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Alfie's Winch Bumper
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Alfie's Winch Bumper
 
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After a few years of hunting with no success I've decided to build my own winch bumper. (Cue the laughing)......
I'm trying to maintain the vintage look and I've always liked the like of the Warn bumper from the early 80's. This is the look I'm after.  My truck came with fog lights from the factory and I want to include them in the bumper. I was toying around with cutting them into the face of the bumper like seen here, even though its not how the bumper was originally offered.  I already own this winch so it's just a matter of matching up the shape, figuring out the mounting brackets, welding the steel and then having the whole thing chromed....should be a piece of cake right??? Here is the winch I'll be installing. 
1983 Bronco XLT being rebuilt/restored with a 5.8 HO & ZF5 and a pile of other improvements.....
Serpentine drive; saginaw saw; 3G swap; manual swap with a ZF5; hydro boost swap to name a few....
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I found the bumper locally which made it real easy for me to measure and compare and create templates but the bumper was on a Chevy and a previous owner had cut and fabricated his own brackets. I was clueless on where to start with brackets until this past Friday when I saw a post on Facebook with NOS brackets about to be installed! How lucky I was to see that.
Here is the bracket I need to replicate. 
1983 Bronco XLT being rebuilt/restored with a 5.8 HO & ZF5 and a pile of other improvements.....
Serpentine drive; saginaw saw; 3G swap; manual swap with a ZF5; hydro boost swap to name a few....
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Prior to seeing the brackets I had committed to building the bumper and figuring the brackets out later. Today I was able to pick up the raw shapes of the bumper from the steel fabricator.
   From these I'll cut and weld and create the shape over the next few weeks. I'll start by creating the "basket" and the mounting brackets from a template that I'll make.  Once I have the basket and brackets figured out I'll cut and bend the sides and attach them before making a final decision on the fog light locations, then it'll be off to chrome.
1983 Bronco XLT being rebuilt/restored with a 5.8 HO & ZF5 and a pile of other improvements.....
Serpentine drive; saginaw saw; 3G swap; manual swap with a ZF5; hydro boost swap to name a few....
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Re: Alfie's Winch Bumper
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In reply to this post by Alfie623
I'm subscribed! But as you know, I have one of these bumpers. However, I'd like to inset lights as well, so I'm following along.
And, here's my bracket. But mine has an arm your doesn't have - and I think should. In any event, what measurements do you need?  Here's why - that arm goes forward and braces the front of the bumper: 
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Gary,
I made my template tonight for the brackets and found that I would like to know the measurements in these photos. Each line is a straight line. Orange is the height of the wing. Green is the depth of the horizontal base plate from the frame to front edge of the bracket. Purple is the width from the outside of the frame rail to the inside edge of the bracket.   Thanks for any help you can give me.
1983 Bronco XLT being rebuilt/restored with a 5.8 HO & ZF5 and a pile of other improvements.....
Serpentine drive; saginaw saw; 3G swap; manual swap with a ZF5; hydro boost swap to name a few....
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Administrator
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I'm not sure if I'm getting out to the shop tomorrow, but if not will do it on Wednesday. And I'm including your pics, in a much smaller scale, so I can get my head around them. Oh, and I'll measure the angle of the break.
 
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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Administrator
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In reply to this post by Gary Lewis
Your questions:
Orange is the height of the wing: 4 1/2"Green is the depth of the horizontal base plate from the frame to front edge of the bracket: 7 3/8"Purple is the width from the outside of the frame rail to the inside edge of the bracket: 8"Angle of the break at the bottom of the frame: 67 degreesAngle of the break going across bracket from frame: 77 degreesAnd here are the pics of where I took the measurements:     
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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I was able to start mocking some pieces up last night and I’m happy enough with how they look to start cutting and fabricating brackets.
Here is the 3/8” plate I had bent for the brackets. It will be cut for the left and right sides and the plate will make both the horizontal and vertical piece of the bracket. 
   Happy with the bracket angle I’ve moved on to seeing how the basket will rest. I used the rusty angle iron simply as a guide of where the basket will sit in space. I’ve decided that the basket should sit about 3/4” lower than seen in these photos but I need to find another, large piece of angle to mock this up because the angle is set as low as I can get it on the frame here. I also learned that the basket piece isn’t bent squarely so it’ll have to go back in the brake. I’ll break it again and find some large angle and try this all again in a few days after I get back from a trip.  
1983 Bronco XLT being rebuilt/restored with a 5.8 HO & ZF5 and a pile of other improvements.....
Serpentine drive; saginaw saw; 3G swap; manual swap with a ZF5; hydro boost swap to name a few....
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Administrator
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That's a great start!
 That will be a really neat bumper.
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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Today I was able to spend some more time on the bumper. First update is the steel shop bent me a new basket since the first version wasn't square. This new one is square. I also took the time to spray all the pieces with primer to help slow down the surface rust.
Here's the four pieces with primer.  Before I got into the cutting today I wanted to mock things up again and just double check how it was all going to fit together. I mocked the basket into position and then placed the winch in the basket to confirm how it would land.   From here I went to the shop where I could use the plasma cutter to cut the 3/8" steel into the shapes I needed for the brackets that will hold the basket in position.   After this I went back home and mocked the bracket pieces up on the frame horns. I'm ready to tack the pieces together but I'm going to take the time to drill the four mounting holes to the frame horns before I tack weld. It's a lot easier to get the pieces in the drill press without them being welded together.   Hopefully this week I can finish the holes and tack weld the pieces together. Once the brackets are complete I'll turn to drilling the basket for the winch and drilling and cutting the fairlead holes. In a couple of hours I think I can be ready to turn to the sides plates.
1983 Bronco XLT being rebuilt/restored with a 5.8 HO & ZF5 and a pile of other improvements.....
Serpentine drive; saginaw saw; 3G swap; manual swap with a ZF5; hydro boost swap to name a few....
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Administrator
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It really is looking GOOD, Alfie!
And you are right, drilling is lots easier when the parts are separate. Good plan.  And you are going to have it chromed or powder coated?
Gary, AKA "Gary fellow": Profile
Dad's: '81 F150 Ranger XLT 4x4: Down for restomod: Full-roller "stroked 351M" w/Trick Flow heads & intake, EEC-V SEFI/E4OD/3.50 gears w/Kevlar clutches
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Also, in regard to the rectangular KC lights you were looking for, why not try a Bosch Profi 210? they take an H3 and were Available from the dealer. I have a set on my bricknose pickup in the clear driving beam (amber was optional) The amber lights on the truck are Cibie 175s which take an H2. Those were pulled off of an E350 ambulance.
The NOS Ford set (also clear driving) will find its way onto my own warn classic sometime in the future.  
1986 F250 460 C6 4x4 XLT Lariat 4.10 Open
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