Opinions and/or suggestions please.

I have 2002 Polaris Sportsman 400 with a black double tube rear bumper.
It also has a 3-way hitch installed. A picture of the double tube rear bumper and 3-way hitch can be seen in the online store on the Polaris website.

I have had the 3-way hitch for several months, but just installed the
bumper about two weeks ago. Saturday (8-10-2002) was the first time
I attempted to attach my trailer to the ATV since installing the bumper.
It did not go well!!

The trailer tongue coupler slipped onto the hitch ball with no problem.
However, when I tried to pull down the coupler latch handle it hit the
bottom tube of the rear bumper. No amount of pulling, pushing or cussing
would allow the coupler to latch.

I studied the problem for a while and then I had a brain fart.

If I cut and removed about 3-4 inches from the center of the lower bumper tube, my problem would be solved. Removing this section would not
affect the way the bumper is attached to the ATV. My only concern is that this would in someway weaken the bumper.

What do you think?

Got any better suggestions?

 

If I am envisoning this correctly (I have the double tube bumper) you would weaken it.

With No Mod---If you hit something on the outside of the bottom tube the pressure is shared on both welds of the bracket.

With cutting out the center section---Only one weld is going to try and keep it supported. I am guessing this would bend easily.

Now with that said, how often do you hit things with the bumper or is it mainly just for looks?

 

I think you have the picture pretty well.

The bumper is mostly looks. It also gives me a good "grab" handle for sliding around the back of the machine.

I agree, hitting something with the rear bumper would be rare.
I don't see myself backing thru the woods at high speed.

I know I could modify the trailer latch, but that would just limit me to
my trailer.

 

If your real handy with a welder, can you just take a little out of the tube to give you just enough clearance and then gussett is on the inside the cut, you will get some strength back, not a lot but some.

Just remember to pick it up by the top tube when sliding it around!

 

Hey SC neck,where St Matthews? Columbia area?

 

Biggin,

St. Matthews is in Calhoun County.
It is the crossroads of SC highway 601 & SC highway 6.
Just off of I-26 between Columbia and Orangeburg.
30 miles east of Columbia.
14 miles west of Orangeburg.

Great big o'l town!!! Just got our third stoplight.

 

The fewer lights the better.I bet deer season is starting real soon down there.Orangeburg,been thru there and cannot say that it is where I'd like to live.I have a classmate a school from Johnsonville,and he said the town had a big Ho-down party when McDonalds came to town.Gotta love SC.

 

Well, I decided to cut!!

I hacked a 4.5-inch section of pipe out of the lower bumper tube.
As predicted, this greatly reduced the strength of the lower tube.

The lower pipe was now two separate sections of bumper. Each section
was being held by one weld point. It would not take much of a hit to bend or break this bumper.

I took the 4.5-inch section of bumper I had removed and cut it.
I now had two 2.25-inch sections of bumper pipe. I put each section into my bench vise and squeezed it. This made the round pieces of pipe into oval shaped pipe (each about half-inch wide).

I took these pieces and put them between the upper and lower tubes of the bumper (about 6 inches from the weld point). I welded these pieces into place.

Now the lower bumper tube has two weld points.
Is it as strong as it was before the cut? NO. It never will be.
However, this has made the bottom pipe much stronger. I believe it could take a reasonable hit and not break (probably bend).

Anyway it solved my trailer problem. I painted the new weld points.
It looks pretty good. Only time will tell the whole story, but for now I am very happy with the outcome.