CAtuned Front Bumper

[Jeffrey]

It looks like CAtuned found themselves inspired again by Owl Vans and emulated the Hex pattern that Owl uses for inserts and roof decking.
CAtuned 100% does NOT build or supply any Owl products.

Owl uses a hex pattern on some areas of some products just like hundreds of other companies do on their products. Many expanded metal products result in hex-like openings. It's nor new or unique.

Owl is a dealer for CA Tuned items, and had an 'Owl Edition' front winch bumper made by CA Tuned, for a while. It was never actually designed or built by Owl, looked exactly like the CA Tuned badged bumper, but had the Owl logo on it.

 

[anand]

To all involved in this thread and those just reading along, I've tried to tidy this up and get us back on topic. Express your opinions on the CATuned bumper, which the thread was started about, and kindly keep the sharp detours elsewhere.

For those just tuning in, everything is fine, nothing to see here

 

[Onefin]

Owl uses a hex pattern on some areas of some products just like hundreds of other companies do on their products. Many expanded metal products result in hex-like openings. It's nor new or unique.

Owl is a dealer for CA Tuned items, and had an 'Owl Edition' front winch bumper made by CA Tuned, for a while. It was never actually designed or built by Owl, looked exactly like the CA Tuned badged bumper, but had the Owl logo on it.

Owl sold lots of the Hammerhead bumper 100% designed and built by CAtuned for several years. Owl no longer sells this bumper and is no longer a dealer for CAtuned products. It doesn't mean they are bad products, they just do not sell them any longer.

The lazered Hex pattern in Sheet aluminum was introduced into the van space by Owl with their hitch step inserts, and continued to their roof rack flooring, and will likely be on some of the new Owl Grenadier parts as well. Agreed, it is not an uncommon pattern in the off-road industry in general.

 

[Zimm]

This is all a personal thing, but, really wish the aftermarket manufacturers wouldn't put their names on the product bigger than the actual truck brand. I've asked car dealers how much they want to pay me for adverting, if they don't want to take their sticker off of the car. I guess there's a line I have between a label, and a commercial. Any bumper I buy will be PLAIN.

 

[rovie]

Owl sold lots of the Hammerhead bumper 100% designed and built by CAtuned for several years. Owl no longer sells this bumper and is no longer a dealer for CAtuned products. It doesn't mean they are bad products, they just do not sell them any longer.

The lazered Hex pattern in Sheet aluminum was introduced into the van space by Owl with their hitch step inserts, and continued to their roof rack flooring, and will likely be on some of the new Owl Grenadier parts as well. Agreed, it is not an uncommon pattern in the off-road industry in general.

View attachment 7848326

And precisely because the hex pattern is nothing unusual in the off-road industry, one van conversion company has made an octagonal pattern its trademark.

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=jNY6iDaal4w&pp=ygUIY3ZzIHZhbnM%3D

 

[Zimm]

keep in mind, most of these products are manufactured of tube and flat steel as their base material. The value add is in the labor, and the units all tend to have the angle look or circular radius edges. it's all boring and slab sided, these cuts are their version of styling lines large manufacturers can achieve with stamping and casting. for example, my Gwagon bumper is a nice solid steel stamping that has varying depth for looks and strength, rounded edges and curves. The recovery point is a massive central clevis pin that inserts and is backed by a heavy casting. Its simple and attractive and the OEM supplier can crank out 1000 a day once the press and molds are made. The cost is in the machinery not the labor, but it needs scale to be profitable. These little guys can only male a jig, and weld away. the automation is limited to plasma cutting tables, so to give the boring result some character, they get carried away on the modeling software and make all these patterns in the sheet.

 

[[ Adam ]]

This is all a personal thing, but, really wish the aftermarket manufacturers wouldn't put their names on the product bigger than the actual truck brand. I've asked car dealers how much they want to pay me for adverting, if they don't want to take their sticker off of the car. I guess there's a line I have between a label, and a commercial. Any bumper I buy will be PLAIN.

Agreed.

I wish they'd put as much time into adding something useful - like a bottle opener, or other creative ideas I've yet to stumble upon.

Instead it's just their mark / font.

 

[Jeffrey]

keep in mind, most of these products are manufactured of tube and flat steel as their base material. The value add is in the labor, and the units all tend to have the angle look or circular radius edges. it's all boring and slab sided, these cuts are their version of styling lines large manufacturers can achieve with stamping and casting. for example, my Gwagon bumper is a nice solid steel stamping that has varying depth for looks and strength, rounded edges and curves. The recovery point is a massive central clevis pin that inserts and is backed by a heavy casting. Its simple and attractive and the OEM supplier can crank out 1000 a day once the press and molds are made. The cost is in the machinery not the labor, but it needs scale to be profitable. These little guys can only male a jig, and weld away. the automation is limited to plasma cutting tables, so to give the boring result some character, they get carried away on the modeling software and make all these patterns in the sheet.

I suppose people who work in different industries may have different opinions and experiences regarding how metal products are manufactured. I'm a master precision machinist and mechanical engineer, tool and fixture designer and retired CNC manufacturing business owner. I don't agree with anything you said.

 

[Shaky]

I suppose people who work in different industries may have different opinions and experiences regarding how metal products are manufactured. I'm a master precision machinist and mechanical engineer, tool and fixture designer and retired CNC manufacturing business owner. I don't agree with anything you said.

With a job title like that, is your business car more the shape of a letter box (rectangle for non UK)

It sounds impressive anyway

I love all this stuff but the extra money for insurance and actually purchasing it, compared to how much I would actually need it doesn’t stack up I’m afraid.

 

[Zimm]

I suppose people who work in different industries may have different opinions and experiences regarding how metal products are manufactured. I'm a master precision machinist and mechanical engineer, tool and fixture designer and retired CNC manufacturing business owner. I don't agree with anything you said.

In the corner of my shop. I’m not sure how you competitively produce that shape other than stamping it.

Now compare that to bumper in the original picture. All flat surfaces and welds. Manhours. Cnc cut the plate, break where designed, weld, grind. Low volume, minimal investment, And it has the look of it. AEV on the other hand, is making more attractive stuff, but, they have lots of oem supplier contracts with the big boys. Volume. They can afford the investment.

 

[Jeffrey]

AEV?

 

[Krabby]

AEV?

Big after market off-road parts maker. They have some nice stuff.

AEV WEBSITE

 

[Trialmaster]

I like that as it's metal and much smaller than the UK OE version! Shipping will be prohibitive though!

 

[255/85]

Big after market off-road parts maker. They have some nice stuff.

AEV WEBSITE

I thought they were pretty tied in to Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep? Not sure they can easily get off the leash at this point. They were just out of college and stretching TJs in a funky old shop in Montana when I lived there.