CT rear bumper is not a bumper

[Crissa]

Nylon plastic makes a pretty good skid plate, as it becomes a lubricant between abrasive surfaces like a bushing.

-Crissa

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[Firetruck41]

Why? Most cars and trucks got rid of bumpers that actually did something years ago. Everything now is meant to crush and not protect anything except the driver/passenger area. Metal bumpers weight too much and the only ones using them are using them for an unintended vehicle use. Cops cars put extended roll-cage like bumpers, they don't change the original one.

Because there will be a market for it.

I just added a rear bumper made of 1/4” plate steel to my truck. If someone rear ends my truck, I won't be too worried.

 

[hridge2020]

Not sure why this took me so long to notice, but this post from @Mini2nut https://www.cybertruckownersclub.com/forum/threads/ct-photos-no-renders-please.3642/post-64300 contains the following picture of the rear bumper assembly

There are other threads about bumper materials and potential aftermarket parts, etc.

But this isn't just a bumper--same is true of the front! I misunderstood this big time. Here are my observations:

1. This piece covers the entire approach/departure openings, unlike every other bumper I've worked with. Since there's no exhaust, muffler, etc, to work around.
2. There's no way this is going to be anything that isn't very tough, like plastic. At a minimum it will likely have rigid structures inside a plastic wrap. Thoughts?
3. It's not at all attached to the towing hitch. So where is it attached? The stainless steel? I struggle with that.
4. With the 3.5k lbs load capacity, is there a good chance that these will be extremely heavy. Say, powder coated steel?

Anyway, wanted to share my recent observations. Maybe everyone else is well aware of this point and I'm just now catching on ?

Lets put some rear diffusers on that bumper..

 

[LDRHAWKE]

Because it’s America and people are generally free to do what they want.

WERE!

 

[repoman]

Nylon plastic makes a pretty good skid plate, as it becomes a lubricant between abrasive surfaces like a bushing.

-Crissa

Ahh, no they don’t. That’s not the function of a skid plate. Skid plate is designed to prevent damage to what’s behind it. A piece made of plastic is just simply a cover, it not protecting anything. Cosmetic only. Tesla will for sure need a skid plate on the cyber truck but that’s not what’s showing on the prototype at this time.

 

[carpedatum]

Many vehicles have a plastic body-colored bumper cover, plus (at least at the front end) a black plastic underbody panel meant to minimize the amount of road grime that drifts into the engine compartment. The former is cosmetic, the latter lightly-protective, and both can help with aero somewhat. On some vehicles I've had, the plastic underbody panels are attached to the bottom of the bumper cover with a bunch of retainer clips.

Tesla seems to have just merged those two bits and eliminated some fasteners in the process. Nice improvements there to cost and manufacturing efficiency. Still helps with aerodynamics and will help keep the grime off of whatever they put behind there (presumably airbag sensors, at least). Cheap, hopefully, and easy to replace, maybe.

I suppose aftermarket replacements could be fitted and that means people will, eventually, but this seems a bit hairy. Any really good designs for that will have to behave very similar-to-factory in an accident (since we do love our lawsuits in the USA). These might be pretty easy to wrap or paint, though!

 

[Ogre]

Ahh, no they don’t. That’s not the function of a skid plate. Skid plate is designed to prevent damage to what’s behind it. A piece made of plastic is just simply a cover, it not protecting anything. Cosmetic only. Tesla will for sure need a skid plate on the cyber truck but that’s not what’s showing on the prototype at this time.

Thick, hard plastic can definitely protect things or act as a hard, durable bumper. Before LineX more or less took over the market for bed liners, plastic bed liners were pretty common and quite durable. Even LineX is essentially spray on plastic.

Loading docks often have hard plastic bumpers.

 

[Ogre]

Many vehicles have a plastic body-colored bumper cover, plus (at least at the front end) a black plastic underbody panel meant to minimize the amount of road grime that drifts into the engine compartment.

Almost guaranteed there are no paint steps in building the Cybertruck. If the bumpers are plastic they are made of black plastic. That means if it gets scratched there is no repainting it, if it's a deep gouge you might sand it off.

Also, as you suggest, it'll be inexpensive to replace it.

 

[carpedatum]

Almost guaranteed there are no paint steps in building the Cybertruck. If the bumpers are plastic they are made of black plastic. That means if it gets scratched there is no repainting it, if it's a deep gouge you might sand it off.

Also, as you suggest, it'll be inexpensive to replace it.

Yep didn't mean to suggest that Tesla would paint these. I can see owners having that done, though. If cheap/easy enough I might buy spares, have 'em painted with something tough (Imron, maybe?) and put 'em on so I can tell my CT from the next one over in the parking lot. Am now hopeful someone with photoshop skills will mock that up...

 

[Ogre]

Yep didn't mean to suggest that Tesla would paint these. I can see owners having that done, though. If cheap/easy enough I might buy spares, have 'em painted with something tough (Imron, maybe?) and put 'em on so I can tell my CT from the next one over in the parking lot. Am now hopeful someone with photoshop skills will mock that up...

I could see that. Not paint, but maybe LineX or something similarly durable.

 

[repoman]

Thick, hard plastic can definitely protect things or act as a hard, durable bumper. Before LineX more or less took over the market for bed liners, plastic bed liners were pretty common and quite durable. Even LineX is essentially spray on plastic.

Loading docks often have hard plastic bumpers.

I have not seen an off road vehicle with a skid plate other then some type of metal.

 

[jhogan2424]

I have not seen an off road vehicle with a skid plate other then some type of metal.

I have two of them. Don’t really want to crawl in the wet grass and take a picture but they are there. There will probably be a lot of things on CT that are unfamiliar or we haven’t seen before.

 

[tmeyer3]

I have not seen an off road vehicle with a skid plate other then some type of metal.

Well skid plates and bumpers are normally different. Skid plates are usually plate steel to protect delicate/crushable things like gas tanks and exhaust systems from punctures or crushing. None of which do the CT have ?
Which is why I posted this begin with.
I assume the battery casing will be strong enough to not need to worry much, so maybe these massive bumpers really don't need to protect anything? It's very different than any other off-road capable ice vehicle!

 

[Lasttoy]

Federal law states crash protection. Front and rear. What ever ends up there will have to be crash tested. We have plastic outside of our reenforced structure now. Look at pictures of what's behind our plastic. No reason to get concerned now.

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