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Modified JK TechTech related bulletin board forum regarding subjects such as suspension, tires & wheels, steering, bumpers, skid plates, drive train, cages, on-board air and other useful modifications that will help improve the performance and protection of your Jeep JK Wrangler (Rubicon, Sahara, Unlimited and X) on the trail.
PLEASE DO NOT START SHOW & TELL TYPE THREADS IN THIS FORUM
Side note, anyone notch their frame for the steering flip? I’m considering notching my frame since I can stuff 37’s without having to add any additional bump stop. I can do a little body trimming to clear the 37’s in full stuff and turn.
As far as upgrading everything up front in the steering....it's just something that needs to be done regardless of DW or not. So many people overlook this cost when lifting their jeep and adding big tires, but the sad fact is most our factory steering ain't great when you to 35s and up.
I haven’t notched the frame yet, I’ll get back to work on the Jeep in the next day or so. I did get everything ordered for my hydro assist, I’ll start a new thread for the install once I get everything. There’s already a lot of info online about a diy hydro assist but one more couldn’t hurt.
Along with notching the frame, I’m considering taking a few inches from the front of the frame to recess the bumper and winch a little bit. I need to do more measuring for that though before I commit. I would really like to take about 6” off the front. I should probably make a build thread... maybe.
Along with notching the frame, I’m considering taking a few inches from the front of the frame to recess the bumper and winch a little bit. I need to do more measuring for that though before I commit. I would really like to take about 6” off the front. I should probably make a build thread... maybe.
I chopped my front up almost 2 years ago now maybe. that was kinda big hurdle as there's not much going back. I went very minimal with a PSC BFH front bumper Want to say I had to chop about that...6". I figured I was never going to sell the jeep.....I'll either wad it up somehow in an accident or it will last forever, but it wasn't going to be sold ever.
That's some serious cojones to chop off the end of the frame but as far as it sticks out, it does hurt the approach. Bumper manufacturers seem to want to drape more metal over it and connect everything, but it's still a ton hanging out there. Jeep did a few concepts years ago with the frame chopped and they look sharp. Porkchop is one I really liked, but even the Lower Forty would be a sweet goal to hit as far as clearance in the front goes.
I chopped my front up almost 2 years ago now maybe. that was kinda big hurdle as there's not much going back. I went very minimal with a PSC BFH front bumper Want to say I had to chop about that...6". I figured I was never going to sell the jeep.....I'll either wad it up somehow in an accident or it will last forever, but it wasn't going to be sold ever.
Did you have to cut your grill a little for the winch? I have the smittybilt winch so I can remote mount the control box. I’ll have to cut about an inch off the bottom of the grill and cut into the core support lower cross member about 1/4” or so. I haven’t ever looked into the psc bumper but I imagine I’d have to do much of the same. I’m using a metalcloak bumper and will reuse it after the frame chop.
Did you have to cut your grill a little for the winch? I have the smittybilt winch so I can remote mount the control box. I’ll have to cut about an inch off the bottom of the grill and cut into the core support lower cross member about 1/4” or so. I haven’t ever looked into the psc bumper but I imagine I’d have to do much of the same. I’m using a metalcloak bumper and will reuse it after the frame chop.
OK, so got home and looked at this....there's no way I chopped 6". That had to be one of those things that when you're doing it it FEELs like 6", but was probably more like 3". I did measure from the new front of the frame rail to the first bolt on the sway bar bushing and mine is ~6.5". Here are some pics to reference how my winch sits having taken off those horns up front and whatever else I did.
Gosh, I'd bet taking off 6" would put you into half your grill kinda like Dirtman's.
Thanks for the pics. I am measuring about 4.5” from my winch to the radiator. Unless I do major modifications to suck the radiator in or mount the winch lower, I won’t go back any more than 4”. So... 4” may be my goal.
So I just pulled up this pic from install instructions....damn, my 6" statement wasn't even in the ball park. I guess cutting off that crash bar felt like a lot too.
I think if you're gonna do it, google around a good bit cuz there are people that have gotten the winch down in there. I think some have mounted it upside down so they could access the clutch from below....and if you can somehow do that it probably saves a little space as the clearance you need is more down rather than up into your radiator. Would you be reworking the whole front bumper to something custom anyhow? Right behind that grill and at the bottom is some structural support the grill snaps into. At current height you couldn't slide that back due to that bar I think....you'd have to lower it or flip it upside down. Food for thought at least. Have to be able to get hands on the clutch easily. No clue if makes sense or not, but my original thought was lay 3/16" across the top of the frame rails as a mounting plate, mount winch upside down, fabricate bumper around all that. Could be stupid, just thinking out loud.
I’ll end up cutting the crash bar and deleting the lower skid plate from my bumper. As for lowering the winch or flipping it, I think that’s going to be a bit more work than I want to do. I will have to make some tabs on the frame for the winch plate to attack to since right now it attaches to the crash bar on the inside edge of the frame rail.
As for my bumper, I think I’ll just have to trim a little off the back edge of my bumper end caps. I will reuse the frame horns so the bumper will still mount exactly as it does now. I’ll just cut 4” from somewhere between the frame horn and the front most sway bar mount hole, then weld the frame horn back on and weld a plate along the side of the rail to reinforce everything.
This should tuck the winch up close to the radiator (I’ll make a heat shield to the heat doesn’t affect the rope). As for the grill, I think the cutting there will also be minimal since my winch sits pretty low. And the clutch can be grabbed between the openings of the grill... if that turns out to be difficult to do then I’ll open the grill up just a little so I can get a better grasp on the clutch.
01-01-2021, 11:58 AM
