Mounting winch bumper on a Maverick

[Hardening2753]

HERE'S PART TWO: FINISHING IT UP

When mounted on a Jeep the bumper is straight across. This picture shows the pieces added to flare the bumper. Notice the "ropey" used to blend in with the welds on the $100 e-bay bumper. I found a beeline paint at HomeDepot which perfectly matched the bumper (Rustoleum truck bed coating)

The winch I chose is a HyperTough from Walmart...about $175. It is a smaller size made for side-by-Side ATVs. Rated for 5500 pounds. My original purchase was a HyperTough 1000 pound winch which I returned after I mocked it up to the Mav and found that the bumper would have to mount about 6" lower and 6" further out. While the big winch fit the bumper, it didn't fit the truck

The winch controls mount inside bumpers right side and I drilled holes just above it for the wired remote..

Last job was wiring the winch. I originally bought cables and fuses and everything else needed to hook to the 12 volt battery under the back seat. After rejecting several possible routes, I discovered that the wires only needed to reach to the engine bay. The hybrid has a post under the hood for hooking up jumper cables. It is in the upper left side of this picture. I wire from this post to a circuit breaker. The circuit breaker stays open when I'm not using the winch, and when I'm 50 miles from nowhere I'm not stranded by a blown fuse - just repair wires and reset the breaker.

I hope this "proof-of-concept " project will inspire someone to build a more polished, genuine, metal truck bumper

This is really awesome man! I'm just like you where I mostly do payment stuff but then I do some wilder off-roading to reach some hiking spots. Luckily I haven't needed a winch yet but I could definitely use something like this in the future

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[Happy Guy 823]

This would look great on bwicka`s pre runner build.

 

[Rivers90]

That is a good idea. I like the way it look but it also look kind of low. What is the approach angle, ground clearance with this on?
Can you show a photo from the side?
There must be a way to mount it higher. But you would need to cut the bumper.
A winch is a very handy tool to have.

 

[GPSMan]

A wench is a handy tool to have also.

 

[Dudley]

While I understand sometimes the need for winches if you spend lots of time where you either need to help people out of trouble or are in the business of doing so, just to add it makes me ask; what is your insurance company going to say about this (hide it from them and you are in deep doodoo) especially if ....

 

[GPSMan]

While I understand sometimes the need for winches if you spend lots of time where you either need to help people out of trouble or are in the business of doing so, just to add it makes me ask; what is your insurance company going to say about this (hide it from them and you are in deep doodoo) especially if ....

Thank you Dudley DoRight

 

[Jman79]

what is your insurance company going to say about this (hide it from them and you are in deep doodoo) especially if ....

Is there a clause in most insurance policies that you have to inform them about modifications to the vehicle?

Makes me think of all the things I've done over the years and never thought twice. Tow hitches, tires, roof racks, etc. I imagine if I called them to inform them the agent I talk would either scoff at me or pretend to document something but really do nothing.

Now trying to deny your claim or push it off after an accident happened. That I can believe, but I would imagine it's on them to prove it was the cause of more severe consequences, no?

 

[Maverickman74]

That is a good idea. I like the way it look but it also look kind of low. What is the approach angle, ground clearance with this on?
Can you show a photo from the side?
There must be a way to mount it higher. But you would need to cut the bumper.
A winch is a very handy tool to have.

If you park the winch in front of that radiator you're gonna have heat issues.

Best winch system ever designed was on a boutique English offroader. I was centrally mounted, had cable layering in the spool, and ran through guided passages to the front bumper and then back again to the rear. No one has ever replicated it that I know of but it was sweet. It eliminated all the issues with mounting winches such as cooling, sticking out, moisture, and weight distribution. I have often mused about how to pull off something similar. Sure would be sweet for the winch to be mounted in the rear under seat storage and run down to a central pipe will rollers inside it and curved up to the front and rear. Who's got money, time, a lift, and doesn't need to drive their Maverick for a month to work out all the kinks?? Anyone? Bueler? Bueler?

 

[Old Man]

Ironic that this thread was right next to the one from a guy looking under his hybrid and declaring they should never be taken off road because of all the low hanging, cheaply made components.

 

[dogtruck]

Call AAA, call a friend, call an ex-wife, but get that thing off. You are endangering pedestrians, cyclists and about everyone who crosses your path.
Yourr liability coverage will probably be denied (uncertified alteration) and you may be left holding a hugh financial burden.
But hey...it looks cool.

 

[elgin]

That is a good idea. I like the way it look but it also look kind of low. What is the approach angle, ground clearance with this on?
Can you show a photo from the side?
There must be a way to mount it higher. But you would need to cut the bumper.
A winch is a very handy tool to have.

You bring up some very good points. In most situations the approach angle was about the same as stock; as the lower part of this bumper is slanted, however the bumper does stick out, so extreme approach angles such as encountered in rock crawling are out....but hey, this is fwd hybrid - used off pavement, not off road. To increase ground clearance, the truck has had a 1 1/2" leveling lift installed.
Actually, I probably should have installed a hitch receiver on the bumper, then I could have raised the bumper two more inches, and put the winch in a cradle for used in both front and rear receivers.

 

[elgin]

If you park the winch in front of that radiator you're gonna have heat issues.

Best winch system ever designed was on a boutique English offroader. I was centrally mounted, had cable layering in the spool, and ran through guided passages to the front bumper and then back again to the rear. No one has ever replicated it that I know of but it was sweet. It eliminated all the issues with mounting winches such as cooling, sticking out, moisture, and weight distribution. I have often mused about how to pull off something similar. Sure would be sweet for the winch to be mounted in the rear under seat storage and run down to a central pipe will rollers inside it and curved up to the front and rear. Who's got money, time, a lift, and doesn't need to drive their Maverick for a month to work out all the kinks?? Anyone? Bueler? Bueler?

Nope, no heat issues. Park this truck next to stock a stock one, and you will see that areas of the radiator exposed is the same on both vehicles. The stock radiator shutters still function as normal (Ford removed portions of the shutter on a recall) The hybrid has an electric heater plumbed into the cooling system because it was unable the adequately warm up the battery bank., cooling has never been a problem.

 

[Maverickman74]

Nope, no heat issues. Park this truck next to stock a stock one, and you will see that areas of the radiator exposed is the same on both vehicles. The stock radiator shutters still function as normal (Ford removed portions of the shutter on a recall) The hybrid has an electric heater plumbed into the cooling system because it was unable the adequately warm up the battery bank., cooling has never been a problem.

Yours is low enough it should be fine. I was talking about a higher mount someone suggested for an Ecoboost that also has a intercooler to worry about.

 

[Bwicka]

Looks great ,perfect proof of concept and way better than without .
i Have considered a custom sheetmetal type bumper, but I’m going old rough rider ( team)style on my build ,maybe even the graphics.thats why mine is Oxford white.

But as far as crashworthiness,insurance ,and airbag stuff , this kind of mod is no different than the 600,000 +jeeps out there with airbags(yj on up ?)that have all changed bumper , grills , winches , fenders ,flares ,axles ,transmissions ,engines, hoods and anything else jeep that doesn’t work off road.
keep it up !
as Mark Patey would say -
“Back to Work!”

 

[Bwicka]

And to all the naysayers……

THESE RIGHT HERE……

ARE 100% UNIBODY VEHICLES!
have been for 30+ years

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