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Front bumper build - low profile - with pics and drawing

Blue85

Blue85

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So I've been working on this bumper:

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The goal was to hold a winch without any sacrifice in approach angle. The simplest solution is to mount the winch on the face of the bumper, sitting between the frame rails. As you can see, it tucks in even tighter than the stock bumper. The face is about 1" past the tip of the frame rail.

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My question is whether this winch mount is strong enough for the 9k winch or if I need to work in more bracing to the back of the main plate. The front plate and frame brackets are 1/4", everything else is 3/16"

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Also, it seems that Warn winches mount with ungraded square nuts and 3/8" bolts. Is this OK?
 
First of all, great looking bumper. Is the plate 3/16" and the frame mounts 1/4"? If the plate 1/4" I think you'll be fine. If not, you may need to plate the back of the bumper where the winch mounts and somehow tie it into the 1/4" frame mounts. I think if you mount the winch as-is you may see some flexing. I am no engineer though, just my observation and experience fixing earthmoving equipment attachments.

Good luck, Alex
 
For your truck, I think your fine the way it is. The upper and lower horizontal plates are enough bracing. Good looking bumper.
 
The large plate that the winch is mounted to is 1/4". The braces for that plate (top and bottom of the bumper) are 3/16". The frame brackets are full height, so the front, top and bottom are all 100% welded to the brackets.

The plug for the winch remote will be on the top of the bumper, just inside the DS frame rail (hole cut after those pictures were taken). The location of the clutch lever was the biggest dilemma of this design. It's hard enough to turn the lever, that a sizeable access slot is required. To get it from the top would require cutting sheet metal or grill. Even if I cut the top of the bumper (and somehow braced to compensate) I don't think it would be enough room. I thought about a big hole in the front and maybe a big rubber plug to put in it (to keep mud and road junk out), but this would be another big hole in the front plate which already has a big slot for the cable/fairlead. So I'm just going to reach underneath. This could be a hassle if I'm buried in a mudhole, but many other things will be a hassle at that point as well. (In the picture above, the clutch lever has been clocked for access from the top. I will re-clock just past the stock position, so it's easy to reach from underneath.)

The way I see it, it's easier to change the bumper later if I change my mind, than to cut stuff up now and commit. I was also thinking of making a skid plate down there that would tie the bottom of the bumper to the swaybar mount holes.
 
You can also just run the line out with the controller. Not the fastest, but will work. And the 1/4" is plenty.
 
Yeah, I figure powering the line out is an option if the front end is sitting on a log or something and I can't get to the lever. I'm just trying to finish all the last details so I can drop it at the powder coater in the next day or so. I decided against adding a Hi Lift mount because I don't really want the jack to be what bashes into stuff. I also decided against a flag mount (for the dune-required flag) since I can't put one in cleanly with such a low profile. I will just make a bracket to attach via winch or fairlead bolts.

BTW, the clevis mounts are from A to Z fabrication - less than $25 on eBay. They are very nice - CNC machined from cold-rolled. For the money, I'm glad I didn't try to build those pieces.
 
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It's at the powder coat place - should have finished pics 09-July when I get back in town.
 
I like this bumper. I don't care for how far most winch bumpers stick out in front.

Martin
 
sokoloka said:
Want to make another? :)
Click to expand...


Haha.. He beat me to it! Now you knew this was bound to happen with making such a nice looking bumper like that! :waytogo: Great work, looks really good.

I agree, many winch bumpers just stick out too much and look fugly.. This is a great solution you've got. Can't wait to see how it turns out.
 
I want to make something similar to this for my dmax. About how much in material do you have into this?
 
sokoloka said:
Want to make another? :)
Click to expand...
If I said $25/hour and added up how much time I spent, you would probably lose interest. It's the finish work to smooth everything in that takes all the time. I have no chop saw, no drill press and my welder can only run 15% at max current.

I spent $82 at the steel yard and used very little on-hand scrap. I may post up the 2-D when I get back from vacation. There is a cut list on there. Remember that giant winches won't fit.
 
Picked up from the coaters yesterday morning.

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Nonsense like this corner is the kind of thing that adds a lot of time to the build. There is actually more gap there than the picture shows. I need to flex the truck up and see how close it gets.


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