Bumper/plow/whatever mount, strong enough?

[muddy]

Wasn't sure where this fit the best, move if needed.

I'm adding a dual reciever tube mount system to the front of my waggy. Once it's finished I hope to be able to simply pull two pins and swap between the stock bumper, plow, winch mount, cooler rack, or whatever else I decide to build for it.

Here's a pic of what I have mocked up so far, and a brief description, let me kow if you think it will be strong enough and work well?



The tube between the frame is two pieces of 1.5"x4" C chanel that will be welded together to make one 3"x4"x1/4"wall tube. I'm also going to make some reinforcements for the outside of the frame (like I've seen used to mount homemade bumpers), and will use at least 1/4" thick material for those as well, and they will wrap around the end of the frame and tie into the reciever cross member.

What do you think, will it work??

Oh, the plow that I'll be using is an older 7' western.

[ShawnQ]

Subscribing.

I'm looking to do something similar for carrying a cooler/ice chest basket and fishing rod holder. The cooler will weigh less than 100# but the beach can get bumpy so there will be some strain.

I'm anxious to see what you come up with.

Thanks
Shawn

[muddy]

Well, all I have so far is the crossmember and reciever tubes mocked into place. It all needs to be welded, and I still need to get the material for the reinforcements that will go on the outside of the frame.

One thing I need to figure out though, is weather I want the recievers to stick out through the bumper, or if I want to be able to mount the bumper using the recievers.

[ShawnQ]

Well, all I have so far is the crossmember and reciever tubes mocked into place. It all needs to be welded, and I still need to get the material for the reinforcements that will go on the outside of the frame.

One thing I need to figure out though, is weather I want the recievers to stick out through the bumper, or if I want to be able to mount the bumper using the recievers.

I guess that would depend on how far the receivers are inset.

If the receivers are fairly close to being flush with the core support and crossmember, then I would have the bumper mount to it. If they are sticking out, you would probably have them come through the bumper. Otherwise, your bumper will look funny pushed out too far from your front end.

The biggest issue I will face, and probably the same with you, is the leverage you will be adding when you put distance between the cross member and whatever load you have on the end. For instance, if you have 200# of snow plow on the end, it has a lot of leverage if it is mounted 12" away from the frame. It goes up exponentially the further out it sticks.

[muddy]

quote "I guess that would depend on how far the receivers are inset. quote

Exactly. I just need to decide which way I want to set it up.

It may not have been clear in the first post, but I do plan on going about 24" back on the frame with something like the bumper mounts seen at the bottom of post #1 in this thread, http://www.ifsja.org/forums/vb/showthread.php?t=146638

[csuengr]

You need to chuck the two angle pieces and get a regular piece of rectangular tube. Those long welds are weak points where it will crack.

Also, the moment induced from cantilevering something increases linearly with distance, not exponentially.

700 lbs at 12" = 700 lb ft

700 lbs at 24" = 1400 lb ft.

[ShawnQ]

You need to chuck the two angle pieces and get a regular piece of rectangular tube. Those long welds are weak points where it will crack.

Also, the moment induced from cantilevering something increases linearly with distance, not exponentially.

700 lbs at 12" = 700 lb ft

700 lbs at 24" = 1400 lb ft.

Poor choice of wording on my part. I meant exponentially in a non-mathematical sense. I agree...linear is the correct word

[csuengr]

That's okay. I had to look up the spelling of cantilever and linear.

[ShawnQ]

That's okay. I had to look up the spelling of cantilever and linear.

[muddy]

I managed to score a reciever hitch that, with minimal modification, will bolt onto the front of the frame. If I use that as the base for my mount, I can ditch the C-chanel, and although it looks like I'll have to cut the air dam (or just remove it), I may be able to get by without having to cut up the bumper.