I've wanted to install a winch on one of my Blazers for about 30 years now. I finally did it to my trail/driver 1990. I originally wanted one of the Warn winch bumpers and actually bought one off of Craigslist awhile back...then realized that it was for the '73 - '80 frame horns.
So my neighbor, a metal machinist, was looking at what I had and said, "I can build you one. Let's do it next weekend." He looked at my pile of scrap parts from my '77 Blazer parts truck tear down and suggested using the U-Haul hitch I had taken off of it and mount it inside the frame rails. Cut a hole in the stock bumper, build the cradle, and there we go.
I accepted.
The winch I got.
First I had to tear down the front.
At the machine shop we cut the hitch down to size and welded up the mounting tabs for the frame.
Man, it's nice to know someone with a full on CNC metal shop at his disposal. I asked him if it was OK that we were there on the weekend and said, "Let me ask the Supervisor. He says it's OK." It turned out he was it.
Here's the receiver cut down with tabs welded on and nuts tacked in place. He had me doing the gofer work like painting, cleaning edges, and test fitting. I definitely didn't mind.
The work building the hitch cradle.
Final fit with bumper mounts and tow hooks installed.
Tacked tow hook nuts. There was not going to be any way to tighten them with the mount in place.
Test fit of the cradle base.
So my neighbor, a metal machinist, was looking at what I had and said, "I can build you one. Let's do it next weekend." He looked at my pile of scrap parts from my '77 Blazer parts truck tear down and suggested using the U-Haul hitch I had taken off of it and mount it inside the frame rails. Cut a hole in the stock bumper, build the cradle, and there we go.
I accepted.
The winch I got.
First I had to tear down the front.
At the machine shop we cut the hitch down to size and welded up the mounting tabs for the frame.
Man, it's nice to know someone with a full on CNC metal shop at his disposal. I asked him if it was OK that we were there on the weekend and said, "Let me ask the Supervisor. He says it's OK." It turned out he was it.
Here's the receiver cut down with tabs welded on and nuts tacked in place. He had me doing the gofer work like painting, cleaning edges, and test fitting. I definitely didn't mind.
The work building the hitch cradle.
Final fit with bumper mounts and tow hooks installed.
Tacked tow hook nuts. There was not going to be any way to tighten them with the mount in place.
Test fit of the cradle base.
