FROADER's front bumper/winch mount (lots-o-pics)

My buddy Winter has some skills when it comes to fab, so I had him help me out with my idea for a bumper/winch mount. The weather wasn't the best at the beginning of the day, so we used an EZ-up to keep any mist or drizzle off of us while fabing. As the weather got better the EZ-up became the shade for the work area.

I told Winter I wanted the winch as far up and back as possible. This is what we came up with.

Tools used were a hacksaw, hammer and J-B Weld..... :





Me grinding the frame clean.



Winter tacking the plate in place.











Finished all of the fab at the shop, and Winter had dinner plans. I got home a finished painting the bumper, mounting and wiring the winch and cutting up the grill.





YOU KNOW IT!!!






With the grill cut up to fit, and the license plate holder I made out of Mag Light mounts.













Eventually I'll get some gussets on the "stinger" and bars to protect the headlights/turn signals and some light tabs. But for now, I'm loving how this came out.

Since I repainted the grill the light bezels look horrible, so those will be painted tomorrow.

The rest of the pics are here, although I didn't leave much out of this thread.

SWEET!

Looks like your idea turned out great

That looks awesome Colin, so what do you have in mind for the lights protection? And is just that center section enough to be legal for street driving? I've always wondered about the guidelines for custom bumpers.

It's 100 precent legal, California has no special laws pertaining to bumpers aslong as it does'nt obstruct driver view of the road.

Practically anything can be used including a 2x4 chicken wired to the frame is legal from what the Cop told me awhile back:

But that bumper is awesome looking. Nice Clean and simple

Your garage is big enough to fit your lifted Ex, your gigantor van, and your new bike?!?

Is that Paul's monster truck partially visible in the first two pics?

Looks really good, Colin. But that's not surprising, considering Winter was involved.

...i knew something was up...:shifty_ey

Hey Colin do you see any need to protect those headlights? I mean I know it would be quite a drop off to hit them on something. Your bumper keeps the sick approach angle, but are you going to add anything to it?

As always Winter builds some nice stuff!! looks great

Thanks guys.

Matt, I've had my front bumper like this on the last 2 explorer for ~9 years combined so, it should be ok.



Matt and Jamie, I'll eventually make the side bars similar to IZwack's. Just a single bar running from the sides of the frame up under the lights and a slight bend around.



Bill, The van is in the driveway. It doesn't doesn't come close to fitting under the door. Yes, that is Paul's explorer in the pics.

Ted, now tell us you're secret... :

....:shifty_ey ...secret, what secret ??? :shifty_ey

...lol, i don't think my other project is going to make it on this run but no prob for thanksgiving if i'm not buried with work, my peak season is the holidays...

Looks good! Good thing your license plate hides that ugly fairlead :

Nice, you guys are pretty good to knock that out in a day.

are going to mount your lights again?

Looks good!!!

FROADER said:

My buddy Winter has some skills when it comes to fab...

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That's an understatement:

Looks killer Colin, wish i could find the time to make one for my truck.

EDIT: Next time you talk to Winter ask him where he got those nice jack/frame stands...thanks.

DB_1 said:

EDIT: Next time you talk to Winter ask him where he got those nice jack/frame stands...thanks.

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x2! I just noticed those when I looked at the pics again.

how much will that affect the cooling? looks sic

Nice looking! The bracketry/plating that attaches to the tube to the chassis is super clean.

And you cleaned up that winch pretty good since you received it.

minimal coolig afecting, and froater that is what i wish mine looked like, awesome desgin dude, did you arc or mig that bad boy

Regulator_XLS said:

arc or mig that bad boy

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this pretty much sums it up :

Matt, I've had my front bumper like this on the last 2 explorer for ~9 years combined so, it should be ok.

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I thought maybe the fact it was still the stock bumper had something to do with it. But thanks for clearing it up.