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edit added @ 10am day after install and talking with guys at BudBuilt
PLEASE READ THIS NOTE BEFORE YOU MAKE ANY JUDGEMENT ON BUDBUILTs WINCH PLATE
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For those that dont want to read the story. I installed a 5th gen Budbuilt Hidden Winch Plate on a 4th Gen by accident. story in post 7
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So here it is. For my baby's 174,000 mile birthday.
She got a for her...
-Budbuilt Hidden Winch Mount
-Warn VR10,000 hitch
Vehicle:2003 V8 4th Gen
In the front there is....
-Curt MFG Front Hitch Reciever
-Full Set of Hornblasters train horns
20lbs of sh*t in a 5lb bag
Basically, this write up is a guide for the install. It was a interesting job.
NOTE/Warning: You should have cutting tools handy. Airsaw, good set of drill bits, grinder and a lowes/home depot near by. Read and you'll see why.
First off, bumper comes off. I am sure there are write ups out there for this. So i'm not going into detail on it. since i never took it off before, i managed to take only 15 minutes to get it off.
So here it is with bumper off, no horns nothing in the way.
In this picture you will see two bolts circled in red below. I cut these guys off. They are too short. both front hitch mount and winch plate share that one bolt. hitch uses another bolt on the other side too
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There are 4 bolts to remove the bumper reinforcement off the frame.
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Mock up of the reinforcement back on and winch plate. As you can see the U-Bolts that go around the bumper reinforcement are crooked. thats because on my truck there are two tabs that allow the plastic bumper to bolt on to.
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Here are the tabs i am talking about. As you can see this u bolt is not lined up because of these brackets.
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Out came the grinder. whiiiizzz, and it came off in minutes LoL
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Now the U-bolts fit nice.
Then the winch delivery came.
Then the thought of all this stuff needs to go back in and more!.
NOTE: when you have it in this mocked up position with no winch on it. mark the bumper reinforcement with the hole for the front two winch holes. from the top.
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This is the winch mounted to the winch plate. Take note of the four bolts that hold the bottom of the winch. You need to drill out two holes on the bumper reinforcement so the two bolts towards the front can drop in that hole.
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Used a small bit to start the hole then enlarged it to 1.75"
See now the winch mounted to the plate will sit flush on top of the bumper reinforcement. if you didnt drill the two holes, the winch would be tilted up and sitting on the bolt heads.
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