Hossexplorer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- September 30, 2008
- Messages
- 140
- Reaction score
- 22
- City, State
- Baker City, OR.
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '93 XLT
Ok, I've been searching for a long time how to keep my stock bumpers and have a winch. (I like my brush guard on my stock bumper.) I did want a removeable winch, But the only option I saw was to buy the 'hidden hitch' set up that hangs way tooo low below the bumper. So I built my own... not sure if this has been done before but never seen it, so i'll post it for everyone else thinking the same thing.
First I went to the junkyard and got a classIV rear hitch from an '88 F250 for $40. All I did was cut and reweld it to the correct length to fit in between the front frame rails. The mounting plates surprisingly already had holes drilled that fit in the explorer frame openings. As you can see in the second pic, I had to torch out some small sections for the bumper mounting plates. I purchased a removable winch mounting plate from ebay for $80, oh and had a Chicago electric 10,000lb winch sitting around. Tell me what you think!
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Here you must torch out the corners to fit around the bumper mounting plates.
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Here I cut the bumper opening with a grinder to fit the receiver as high as possible, may have been able to go higher but not sure, it was a tight fit! I know the hole is ugly, but I had to cut it wide to fit the locking reciever pin in..
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Here it is all assembled
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First I went to the junkyard and got a classIV rear hitch from an '88 F250 for $40. All I did was cut and reweld it to the correct length to fit in between the front frame rails. The mounting plates surprisingly already had holes drilled that fit in the explorer frame openings. As you can see in the second pic, I had to torch out some small sections for the bumper mounting plates. I purchased a removable winch mounting plate from ebay for $80, oh and had a Chicago electric 10,000lb winch sitting around. Tell me what you think!
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Here you must torch out the corners to fit around the bumper mounting plates.
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Here I cut the bumper opening with a grinder to fit the receiver as high as possible, may have been able to go higher but not sure, it was a tight fit! I know the hole is ugly, but I had to cut it wide to fit the locking reciever pin in..
Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Here it is all assembled
Uploaded with ImageShack.us