Date:         Thu, 30 Sep 2004 10:15:02 -0600
Reply-To:     Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Bob Stevens <mtbiker62@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: Home Made Bull Bars--Pipe Benders
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

John wrote:
"that Projectwo and Volks Cafe had some. I'm biased, but feel ours are the
> nicest, LOL."
.. my bias, too :) see why below:
http://groups.msn.com/BobsPhotoShare/87syncrowestfaliatiico.msnw

Aircooled.net, the way to go in bull bumpers and many other VW products. we
return you to your normal programming... :)
no, I'm not a vested partner in any way by "them", just like their products.
bob

----- Original Message -----
From: "John Connolly" <john@AIRCOOLED.NET>
To: <>
Sent: Thursday, September 30, 2004 9:41 AM
Subject: Re: Home Made Bull Bars--Pipe Benders


> you don't want a tubing bender, you want a mandrel tubing bender. There
> are
> only a few in the entire USA that do 3", and finding someone that will
> stop
> production on their 4X4 truck bumpers to do some for you on the side will
> require a lot of luck.
>
> With a Harbor Freight bender, you MAY end up with the correct angle, but
> it
> will have those nice "wrinkles" in them, which you may feel is stylish,
> but
> likely you'll think they are ghetto. That's fine for OEM exhaust tubing,
> but
> not for a tube bumper (my opinion).
>
> Similar tube bumpers were developed in the USA by us (Aircooled.Net), I
> had
> no idea that any were available at the time. I found out after we did ours
> http://www.aircooled.net/new-bin/viewproductdetail.php?keyword2=exg0005
>
> http://www.aircooled.net/new-bin/viewproductdetail.php?keyword2=exg0006
>
>
>
> Jim,
>
> .090" thick 3" tubing is very VERY strong, and they are not light. I also
> feel that if you try to bend .090" 3" tubing with a harbor freight bender,
> you'll also end up with the nice wrinkles in the bender (besides the
> tubing)!
>
> We determined the 3"/.090" to be the optimium size after a lot of homework
> and figuring. We have had customers with our bumpers hit stuff (or stuff
> hit
> them) and barely scratched the powdercoat; way WAY stronger then anything
> resembling stock bumpers. I would not go bigger or thicker on the tubing
> if
> you are going to make them yourself, but again this is my opinion.
>
> John
> Aircooled.Net Inc.
>