Po' Boy HighLift And Winch Receiver Front Bumper

[venado]

After I sunk my AV in Mexico a couple of weeks ago and had to leave a 30 grand truck in a Mexican mudhole , the urgency to find a way to winch my AV and use a HighLift jack gained a new priority. Here is my solution for less than $200.

 

[JT]

I like it!!! Great thinking!!!

 

[Lightning]

I don't get it, I mean it's a great idea and all, why not just use the tow hooks if you are stuck?

 

[simtechray]

The idea is now you have a receiver in the front to mount a winch.

 

[MagicMtnDan]

Plus, I assume he could use the cross member or the receiver locations as jacking points to lift the Av up using a Hi-Lift Jack.

 

[venado]

For those that may have never been really really stuck , without the ability to get off of a full truck length high center, you are there for good. Lifting with a HighLift can get something under the tires and once that is done either a winch or a tow strap can extract the vehicle. The bumper provides help in both cases. The winch, fitted with a receiver insert can now pull either from the front or the back just by hooking into the receiver on either end of the truck.

 

[jackalanche]

Venado - man you are one "can do" kinda guy - lets see, I need a receiver hitch up front, we have those two tow hook areas, quick, draw up some plans and get the welder going! dang! I am one of those in search of a front receiver hitch mount.

love the pics too - you know you are really stuck when you have to find an alternative exit from the vehicle (been there, not in the Av yet though). Did you back in to that mess?

 

[02Avalanche]

Yep got my AV stuck just last week down to the floor boards Once you are in to this extent you need something like this Winch Receiver to get yourself out. This is a great idea and one that you will appreciate if you are ever put into the situation. The first thing in the mud are the rear shock mounts (on my 2500) these mounts are like sticking two stakes in the mud Great ideal and I will try to locate someone local to fabricate this gem for my AV also....thanks

 

[venado]

Jackalanche, If you will look at the first pic, you will see the "trail" I left getting to where it wasn't going to go anymore. I stopped about 150 yards in front of the truck because I couldn't go any farther, I tried to gently back up but had a fence to the right and the ditch to the left. The crown of the "road" just caused the AV to slide very slowly into the ditch. I tried backing up and moved the 150 yards but it just got too high centered to go. I needed to dig a trench for the front wheels that would lead up to the road but just couldn't dig since the rain was coming down and the mud was like glue. The road was too slick to get another truck up front and a truck with an 8000# winch couldn't budge it going backwards because we couldn't anchor the truck with the winch.

02, you are correct that the shocks are a pointy stake.

Having to get in and out on the right side sure did get mud over everything inside, but that is just one of the hazards of hunting in that sort of country.

All in all a bad situation. Having to leave it down there for a week I expected to come back and find it looted, but as it turned out the only damage was caused by cattle horning the stranger in their neighborhood. Sure took the "new" off but pretty light damage compared to what could have happened.

I guess it goes without saying but once the pins are removed, the whole bumper comes off so if you don't like the looks just store it in the garage for the next trip to bad country.

 

[steelheadchaser]

Very ingenious solution, Venado. That looked like quite a predicament.

 

[james21]

Hey venado, it looks like you were having fun until you got stuck in that poop. I hope you didn't leave it there for long. The setup for the winch looks very interesting and strong, but does it allow you to keep the stock tow hooks?

Thanks, James R.

 

[nfhjr]

I like it !!
You are a real inventer, i will have to start to get things togeather to make this up soon

 

[Alaska_AV.]

good job. I was thinking along the same lines. But u did it cool. I also want to photo chop the pick of the front of your truck with new open receivers add a couple of them hitch propellers

I was thinking of bolting a 1/2 plate to hook mounts. Weld the receivers to that. not the frame. My mental hold up was how much/enough room for the pin to go in. Not enough beer consumption to get to drawing stage. Then a 4inch-ish tube bar across the front of the AV. with receiver welded in center of tube. light mounts and grill guard.
Not as brave as Blueruck to go Full Metal Bumper

another amendment for the christmas mod list!

 

[venado]

James 21, the tow hooks can not be reinstalled because the way that the towhook is made it mounts into the end of the frame but bends down so that the hook appears in the center of the bumper opening. This would of course conflict with the receiver that is welded onto the bottom of the frame end and comes out the center of the opening.

AlaskaAV, yeah I thought about those prop inserts but decided that it might frighten the rice burners when I pulled up real close behind at a light. You know they do make stoplight inserts too. Now that would look cool blinking like an emergency vehicle on a call.

 

[Alaska_AV.]

he he he

 

[Rescue_1]

Just a thought after looking at the pics, isn't there a plow company that makes a plow mount that is similar to what you have done? It might be a way to mount a snow plow without cutting the front bumper cladding. Or maybe you could get a plow mounting kit for a truck with the same width framerails and modify it to fit the new receivers.

 

[venado]

Rescue_1, since I live in the desert country of south TX, I don't have a clue as to snow plows.

Alaska_AV, now that does really look cool and maybe I could hook up the serpentine belt to them and use my AV as a true multi-terrain/substance vehicle not letting rivers stop me.

 

[PhantomFloater]

Hey Rescue_1, I was thinking the same thing, this snow plow may work.

Video

Web Site

 

[02Avalanche]

Hey Rescue_1, I was thinking the same thing, this snow plow may work.

Video

Web Site

What a great idea ?

 

[02Avalanche]

Just a thought after looking at the pics, isn't there a plow company that makes a plow mount that is similar to what you have done? It might be a way to mount a snow plow without cutting the front bumper cladding. Or maybe you could get a plow mounting kit for a truck with the same width framerails and modify it to fit the new receivers. ?

This would be worth investigating.

 

[pdxkevin]

This is a great mod! WOW The simplicity, use versitility and creativity! WOW Congratulations on a great mod. Extending the front a little wider would help protect the fog lamps, too.

I don't know how many over in the 4X4 forum have seen this. I am sure there are some who missed it and would want to know about it.

I need to go and get some drawings made to get this mod priced out locally.

 

[Rescue_1]

I was thinking of something more like this:

ez plow mount

 

[venado]

pdxkevin, if you are refering to the bumper mod, all you have to do is print the drawing I included on the linked web page.

 

[Alaska_AV.]

That blade is interesting. I've plowed snow to feed my family before. So I would want more function. I 'd prefer one with hydraulics. The one I want for my 86 chev plow truck, is one that goes on the rear receiver. A hydraulic down pressure blade about the same size. more Cash though. Now if you could winch it up at least you could back blade. If you can't back blade you have to shovel

venado, you got us thinking, good job

 

[conwayavalancher]

I really like this idea you set up! After I got stuck the other day this could have gotten me out! I like the idea simply b/c it will solve the winch problem. I was looking around WARN's website and found this:

What if WARN could find a way to mount the hitch behind the AV's bumper and drill a hole where the front license plate is? That way when you need to use the winch for the front....remove your license plate and hook it up and when your done put your licensce plate back on and you wont see the hole. I've sent them an email about this and hopefully they wont blow me off.