Winch Mount Bumper + Winch = Weight Concerns?
 

I'm looking at adding a Westin HDX winch bumper which weighs north of 150 pounds. A Warn 10,000 pound winch with synthetic rope adds another 85-90 pounds.

I was planning on having a 2" spacer kit installed to the front to bring it back into level.

My worry, though, is that long term 250+ pounds might cause problems.

The HDPP includes a heavier frame, more robust rear diff, and beefier leaf springs. However, I haven't read anything about the front end being made made stronger.

Anyone have any insight to share?

You will need heavier front springs, and suspension parts in front will wear out quicker due to extra weight. I can make no specific equip. recommendations.

To build a proper vehicle to carry all that will cost a little, and make your truck less pleasant to drive on the road.

There are hitch mountable winches available, and with a front hitch installed, you can pull at either end that way......never know which end will get "stuck."

And store the winch in the truck bed or locked into rear.

I'm interested in the heavy duty bumper for deer protection. Since I'm investing that much money, I might as well get one capable of accepting a winch, which will come later.

I'm not finding any specialized springs for the 2015 and up F150.

Some folks who have put F250 springs on earlier models have reported that the camber adjustments are never spot on when the align it and the new springs might rub.

The adjustable Fox coil over kit might work, but it's running $800.

Sometimes I wish I didn't put so much thought into projects. As they say, "Ignorance is bliss."

Often times heavy duty bumpers cause more significant damage to the vehicle. The bumpers will bend the frame rather than just having some crumpled body panels, grill, headlights, etc.

IMO let insurance pay for deer damage.

Your truck will handle like crap with all that weight up front, hurt gas mileage.

Just get some quality, long yank straps so you can be pulled out instead.

Winches are a big deal.....you'll need an extra battery and all that battery cabling to do it right.

Personally, I ride my KTM 350 exc-f off road (street legal) and leave the truck back in the staging area.

There is no fun in bashing a 42k$ factory truck off road.

Well no fun in bashing your own 42k truck off road. But I can speak from experience, it's fun when it's someone else's truck and your getting paid good money to do it

I wanted a full front-end replacement for brush protection and as a mounting platform for emergency warning equipment. On previous trucks, I've run the Ranch Hand front end replacement that's specifically designed for the F150 - it's quite a bit lighter than the "real" Ranch Hand. This time around, I went with a Fab Fours bumper - same weight, but much better construction and look.

I'm not running a winch (although the bumper does have winch provisions) but I've not noticed a substantial difference in the handling of the truck.

I definitely wouldn't want to install something like Road Armor... you will beat the crap out of the front end. That stuff belongs on a Super Duty.

That's why I mentioned that I have the HDPP. It makes my truck a "super duty light", so to speak.

I was hoping someone would be able to clarify what, if any, enhanced components the front of my truck received.

I put the Warn Gen II Trans4mer on my '16 F150 SCrew. My previous truck was a '13 F250 SCab with the 6.2. On the F250 I had the Westin HDX brush guard with winch mount. That thing was heavy duty and heavy. It along with the winch added a good deal of weight to the front end but it was after all a F250 so I wasn't to worried. I never drove it without the winch and guard but overall it drove rough. The rough ride is why I sold it. I was concerned about doing the same with the F150 so I opted for the lighter weight Warn set up. It won't take near the abuse of the Westin set up but it doesn't way near what the Westin did. I also use a synthetic cable to save weight and do not have the light guards for the Trans4mer. The winch itself is extremely heavy. You can save weight by opting for a synthetic rope. I have the FOX coil overs up front and did not experience any sag nor do I have a rough ride/handling from the winch set up.

I have never owned a front end replacement on any of my vehicles, but i have heard numerous stories of people not happy with them and experiencing rough ride & handling. I have, however, had a brush guard with winch set up on numerous vehicles without too many problems.

While it is not "heavy duty" I am happy with the Warn set up. It looks good, functions and does not cause any noticeable "effect" on my truck. The Gen II is a little more solid than previous versions. One important note is that the Warn is bolted together while the Westin HDX set up is a one-piece welded together set up. Obviously the Westin will be more solid but also heavier.

longbedbob - I have a HDPP 2011 (see sig). It has springs with a higher spring rate than the Fox 2.0's. Use Google to look for a PDF that show specs for 2016 trucks. Your spring rates are not as high as mine but likely higher than other 2016's. I installed a Rough Country winch mount behind my front bumper then added a 2" receiver to it. I can install my winch when I need it and remove it when I don't. I can also install it in the rear receiver.
You may be able to find an anti deer bumper with a 2" receiver built in. I did not like the available front receiver mounts as they were under the bumper and too low.