Product improvement of the Freightliner continues...after looking at the flat nose and flush bumper for a while, the problem of the lack of any safe front on pushing ability of the truck had to be addressed. Then recalling the times self recovery was needed for my 5 ton gas tractor the answer was obvious. Front mounted winch! Would clearly look great...but what about the drive line issues...but wait already on board, to run the rear winch, are two 20 gpm pumps, hydraulic oil tank, and electric engagement for the pto in the Allison. Best solution would be the hydraulic motor driven 20K winch from a 5 ton. The end result had to work easily but also had to look "factory".
A search for 6X6 Freightliners with front winches turned up nothing. Also, with the LET the main frame is jacked up in the air for drive line clearance but ends just before the front of the engine. Then a 1" thick steel extension drops down toward the front for the necessary mounting of the bumper (1/2" thick and 225 lbs.). So off came the bumper and mountings and then began lots of measuring and discussion.
A "frame" extension had to be built to fit the drop down extension, width clearance for the winch adjusted, lower mounting for the winch to clear the flip up hood of the Freightliner, along with a new way to reattach the bumper. The truck frame itself is double (3/8 X 1/4) so that was the choice for the main extension. A set of dimensioned drawings (CAD) got back accurately cut and bent grade 100 steel from PG Adams, the best truck frame benders around. Lots of trial fittings and adjustment finally positioned the winch sitting as close to the truck front as possible, with clearance relieved for the winch fairlead in the now angle bent front bumper.
A search for 6X6 Freightliners with front winches turned up nothing. Also, with the LET the main frame is jacked up in the air for drive line clearance but ends just before the front of the engine. Then a 1" thick steel extension drops down toward the front for the necessary mounting of the bumper (1/2" thick and 225 lbs.). So off came the bumper and mountings and then began lots of measuring and discussion.
A "frame" extension had to be built to fit the drop down extension, width clearance for the winch adjusted, lower mounting for the winch to clear the flip up hood of the Freightliner, along with a new way to reattach the bumper. The truck frame itself is double (3/8 X 1/4) so that was the choice for the main extension. A set of dimensioned drawings (CAD) got back accurately cut and bent grade 100 steel from PG Adams, the best truck frame benders around. Lots of trial fittings and adjustment finally positioned the winch sitting as close to the truck front as possible, with clearance relieved for the winch fairlead in the now angle bent front bumper.
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