I'm about to get the ball rolling on a front skid/Bumper mount winch setup (winch design courtesy of Omelet). Here is roughly what I am looking to achieve...I'll post progress here as I move along!
Sounds like a good plan! I will probably ditch my front guard once I move up to the SL in favor of a custom one too. I don't like the way the 4xG skid doesn't mate up the SL LCA mount.
While it would probably look good from far away it wouldn't match up close and that would bother me. I'm weird like that. Besides, the paint guy already has the hood off painting it!
The Jeep is still in the shop for hood paint so tonight I did a little more rendering. I figured if I'm going to have the bumper cover off and hacking it up I might as well get some shackle mounts in there. I'm also about to start a quad bi-xenon retrofit into headlights and upgrade my fogs, so I drew them in while I was working in Photoshop/Lightroom/paint. Here is a rough draft of what I want to achieve. Of course, the slots won't be this wide or the skid would almost be useless, but it gives me a place to start.
Ther fairlead for the winch will be integrated into the skid instead of above it. The shackles will mount behind the bumper cover, which will be cut around them. They will then be reachable through the slats.
I'll get rid of the Hellas behind the grill. They will be useless after I finish the lights and it will clean everything up in the front with them gone. I might do a black Saguaro grill insert instead.
This design will probably change about 10 more times before I finish it, but that is part of the fun! Feel free to give any suggestions/comments on the design as I'm open to input at this point. Otherwise, stay tuned!
That looks like it will be really cool. Alot of fabrication but really nice. What about making the skid plate fit right into the notch in the middle of the bumper where it curves in. That will give it a clean look and not disturb the flow of the bumper. It will just look like it is black in the middle for the most part.
PS: I can find those lights a good home behind another grill I know of on a silver jeep when the time comes lol.
Thanks BigTicket, I like your idea. I am looking at wider for a few reasons. I would like to keep the same width as the cowl and grill. The wider it is the more protection I will have underneath. I will also need to have the shackle mounts further out than inside of that recessed area. I'll let you know first when the Hellas come out!
That does make sense. I like the idea of it for sur. You could do like a tapered design when it comes wide underneath the vehicle to fit right into that slot. Yet, I agree that it will not help for mounting the shackles.
I do agree with keeping the body lines with the hood cowl, down the grill, to the skid. Will you be form fitting the skid around the curvature of the bumper?
I think it would look good that way, but defiantly would require some good metal working skills. Also I was going to ask you numerous posts ago but always seem to forget how do you like the yellow fogs?
Omelet has done the legwork for the winch cradle dimensions, I will just add a second fairlead for the winch cable to run throught the skid. I'll weld or bolt in the shackle mounts on the crossmember just before where it will be cut out. I'm going to fab the skid out of a thin sheet of steel that will be easily workable as far as bends and such. I'm going to have a local professional shop do the final piece after I get the prototype piece exactly how I want it and dry-fit properly.
I don't know who you are trying to kid here look at your jeep I know it won't be that because it will never make it on the jeep if it is. I firmly believe that... :thumbsup:
So anyways we can get you and omlete up here and get to some fabricating
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
Jeep Garage - Jeep Forum
1.7M posts
176.1K members
Since 2009
Jeep Garage is where you can talk about all your favorite jeeps including the Cherokee, Liberty and Grand Cherokee.