrome?
A: At this point it’s going to be bare so you can put any finish you like on, including Chrome.
Q: How much will shipping be?
A:
I don’t know until I ship some. I’ve run some numbers with UPS
freight and it’s all over. The new version of the ecommerce site
that’s due to come online soon should do accurate rate quoting, but I
suspect it will not even then. Another thing is that residential
freight delivery is expensive, if you pickup at the depot you can save
a lot of money. The current site can’t handle it so I’ve just
added $250 for freight. You will ONLY be charged whatever it
costs.
Q: Which models will it fit?
A: 2011+ 250, 350, 450 and the 550 (I have to double check the last one.)
uperArmor
