i want to start planning out a custom bumper like these ones for my suburban, but im not sure how to mount them. should i use the mounting brackets that go from the frame to the stock bumper?

anyone have some close up pictures of the mounts?

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/8955/11908bumper7yd.jpg

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/4505/2859dscn06279ev.jpg

stock brackets are weak there's no point in building a tough bumper without tough mounts. i would use at least 1/4" to 3/8" plate steel. And a bunch of like 1/2" bolts

so what your saying is that i should use the stock mounting locations for the brackets but just remake them.

You make it so the bumper IS the brackets as well .

And don't use grade 8 bolts to hold the darned thing on. Mine were too brittle and sheared off the first time I got to test out the bumper.

I put the lil cheapie hardware store ones on it and they work great.

grade 8's have a high shear, but don't give. the grade 5's will give more before they shear. hardware bolts might be grade 2 so becarful what you buy..we call them "butter" bolts at work

to hold it onto the frame, grade 5 hardware is the best?
and since theres a million different types of steel out there, what would be recommended for this? what size? 1 1/2 OD with 1/4 walls? i havent had a chance to get up there, but does home depot/lowes sell tubing like this?

If you want a useable mount, then weld some 3/4" plate to the bumper and to the frame. You can make the plate long enough to go through the front of the bumper and drill it so you can use it as a clevis mount.