Front bumper

[Doug G]

My Mini Moke's front bumper is made of tubular metal.

Unfortunately the tube wall of the two supports brackets is not as strong as I thought or had hoped that it was.

Over time, I have tightened the bolts in both supports that go through it from side to side to the extent that the tube sectioned support is no longer circular in cross section but is decidedly flattened oval.

It would be good to restore them back to a circular cross section.

After doing so, I would put in two large washers suitably curved with a bit of heavy duty pipe (say 1/2" dis) inside the ends of the support tubes and then reinstall the bolts through the tube, washer, pipe, washer tube into the vehicle.
(You can follow this or do I have to submit a sketch?)

The hurdle is what is the best and (preferably) easiest way to restore them (with basic tools + brute force and ignorance) back to a circular cross section?

[Tim]

Life will be a lot easier if you can heat them up.Oxy would be best, but I reckon you'd get them hot enough with a MAPP torch. Then hammer something round up the pipe.

The bumper isn't correct for your year, so you could do whatever you need to really - welding on new bits of tube with thicker wall, for example.

Tim

Tim