Baker Motorsports "Dovetail" Rear End and Bumper

[BigJ]

Ahhah gotcha. Yep, you're exactly right. Good call.

Do you have any strength concerns? I don't, and I've successfully towed an (overloaded) flatbed, enclosed and recreational (30') trailer with it so far and have had zero problems. But still, what do you think?

 

[Allied Offroad]

Ahhah gotcha. Yep, you're exactly right. Good call.

Do you have any strength concerns? I don't, and I've successfully towed an (overloaded) flatbed, enclosed and recreational (30') trailer with it so far and have had zero problems. But still, what do you think?

I don't love that he spliced the tube together ( I would never do that on something that has a lateral force on it as this does), however with that being said , a properly prepared weld is technically stronger than the material being welded to, that's in regards to mild steel. I would recommend having some fish plates welded in where those splices are. This is in my professional opinion.

Also, a personal rule of mine is never weld to the frame. I feel there should be some gussets behind the square tube where its sitting on the frame. These are things I would do as a fabricator to" cover my ass" so to speak. But I would have never welded it to the frame to begin with. I'm definitely Not saying the quality is poor though, I just see things i would never do. As far as it being strong enough to tow, if you have towed with yours and there are no signs of fatigue, you should be ok. Keep an eye on the back side of the tube where its sitting on the frame, that's where I would be concerned about.

 

[BigJ]

Roger that. Will do.

And thanks for the professional look and opinion. Good info, and great stuff for others considering this mod to know.

 

[Allied Offroad]

And to add to what I said about fish plates, you would only need them on the top and bottom of the spliced tube, directly centered over the weld. If you can't get to the top, bottom and back side should be ok too. Top and bottom would be best though.

 

[Danactive]

Some tasteful mudflats would really set it off imo

 

[whtrapta]

I agree about not welding to the frame. It twists and bends all the time while driving. Every twist weakens those weld areas.

 

[Prybar]

I don't love that he spliced the tube together ( I would never do that on something that has a lateral force on it as this does), however with that being said , a properly prepared weld is technically stronger than the material being welded to, that's in regards to mild steel. I would recommend having some fish plates welded in where those splices are. This is in my professional opinion.

Also, a personal rule of mine is never weld to the frame. I feel there should be some gussets behind the square tube where its sitting on the frame. These are things I would do as a fabricator to" cover my ass" so to speak. But I would have never welded it to the frame to begin with. I'm definitely Not saying the quality is poor though, I just see things i would never do. As far as it being strong enough to tow, if you have towed with yours and there are no signs of fatigue, you should be ok. Keep an eye on the back side of the tube where its sitting on the frame, that's where I would be concerned about.

You beat me to it WSI. Totally agree. I would only but weld that square tube like that if it was sleeving over a smaller tube. I don't see any plug welds though so I doubt there is smaller tube inside. However, the receiver on the Raptor is pretty overkill for the truck anyway so it'll probably never be an issue,

 

[BigJ]

Fair points guys. Again good stuff.

I'll check for evidence of it when I have time, but I'm almost positive he said he sleeved it.

 

[DirtNasty]

BIGJ,

How did that front bumper help on the approach angle problem we all face..

(i have a smashed in stock front bumper to prove how much it sucks, damn jeeps and their bloody approach angles...)

 

[BigJ]

BIGJ,

How did that front bumper help on the approach angle problem we all face..

(i have a smashed in stock front bumper to prove how much it sucks, damn jeeps and their bloody approach angles...)

It helped a bunch. Going top perch did too. I'm on my mobile right now so I can't really link it, but I'm pretty sure I have a thread where I measure the new angles and compare them with stock. See if you an find it. I think you'll appreciate the differences.