Custom TREE Guard
 

So back like 5 months ago I tried buying an SMA brush guard from a member on this board and for months I got ignored like little A-cups at a Hooters happy hour...
So I made my own...
I found an unfinished heavy duty guard online and added my own "HEAVY DUTY" look to it :fdance:
it's reallllllly sturdy, I attached it to the frame behind the bumper and made brackets to hold it on top by the hood handles, wanted to add some lights so I made a bracket to hold those too, it took me a little while considering it was my first time welding, first time using a 12-ton pipe bender and first time "building" anything for my Hummer, you can give me as much crap as you want because i'm very happy with it and paid 1/30th of the cost of a real huge wrap-around guard that I've been looking for:D :D :D
I spray painted the chrome grille black temporarily just to see how it would look black, but i'm having it proffesionally painted next week, just if you noticed.

Just wanted to share this with you guys, I still have a lot to do with this black one including lift, bigger and better wheels and tires, safari roof rack, and definitely more blackout parts....

Thanks for looking!

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Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Looks good! Only thing I would have done differently was add a little protection for the lights.

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I really like it and I would think if it there was a profit in it for you, you should go into business making them.:perfect10s:

Hell I would like one our HUMMER.
~Richard

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Very Impressive. Looks damn good!. Heavy duty as hell.:perfect10s:

The only thing I would change is the wing nuts. Maybe some black lock nuts.

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Damn that looks great...
:beerchug:

nice work... I cant wait to see what you make on the 2nd try (since this first one looks so good)

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Thank you very much!:beerchug:
well you guys gave me some good ideas, I might just do them!:dancingbanana:

I would love to start making these on the side, but shipping would be a B*($@*(! for whoever buys one haha, although I only paid $80 in shipping for the SMA one with Grayhound...so it wouldn't really be much more as long as it fit, they work pretty cool.

I think i'm gonna tackel a roof rack next, we'll see.

Thanks again!!

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Very nice, IMO would look killer on a lifted H2. I think you may have a market for that as there are not many options(HumminnBoatin was having one fabbed up i know).


Im no welding expect but it looks like you may not be getting much penetration on the welds, just something to think about.

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

yep, I'm no welding expert either, but its on there thick for sure, its just that I grinded it and smoothed it out more for looks, if it was the front part I would have left it alone, but since its on the top of the hood its not as important, but its penetrated to the right color of the metal on each 1/4" thick weld, and yes... it would look insane lifted, that's one of my goals this year (hopefully :o )

Thanks though!

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Dang!!!! Very impressive and even more so that this was your first time. I am extreamly curious as to how it mounts behind the bumper. I personally have never seen this method before. Look forward to more pictures and reports as to how it holds up.

b

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Looks very nice!!!

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Looks great you did a great job for your first time. The welds look like you were just a little cold but there didn't look like you had much under cut so thats a good thing. Again it looks great on your truck:clapping:

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I'll see if I get time in the next day or two to take some more pics for you, its bolted to the frame from the inside of the bumper... kinda tricky, but its the way SMA designed it, you'll see, thanks!

And BLKSUT, I think you're right about the cold, I just bought a heating tourch for some stuff that i'm practicing on and it works easier it seems, I'm still in the learning process and I love it, its pretty fun to me.
Thanks guys.

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Will you make me one?

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sure!! let's talk business:D

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I may possibly be interested in one as well Roush.....

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Honestly I've thought about making more and not charging $3K like the ones they sell for the H1s because I'm not a pro (obviously) but it will be worth the $$$, I just didn't know the demand, I actually got flagged down and stopped getting off an exit by a guy in another Hummer wanting to know where I got the guard from, I thought that was pretty cool, I got his number just in case I make another one.:jump:

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well i'm definitely interested.

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I wouldn't be opposed to it, just gotta see how much time it would involve and cost of course, it would be nice having to know how many of these to make to keep cost down.... i'll get back to you on it, I know I have 4 people already wanting one, we'll see:beerchug:

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

sounds good bro thanks!

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Found these that are simular in design

BLACK

http://www.bumpernut.com/index.php?m...odu cts_id=56

CHROME

http://www.bumpernut.com/index.php?m...odu cts_id=31

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Yeahh.... eeeehhh but I dunno.... just not as beefy..., It's not 2" thick 1/4" tubing, but I do like it, just looks like the stock double brush guard with an added top piece.

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

IM INTERESTED!!! Mine doesnt have the hood wrap around. It would look sweet if you had another piece coming over the sides and towards the side marker!!! Don't get me wrong it looks definently cool!!! Throw a spare on the hood!!! I don't know if I could see over a 40" Toyo on the hood LOL:excited:

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It would be cool if you could figure a way to mount that guard where the stock guard does. It would keep you from having to fab up that mounting part and would hinge with the hood. I thin think that part would be doable and be less parts to make. I had the SMA guard and ended up with rattleing and rust where it hinges. That guard was beefy as hell though!!!!

...and you did a great job on yours btw. I like the added light bar as well.

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The problem with the factory brush guard is because of its mounts. You cant put any real pressure on it. Open up a H2 hood and bounce it back and forth sometime. You will see how flimsy that hinge really is. Now, would you want to be on a steep downhill incline and have to prop your truck up against a tree via brush guard knowing what its bolted to. And then winch out a truck further down the hill???

I say this cause this is a perfect example of what happend to me at Kinzalows this year. I had to be winched back up a hill backwards. Luckly the H1 behind me had a TreeHugger brush guard from rubber duck and he was able to use a tree to keep his truck from sliding to mine on that winch pull.

SMA's bolted to the frame design is a much better design in my opinion.

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If that's teh case, than the "new" guard need to be mounted through the hood with a rubber gromit with room to allow the impact. Otherwise if you attch it and bump an object, you will crack the hood. I believe that guard you are reffering to on teh H1 is all frame mouted. I have to pop the hood on an H1 this weekend and look at the D ring mounts sticking through the hood. I though that support under there went to teh frame...not sure though. There is a local, guy with 03 OT that I see very other day. I'll see if I can check it out.

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im not trying to be a smart ass but how the hell do you open up the hood??

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I've been out of town and haven't been able to take pics of it, the whole thing flips forward giving room for the hood to open, it actually looks pretty cool, ha!

As soon as I get a chance this week I'll take some pics.

Also, For those of you who are interested, i've been trying to see how much it would cost me and how much time I would have to put towards making these again, it took me a long time on mine, but I didn't have a deadline to finish it either, I'm thinking it would take me two weeks max to make your guard, I do have a 8-5 job Mon-Fri job to report to.

PM for Pricing if you're interested, thanks!

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Okay as promised I finally got a chance to wash the Hummer and have the camera changed all at the same time, took some pics of it opened.
I'm currently working on building my 2nd Tree Guard, thank you for your requests, I'll doing my best to build them as soon as possible.:beerchug:

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2 more:

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that looks bada$$ Andres. :perfect10s: :perfect10s:

great design. I want to see this bad boy in person

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Did you just add on to another companies front end guard? I noticed the welds on the raw pics (pre painted) aren't grind ed and the tubing is rusting, where the hood part the tubing hasn't rusted yet, and some of the tubing is already black??? Looks like an SMA modified?

Re: Custom TREE Guard
 

Hey Bimmer what's up?
Yes, like I said in the first post I found my own heavy duty guard online and added my own version of "heavy duty".. it is a SMA design that was discontinued so there were unfinished guards up for grabs, I pretty much got the last of them.
As for the colors before being painted, I used different pipes testing it out to see which one was stronger than the other and which could bend smoother, so it took me a wile, the reason why the top outter pipe is black already is because its a thick gas pipe which is about the same thinkness SMA uses on their stuff, pretty strong stuff too.:clapping:
Keep in mind that this was my first one and i'm making the rest after a lot of "lesson learned", built better, smoother and so on.
I haven't had time to work on them since I've been working on my roof rack, I'll post pictures soon.
Thanks:beerchug:

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Rouche,

Are you going to be at Windrock???? I would love to see that thing in person man!

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I've seen it in person and trust me.... Its BADA$$

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Yes I will, and hopefully BigZ will have his too:dancingbanana:

and BigZ, I got the license plate light working perfect, hope you're able to get that big spere on finally.:beerchug:

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Amazing ! Best guard I've seen !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Hey boss what kind of lights are on your brushguard

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Glad to hear you got it working! Yep got the spare on. wasnt to hard but pretty heavy haha
:dancingbanana:

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130w Ebay awesomeness..... They're cheap but man.... i just hoocked them all up this past weekend... wholy crap... DAYLIGHT HELLO I"VE ARRIVED!!!.. ha!
I gotta post a picture of that too:jump: