Weight on front end with Winch and bumper - Cranking Torsion bars..

From: Miles D. Oliver (moliver@mmoliver.org)
Date: Mon Dec 26 2005 - 19:48:44 EST


  I'm finally getting the new shop built at my house, Concrete pad pouring
this week and framing should have me in the shop working by End of March
at the absolute latest.

  With the shop built I can finally have my welding area back (promised
the wife no welding in the attached garage since we moved in last April)
and am going to build a new winch bumper for my 2002 quad cab. I'm putting
a new Warn 9500 on my Suzuki and the old Ramsey REP 8000 will go on the
Dakota. I'll probably only use it to pull downed trees out of the way and
out of the occasional stuck on my Ohio property but want to build me a decent
winch bumper on the Dakota as I need a good project, The truck is paid for
so it now becomes fair game.

  With the addition of additional weight of the winch and new bumper, how
much weight can I get away with without it sagging badly in the front?.
I'll probably have to crank the torsion bars too with the added weight.

  I plan on at least 3/16 plate for the winch base and attachments and 11ga
for the rest of the bumper to keep the weight down. I'll not be bashing
trees with it. I want it to be as light as possible but still have a good
winch base.

  I have the skills to fab something similar to the Hanson bumper, without
all that cost (Its wonderful work, and people should be paid for their
efforts but my budget can't handle $600 plus for one). I usually mock up
bumpers out of wood paneling or foamcore to start with for a decent template
that I can cut steel from. so I can make more than one ;)

  Anybody else built a bumper for a Gen III Dakota?

  --
  Miles D. Oliver
  www.mmoliver.org



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