How did you mount your winch bumper?

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

I see you doubters theories, and they make intellectual sense...

But back to my point.. in the real world, has anyone with an Aluminess (or Reunel, which also bolts to frame horns) ever seen a bolt break when winching? Has anyone with an Aluminess ever had an issue with bolting to the frame horns? If so, then maybe there's an issue, but if not, aren't the thousands and thousands of successful winches proof enough?

sorry man, didn't want to piss in your cheerios, I'm keep my BS to myself

[86Scotty]

Originally Posted by rallypanam

I see you doubters theories, and they make intellectual sense...

But back to my point.. in the real world, has anyone with an Aluminess (or Reunel, which also bolts to frame horns) ever seen a bolt break when winching? Has anyone with an Aluminess ever had an issue with bolting to the frame horns? If so, then maybe there's an issue, but if not, aren't the thousands and thousands of successful winches proof enough?

I'm with you Rob. I don't want to dumb down a conversation that I have little technical knowledge about, but I've never seen a winch bumper pulled off. Also, I've never seen a frame build nearly as solid or thick as a Ford E350.

I've pulled down 4 or 5 trees with my 10k SMB/12k Warn winch mounted to a Reunel front bumper. I was astounded at how heavy the winch and bumper were together when I mounted it all up, I'm guessing at least 400 lbs. It's held on by 8 bolts and big washers, but I still have no idea how it is so strong.
The trees I speak of were big, winched at least 20 feet in the air from 60 or more feet out. With the van on dry ground, sometimes pavement, e-brake locked and van in 4 low, it still started to inch the van forward. Big trees. The van frame and bolts are still ok. I'm not so worried about winching myself out of a ditch anymore.

[REF]

Ya, and neither mine or Robb's bumper came flying off trying to winch myself up Diablo hill buried in sand up to the hubs anchored off of Robb's winch from above. [emoji849]
Ive also pulled a flatbed tow truck out of the muck without failure. You're more likely to snap your winch line first, no? Although I've now got a synthetic with a fairly high load rating....


2003 Ford E-350 SMB RB-50
7.3L w/DP tuner & 4" exhaust
Quigley 4X4 (heavily modified)
CCV high profile insulated pop top

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by Tapatio

Sportsmobile welds a 3/16" plate to the outside of the frame horns. I don't think they publish any specs on how much load can be supported with an Aluminess bumper.

Yes, but that's not gonna help the strength of the bolts or the plate on the front of the horns, which seem to be the concern here.

[rallypanam]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

sorry man, didn't want to piss in your cheerios, I'm keep my BS to myself

Nobody's pissing in anyone's cheerios, I'm just wondering if we are looking for a problem where there isn't a problem.

[Abitibi]

Mikracer, my bumper is a Asfir steel bumper.
http://www.asfir.com/bumpers/bumpers...rd-f350/599006

[Abitibi]

Originally Posted by Tapatio

Sportsmobile welds a 3/16" plate to the outside of the frame horns. I don't think they publish any specs on how much load can be supported with an Aluminess bumper.

Hard to tell from the picture but looks like that steel plate is just the front leafs hanger welded on the frame and doesn't come in contact with the horns?

So I'm glad to hear no one had issues just using the horns as a mounting point. It'd be much easier to fab up but I'll still try to incorporate a steel plate to protrude inside the frame and bolt to the side of the frame (or better, a C channel) Peace of mind...
Ideally that steel plate attaching to the frame would go through the bumper and become the front hook or "O" ring.

My rig isn't a SMB but an ambo with the big 7.3 and by next fall will be 4x4 on 35's. Plus, having a larger living quarter means I'll likely load her up even more with useless stuff, Hahaha!

Thanks again to everyone and if you have some detailed pictures showing how yours is mounted that'd be greatly appreciated! So far this is the only picture I could find.



Cheers
David

[rob_gendreau]

I agree about the bolts; I assume that the tensile pull is what makes it possible for a mere mortal to use a wrench to snap off a bolt head. The bolt holds surfaces together, so it's not just like a metal rod preventing the side pull.

When we added my leaf springs up front we added a crossbar, and then I build off of that and welded a front receiver and now the winch sits on that, behind the stock bumper. Even so, I worry a bit. But as noted, sunk to the hubs it's a 4.25 anchor. I'm more worried about a strap pull up there than my winch.

So the winch is just sorta the equivalent of a little help. Like getting a boost with the chrome horn. In any case, bumpers are BUMP-ers, meant to be sacrificial.

[Abitibi]

I guess my steel bumper will act as a cross-member, might be a different story with aluminum! I'm starting to drive my ambo after having it paled for nearly 3 years! And she's bumper naked both front and rear so I'll need to get going on those projects!!!

Hopefully we both have good pull straps

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk

[boywonder]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

The mounting scheme unfortunately puts those (8) 1/2" bolts in less preferred tensile stress, and not in shear. Bolts are roughly twice as strong in shear, as they are in tension.

Well...it looks like each 1/2" grade 8 bolt is good for at least 22,000 lbs in tension before failing and 17,000 lbs or so in shear before failing.....

So in a perfect world, with each bolt sharing the load, we get 8 x 22,000 lbs....anybody got a calculator handy?....that's a big number.....

Yield strength of the fasteners will be less than the above, but plenty high enough to lift the entire weight of an SMB vertically if required....even with grade 5 fasteners.

Grade 5 vs Grade 8 Fasteners - TineLok