Welding the front crumple zone
 

I’m considering building a front bumper for my truck. Can I weld plates to the crumple zone? I’d like to strengthen the front end by boxing the crumple zones with bumper mounts. Any reasons why this is a good/bad idea?

Crumple zone is there for a very specific reason, strengthening it by boxing it in is just asking for someone to get seriously hurt in an accident. I would personally not even think of doing such a thing.

I understand that it absorbs crash impact but these trucks shatter if you hit anything over 20+ mph. I’d like to be able to pull the abs fuse and ram some stuff. I could hit other cars at 30mph with my other truck and the bumper would only have a scratch. What can I do to make the front end more stout?

I get it, just another troll thread, nicely done. Got me! ;)

troll? No. Thanks for all your help. This has been done and is not unheard of, there is no federal law that requires a crumple zone anyway. It’s only there to lessen impacts for the driver. Has anyone with experience attempted this on a 2015+ ?

Take out the seatbelts and ABS while you're at it. Yes vehicles "shatter" when hit, that keeps the energy from killing you. There's a reason why automakers spend millions in research and crash test to design the "zones" and engineer what goes where when hit hard. Before all this technology, say in the 50's, a 30mph head on would be fatal. Now we ask if the truck is totaled or if it will be fixed.

Crash bars, engines mounts designed to push the drivetrain under the driver's floor, collapsing steering columns, pre-tensioning seat belts, the list goes on and on. If you think eliminating the crumple zone will improve the truck in a crash, you're greatly mistaken.

Sure go for a heavier bumper, but it needs a place to go when hit.

I had a fried and fellow MSF instructor in California back in the late 80s. He was driving our older F250 towing our mobile classroom. Back then trucks were tough and didn't have these crumple zone things that case our wimpy new trucks to be totaled with a 25mph crash.

A lady doing drugs crossed the center line and they hit pretty much head on. She was driving one of the newer small Toronados with that fancy new crumple zone technology. He had no chance to swerve while towing.

She walked away and we buried my friend.

Another swing and a miss. Consider, instead of ruining 50+ part in a crash, your front bumper bends. Womp womp

^THIS...100% this

you are surly mistaken. look at the cars from the 50s-70s. they were made to 'fight' off the crash rather than absorb the energy...killing people left and right.

these vehicles are made to absorb energy so it doesn't get transferred into you