Bumperette Dump Hinge?

[Unforgiven]

I'm just curious why all the dump bed conversions notch the top rear of the frame. It seems to me the bumperettes are pretty darned beefy. They're already bolted on in roughly the right place. Why not permanently weld them to the rear crossmember & use them for the hinge attachment for the dump bed?

I understand the farther back the hinge is, the more unstable the tilting bed will be. But we're talking about a few inches. And I also understand that notching the frame lets the weight of the loaded bed rest on the top of the frame. But like I said these bumperettes are pretty thick. I would think they would be plenty strong enough if they were welded in place & used to mount the hinges.

Has anyone ever done a conversion this way?

 

[m16ty]

Even though the bumperette is pretty strong I don't think it will be strong enough to hold the back of the bed. Most of the time the frame is notched because of the way the hinge is made. The notch allows for a piece of angle to be welded in which holds the lower part of the hinge. It also allows clearance for the bed rails so the bed rails and the frame doesn't bind when dumping. There are ways to design a hinge where you don't have to cut the frame. gringeltaube fabed a hinge that is the best setup I've seen so far. It allows for you to keep the bumberettes with some slight modification.

 

[Unforgiven]

Forgive me, I should have elaborated.

What I meant was, instead of notching the frame & placing angle, what would be wrong with notching the bumperettes, reinforcing them & welding them to the rear of the frame x-member, and running angle (welded to both the bumperettes & the rear crossmember. In effect transferring the notch with angle iron setup back a few inches. If I could actually put in words what my brain is thinking it would help. I'm scoping out a used LoBoy setup that already comes with prefabricated hinges.



It's a complete scissors jack assembly with pump, control, ram, reservoir, & prefab hinges w/zerk fittings already in needed locations. All it needs is a PTO connection. Note the hinges in the back of the pic.

I was thinking that notching/reinforcing/welding the bumperettes then putting angle across & the prefab hinge would work. That way I could install the hinge without even having to lift the bed & also keep it at stock height.

 

[gringeltaube]

I would NOT weld anything to the stock bumperettes.... that is hardened steel similar to what is used for the leaf springs!
Instead make some kind of frame extensions, all neatly hidden behind the bumpers.
I'm currently working on a new dump conversion and this time there will be no notching of the original bumperettes! (See attached drawing for details and dimensions)

G.




and a loooong time later........ some detail pics.

 

[Speddmon]

gringeltaube,

I'm VERY interested to see as many drawings as you will have, and detailed pictures of your set-up. That is something very similar to what I plan on doing to mine when I do the conversion...so maybe I can steal some ideas from your project, or modify my plans with some of your ideas. Kind of take the best of both ideas.

Edit; I'm going to use Kenny's (Recovry4x4) hint and make a "personal sticky" out of this thread, so please post the pics and info here if you could...or give me a like to the thread if you do a new one. Thanks

 

[gringeltaube]

OK, will do so...!

G.

 

[scrapdaddy]

Thanks guys, this will be good information to have on hand when I do mine.

 

[m16ty]

I'm in the process to try and figure out a way to get all the dump info on this site put in one place so people will have ideas how to do it. There's quite a bit of info but it's scattered all over the place. Here's a thread I started. http://www.steelsoldiers.com/ss-mai...ggestions/45204-need-help-compiling-info.html

 

[clutch]

im not sure the stock bumperettes will hold the weight since they are only bolted to the frame and there is no support at the rear of them. the other issue you run into is bed clearance when its fully lifted.

 

[tm america]

i didnt notch my frame my hinge hangs out past the frame and it attached to the frame rail with a big piece of angle it runs through i did loose my bumperettes in the process i like the idea of keeping them but if you are gonna be loading it more than 5000lbs i dont think the bolts holing the bumperettes on will cut it.but then again i have a twin cylinder dump setup on my truck and have had more than 40000lbs in the back of it several times and dumped it no problem .heres the set up i made

 

[m16ty]

and have had more than 40000lbs in the back of it several times and dumped it no problem .

Really? What material was it? That is way more than I've ever heard of anybody putting on a deuce. That is four times what the deuce is rated for . Got any pics of a 40,000lb load?

 

[tm america]

these pics were about 30000 lbs of gravel but i had it stacked 2ft over the roof with concret it was hanging over the cab and over the back i had it strapped on it was bending the bed sides out about 4inches and the troop seats looked like they had died .my hitch was about 2inches off the ground that was over forty they wouldnt let me go across the scale where i was dumping it cuz they might be liable if something happened? another time i was digging a mudbog pit i took out forty loads over the roof of sand tailgate down it was really heavy to since it was wet

 

[Artgtr]

I have a 1984 923 & I need a dump truck. The cheapest way to go & have a dump truck is the conversion for me. I already own the truck, checking out the EBay 10 ton kit for like $2K - thinking of remove the bed & flip it over, buy some 2x4 or 3x3 or 4x4 square stock thick wall. Mount the hinges to that, mount everything to that so it would be a working unit off the truck. Put it back on the truck, mount the 2x4 or 3x3 or 4x4 square stock, frame on to the truck frame exactly like the bed was mounted. Either run the system on a 24 volt pump on existing batteries in the truck or 12 volt on a separate battery, just for the dump. Half the battle is having a plan & sticking to it.