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Thunderstruck Elite Front bumper replacement


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Do they make these that can mount a winch in as well? I'm in the same boat, love the ranch hands. But don't like the round tube. And would love the full grille guard as well.

 

 

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I'm almost certain that they can be had with winch provisions. I know for a fact that they can come with receiver tubes in the front so if you have a receiver mounted winch (or want to pull a trailer around from the front) that you can just pin it in the front. The dealer had one that they installed on a "grass rig" for the fire department, and it had a receiver hitch/ tube built into the front so they could swap a Warn winch front to back as needed.

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Do they make these that can mount a winch in as well? I'm in the same boat, love the ranch hands. But don't like the round tube. And would love the full grille guard as well.

 

 

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Yes they have winch mounts but it's an add-on.

 

http://www.thunderstruckbumpers.com/chevy-1500-elite-series-2014-2015

 

 

 

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Got the bumper and I love it.

But there were some issues.

 

The instructions were MINIMAL at best.

 

The instructions said to put the main mount bracket that bolts to the frame to the inside of the flanges on the bumper. But it has to go on the outside of them or the bottom bracket for the passenger side won't fit AT ALL.

 

Also the passenger side bracket that uses the tow hook holes was the wrong shape it seems. If it had a Z and was offset 1 inch to the left it would have fit flawlessly. So I had to just bend the bottom mounts.

 

The plastic pieces that the facia on the lower part of the fender below the headlight HAS to come off of both sides along with the ones on the bottom of the headlights.

 

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I love the look of this thing. Gotta say though, the welds really leave something to be desired in terms of finishing. Not something you'll ever notice but those up close images make it look rough.

 

Did you reach out to them on the mounting issue? I'd seriously look into having them send out a new bracket or bringing that one to a local guy to adjust. I don't know how heavy that bumper is but it's likely that the weight will start to expand the mounting holes on the face of the bumper mount plate and frame of the truck. Once that starts you're gonna have a hell of a time fixing it (either trying to fill it in or expand the holes in the bumper mount and buying larger diameter screws).

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I love the look of this thing. Gotta say though, the welds really leave something to be desired in terms of finishing. Not something you'll ever notice but those up close images make it look rough.

 

Did you reach out to them on the mounting issue? I'd seriously look into having them send out a new bracket or bringing that one to a local guy to adjust. I don't know how heavy that bumper is but it's likely that the weight will start to expand the mounting holes on the face of the bumper mount plate and frame of the truck. Once that starts you're gonna have a hell of a time fixing it (either trying to fill it in or expand the holes in the bumper mount and buying larger diameter screws).

Yes the welds are not the best looking. But that is probably why it's slightly cheaper then other options. Bumpers like ranch hand I'm assuming are computer a welded then ground down. These are hand built so human error will come into effect. I would have preferred the welds to be ground smooth but doesn't bother me much. It's a bumper that will get slot of use.

 

The bumper weight about 220#s.

I'll probably have the front part where the bumper mounts to the frame strengthened. This one weights about the same as others. Most have similar mounting. Along with winch bumpers. They all use the same holes.

 

The passenger side mount will be modified when I get some more time. Other then those issues it fits nice and tight to the body and seems very strong. But these things always leave you wanting more.

 

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You mind me asking what you paid? Can't seem to find pricing on their site.

 

I really like the look of it, worst case I could have it sent to me unfinished and have one of my buddies who does fab work grind down and finish it. Or I could just treat it like a truck bumper and let it get it's scrapes and life with it.

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You mind me asking what you paid? Can't seem to find pricing on their site.

 

I really like the look of it, worst case I could have it sent to me unfinished and have one of my buddies who does fab work grind down and finish it. Or I could just treat it like a truck bumper and let it get it's scrapes and life with it.

I got it through thebumpersuperstore. It was $1095.

 

And that's how I felt. It's a bumper for a truck that pushes its way through bushes and gets beat on, on a regular basis. Not too worried about how pretty the welds are.

 

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