I am installing a bull bar on my van I am fabricating, but I need to figure out the best way to weld up the brackets and mounts.

I have a picture of exactly what Im making in the album below but is defined basically like:

Two 3x3" square steel stock, 3" deep (approximate) welded to the bumper fo my van over the mount holes for the two rubber bumper guards flanking the license plate.
attached to those, I was going to weld on flat steel "caps" to the end, drill a hole. drop in a carraige bolt threads sticking out and mount the custom tow hooks I got off the end as seen in the picture.

another option I was thinking of was similar to this but having it work like a tow hitch where the steel slides in and out of the outer welded-to-bumper bracket. As in the picture, there is a horizontal bolt through the bracket, and then the one attaching the actual tow hook plate to the front of the bracket.

Maybe im over analyzing, what would you guys do?

Check out the pictures and tell me what you would do?
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1788786051507.2094148.1595266945&l=e6cc633064

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1826837842778.2099901.1595266945&l=3f17b0642c

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I hope you're not welding to the factory bumper.

Gotta agree. Make it so you can unbolt it if needed. Can't see your album either. Same error message.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1826837842778.2099901.1595266945&l=3f17b0642c

Here try this, and yes it appears it is welded to the factory bumper. Odd is what I was thinking too, in case I need to do front end work.
Check out the second pic in my album on the bumper schematics.

Maybe that will open some doors?

Here try this one

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/fbx/?set=a.1826837842778.2099901.1595266945&l=3f17b0642c

I just recieved the new factory bumper replacement, to cut out the license plate pad- and bolt in a roller fairlead for the winch.
Its just a primer black, so a good base to start from as opposed to chrome.

Anybody need a shiny undamaged chrome front bumper? Its off a 94

it is welded to the bumper but only the bracket it appears that the bull bar is boltable/unboltable nice 94 you sure have done alot of work to find one that good, good luck

That van I was lucky to find, all aspects. In my hometown nonetheless. so sending it to paint will be a lot cheaper than a bunch of body work and laborous prep.

Hoagie thanks for the reply.

The tow hooks in my closet are for a hummer, made by Aries, but how should i mount them securely to an inserted steel stock in with the trailer style bolt through it?

Would a large short bolt hold the weight of any towing capacity attached through the middle of that hooks plate?

Bumper Mounts

If it's not directly secured to the frame, it's pretty pointless, I did a mot of off roading over the years, I've seen some creative stuff that wasn't mounted securely and the damage caused when trying to utilize it was to the point that it destroyed more than just tying a strap to a wheel.