Need help making decisions

[Sully]

I hate when people make these threads, but I get it. Thats why I am making one now.

first question:

Winch mounting. I have a 10,000lb winch and it came with a trailer hitch cradle. I have access to a free hitch to put on the front of my truck, just need to fab it up for rugged mounting. Then I could run a set of plugs to mounts like plow plugs use and have them ready to go any time i need them. The truck was bought specifically to put a plow on the front though. No plow manufacturer in the world plans on a trailer hitch being there, so i would run into issues down the road when I mount the plow bracketry. The other idea I had was to get a push bar, mount a winch tray, and perm mount the winch in that tray. That makes the winch only useful to my truck, not the wifes brothers or wheeling buddies. Thats not a huge deal, but it means I am def the rescue truck. The other issue is with my luck, when I need it the most I'll be stuck and the front wont have anything to winch onto. For now I have it in the hitch cradle, but I am looking for front mounting and something a little more permanent than having to run jumper cables to power the damn thing.


lighting for dark places and off road
I have a few hella rectangular lights now. I dont have them mounted. But I am looking to mount lights both in the front and the back. Last time I was out with Sarah's truck yanking a buddy's jeep out, we didnt get done until it was dark as hell out. We had all kinds of issues with seeing where we were going. This truck being much more outfitted for off road use, will see more wheeling time, and probably end up out there in just as dark a night. The pushbar from the winch would give me a good place to mount front lights, but the push bar also wont be plow friendly. The back lights, i am either thinking on the bumper off to the side of the tail gate or on a back rack. The only downside I know of to the back rack idea is the having to buy a damn back rack or at least the steel to build one.

exhaust tips
I have my headers and my 2.5" mandrel bent exhaust. Its true duals now, but my x pipe is definitely going in. Thats not the issue though. I have my exhaust dumped down on a 45 just before my axle. The drone and rumble in the cab is brutal. Lets just say if I have a hangover, I'll walk before i even think of driving the truck. My concern is bending the pipes off road. I had straight out the back tips in my ford. The got ovaled the first trip off road and a few times later I was backing up and bent my gorgeous stainless exhaust in half back under the front of the truck. I had to have a buddy hook a chain to it and crank it off to make it home that day. Sarah's turns out on the passenger side just behind the wheel..... that gets smashed all the time. It also gets pushed into her bed denting the crap out of her beds rocker panel. I was thinking about turning out just before the wheels, but idk. Im hoping someone will have the best answer. I have been thinking about this off and on for about a month now. I even came up with the idea of cutting holes in my bed and turning them up at a 45. Yeah thats dumb. But i was thinking about doing like that and then adding rubber flaps like on boats. It would keep stuff out, and move when the exhaust comes. Sounds perfect right? Not so much. Throw a piece of plywood in the bed and what happens? LOL scrap that one.


Please guys, take any and every idea in here and rip it appart. I dont need you to make up my mind, but show me all the ups and downs of my thoughts, and maybe some new ideas.

 

[98nightmare]

wow.... post a pic of the front and rear and itd help people see your problems better.. like the plow mount and the winch mount, im sure if we seen a pic someone would have a great idea for ya.. as for the exhaust, id say turn it out infront of the tire near the lowest part of the wheel well.. safest exit without underbody sound issues.. And what about getting a pillar mounted adjustable spot light (like a cop car) for the front to see where you want and itll stay where you want/need it pointed.. You can put lights on the rear wherever you like, but if you use the bracket type.. You can change the nut to a wing nut and itll then be a quick to adjust light... Just some thoughts to ponder..

 

[Sully]

truck is stock for the most part. My RCX is coming soon.

Id weld the trailer hitch in where the frame is, keep it as high as possible.

The exhaust is about what I was thinking

The lights... idk about the cop light. It could be hard to to point it where I am looking while driving over rugged terrain. The back lights on the back rack do see like how I will be going. I cant put anything below the bumper because it will for sure get smashed.

 

[98nightmare]

heres a lil thought if your interested in a really really good spot light bulb..
you can try and search for a helicopter light.. I had Huey helicopter lights in an ol Datsun hunting truck, they are 24volt.. but on 12 the big ass spring glows orange for a few seconds and starts getting really really bright.. you can light up a fkn mile like daylight.

 

[98nightmare]

Oh, ok.. i thought you were wanting light for winching something offroad. Hell just do a bar with front and rear facen lights, put them on separate switches. then you can see forward, and not blind a follower.

 

[Sully]

would it look terrible if I put lights on the top of the back rack facing forward and then some others facing rear?

 

[98nightmare]

No way.. Jeeps do it all the time. My moms jeep had a set that did the sides too.. she had four switches for different views. Sides, front, rear, and all.. It was bad ***

 

[Sully]

yeah but jeeps use proper light bars, I'm concerned that running mine on a back rack like that would look red neck as hell. Yes I know Im going to be in a lifted, winch carrying, off road lighted truck with a cb on the damn thing, but is there a point where I cross the line?

 

[98nightmare]

Everyone has needs and personal taste, its your truck man.. If you make some cash when you use em, fk what anyone thinks.. You can get a cab mount bar, its a more off road look that isnt so red neckish? Or mount them to your bumper, or in the grill like an ambulance..

 

[Sully]

true

I try to get the cleanest look I can get while keeping the functionality of everything.

this is my other ride

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i like the simple looks that speaks volumes. If I can take the same concept and apply it to the truck, Im going to be where I want to be.