Bull/brush/grill guard mounting methods

[Chapap]

I’ve found tons of posts with zero replies on here about bull guards. Disappointingly, one of them was about the oem 3rd gen ranger.

Im wondering how to mount these things so they’re not just decoration. It seems like these things have long strips of thin metal connecting them to the frame. I’m not wanting a battering ram, but I’d like to be able to stand or sit on it without worrying about bending something.

due to nonexistent availability of vehicle specific bars, is it typical to find one that looks right for the truck and fabbing brackets to mount it?

 

[sgtsandman]

Outside of fabricating your own brackets or welding it to the bumper, you are pretty much stuck with getting an off road bumper with an integrated bar.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I think at one time there was bars available for the Ranger, but not sure there are anymore. I had been searching awhile back for mounting plates or at least a good description of them because I picked up a used bar that was supposed to be from a Ranger but they didn’t have the mount plates. Didn’t have any luck and never got around to trying to fabricate something. I have a stainless bar that has been on my Bronco IIs (think it’s about been on every one I’ve owned at some point), but the curved brush guard I got for the gen 3 and up, well, it’s still collecting rust because I never got an answer. At this point I’m thinking it might be more likely that I just build a bumper with a guard.

 

[Chapap]

Outside of fabricating your own brackets or welding it to the bumper, you are pretty much stuck with getting an off road bumper with an integrated bar.

How is it typically done? Loop under the bumper then up to the frame? Cut thru bumper? Share mounting point and bolts with the bumper? Drill into frame rail like some hitches are done? U bolts around frame rail

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

How is it typically done? Loop under the bumper then up to the frame? Cut thru bumper? Share mounting point and bolts with the bumper? Drill into frame rail like some hitches are done? U bolts around frame rail

I have seen all of the above over the years. The one for my Bronco II s just has these bent metal tabs the hook on the bumper to hold it. I’ve also seen where it uses bumper bolts on older stuff with exposed bolts, seen a lot with the bumper trim cut on various vehicles and a few where it goes around the trim. But ever since I got one for a 93+ Ranger, I haven’t found another similar Ranger with one that I could look at

 

[sgtsandman]

How is it typically done? Loop under the bumper then up to the frame? Cut thru bumper? Share mounting point and bolts with the bumper? Drill into frame rail like some hitches are done? U bolts around frame rail

lil_Blue_Ford pretty much answered it. If it was me and there is enough of an opening in the bumper, I would go under and through for the strongest possible mount. Most I've seen go under but unless that metal is pretty beefy, it makes one heck of a lever arm to bend the mount once something gets hit.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

@ericbphoto has a custom bumper on his 93 that he added a winch to.

 

[Curious Hound]

@ericbphoto has a custom bumper on his 93 that he added a winch to.

Yeah. But that's a whole different animal. What I have started out as a Jeep bumper. I put my own mounts in it so it would fit my gen3 Ranger. Then, most recently hacked into it to add the winch. The whole thing is still minted by the 4 OEM bolts on the frame rails.

 

[racsan]

The warn trans4mer on my 94 was originally on my 93, I bought it new in 2003, the mounting bracket’s basically clamp around the frame horn, 1 bolt on each side goes through a existing hole in the frame. it’s plenty strong, Ive hit deer with it (the 93 truck, not the current 94) Ive used it as a lift point to raise the entire front end of the 94 with a chain hoist. The ranger is in the garage right now, I can try to get some pictures & edit this post, not sure how good they will be, kind of dark under there & everything is painted black.

 

[racsan]

for some reason I cannot edit my post to add photos, in looking through my photo gallery I found pictures I took of the grille guard some time ago when it was off (between trucks) for my future reference, brackets & bolts are in the spots they would be for installation. the underneath photos of course arent great but without a lift or lights its the best I can manage at the moment.

 

[Mike92STX]

I didn't read the whole post so I'm not sure what you are looking for but I bought a Westin Bull bar that mounted fairly easy to my 04 Ranger FX4. I did have to reverse the hooks that come through the bumper and I put a 3/8 inch thick aluminum plate to mount a set of lights. Didn't need that heavy a plate but my son got it free so why not.