Front Bumper
Like the windscreen light bar, the install of the ARB front bumper and Warn winch was an early project for the Defender, so was not well documented. But here are a few photos for what was a rather simple bolt on procedure. The front Warn winch was also attached at this point, along with the front Warn spot/flood lights.
We added complexity to the front bumper later on when we added the aluminum brackets for the branch deflector cables, recovery points for 3/4" shackles, Hi-Lift jack and ground anchor storage brackets, and the front spot light protection bar.
You can look at the photos below individually with the descriptions, or open a "picture only" slideshow here.
Front Bumper Build Sequence
The initial install of the bumper included the Warn Winch, Warn driving lights, and aluminum brackets for the branch breakers.
A major fault with stock NAS Defenders was the cooling system. The engine would routinely overheat when driving off-road at slow speeds, in hot climates. So the large front driving lights ended up being a cooling liability because of how it reduced airflow to the radiator.
Since the tube clamping blocks worked so well for other purposes, we decided to use them for attaching other things to the truck. On the front bumper they were perfect for attaching the branch breaker cable brackets. I made the actual bracket out of 3/8" aluminum plate which was cut on a table saw, and chamfered using a carbide router bit.
The brushed finish was easily done on a small belt sander, and then the parts were clear anodized.
The branch breaker cables were made by the local boat yard from sailboat rigging parts. They can be easily removed so the vehicle is "street legal" in jurisdictions that prohibit them on the roadways. The rear attachment point was on the roof light bar.
The stock front recovery points on the ARB bumper were not configured to carry a 3/4" shackle on a permanent basis. They were thin, and let the shackle bang around, so I fabricated these ones out of heavy steel.
Made from flat bar bought at the metal distributor, the shaping was done on the belt sander using a Norzon 60 grit belt.
To keep welding splatter from sticking to the base metal, the part was sprayed with an anti-splatter solution.
All corners tacked, the heavy welding can now be done.
The welding caused the back plate to bend because of the effect from the heat, so it had to be pushed back flat using a small shop press.
Once the recovery brackets were finished, the bumper had to be drilled for attachment. The tape prevents scratching the painted finish. A heavy backing plate was used behind the bumper to bear the load when pulled on.
The finished mounting bracket with shackle.
After using the Defender off road for a year, we decided it would be a good idea to add a protection bar to cover the area above the driving lights. The lights protruded forward of the bull bar and were susceptible to damage. By adding this bar, it also solved another problem we experienced. When using the winch a lot on a trail, it was beneficial to not wind the winch line all the way back on the reel. By adding the horns to this bar it provided a place to loosely coil the winch line for later rapid deployment.
We were also able to add a more convenient and attractive attachment point for the winch hook.
The finished bumper after the second year of use. It shows the added recovery points, tow brackets for pulling the Defender behind the motor coach, the light protection bar as well as the mounted Hi-Lift jack. There is also a place behind the jack for the ground anchor.