This project has temporarily stalled because I'm trying to get machinery together for hauling sawmill waste to use as mushroom substrate....massive amounts. Eventually the deuce can pull the 1061 I'm modifying but for now, my efforts go back to the 929 as primary puller.
Back bumper is 3/8" thick but didn't extend quite far enough, so I added the part with lights. The light part can take a hit and soften the blow just a little bit by the offending vehicle, I reason. Since we are about the slowest vehicle on the road besides farm machinery, I want to be seen. All my lights have a high and low LED and wired individually....for control, fading, flash or patterns.
It's hard to get much of a photo of the center apparatus, that will be stood up and welded in place to a saddle. Once up, I can mount the bed. And there is a duckbill?? That extends forward over the cab, covering it completely and giving a high work platform.
I plated the frame with 11" x3" x 1/4" x 10' to just behind the cab. My math was off and the spring mount top bolts ended up going through the curved section of the old frame.....a pain to drill and takes longer bolts.
When you take off the trunion mount, check to see that the joint has not held water and rusted. Since you need to go down with the spring mounts, plating may make sense for you too. Add 2" or 4", but not 3".
The channel with the ball has 1/2" thick web, machine washers both sides and a 21k, 2 5/16" ball.