Words and Photos by Quinton Neufeldt
Pickup trucks complete a variety of duties - be it work or play. Our Project 99 Super Duty is no different. We use it to tow, haul, plow snow, and other work-related tasks for our contracting business. We also use it for off-road trips whenever we get the chance.
One deficiency on any pick-up is having optimal front and rear protection from the hazards on job sites as well as off-road obstacles. Just before the wheeling season, our rig was outfitted with an aftermarket front bumper and winch, but the tow hooks were in an awkward location, and we knew there had to be better bumper and mounting options to meet our needs for the trails and our business. Additionally, the rear bumper was stock and while it was sturdy enough, it was constructed of only stamped metal, and one good knock against a rock or boulder would probably bend it pretty easily.
Quiton Neufeldt
We had been looking at different options for a while and came across Hammerhead Armor, which offers a number of aftermarket parts and gear for a variety of vehicles. We quickly found what we were looking for and placed our order for its Front Winch Bumper/no brush guard and Rear Bumper - Flush Mount unit.
Manufactured in Bay Springs, MS, Hammerhead’s bumpers are welded only by trained techs with an AWS D1.1 welding certification. This ensures they are quality built and built to last. The company also has a large dealer network in the US and parts of Canada (as well as Australia and Puerto Rico). Parts can also be ordered directly from the manufacturer at www.hammerheadarmor.com or 4WDSupply.us.
However, as Hammerhead only ships within the US, we had our order sent to the closest US city to us, which is Buffalo, NY. It’s about a two-hour drive from where we reside in the Greater Toronto Area. As we are commercial vehicle operators and a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) Carrier, we were able to pick up the order after it cleared customs and paid the GST. Since Hammerhead’s products are made in the US, there isn’t duty on goods that are part of the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement (USMCA).
Follow along as we install these new bumpers that not only offer added protection but enhanced the profile of our Project 99 Super Duty as well.
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Once we brought the packages home, all of the parts were included and intact, and it was time to get to work. The stock rear bumper of the Super Duty came off fairly easily and we kept the bolts to attach the new adaptor brackets to the truck frame.
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Once we brought the packages home, all of the parts were included and intact, and it was time to get to work. The stock rear bumper of the Super Duty came off fairly easily and we kept the bolts to attach the new adaptor brackets to the truck frame.
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We then used pallet forks on our loader to hold the bumper in position while we attached it to the frame brackets. The rear bumper has many ideal features including a large step notch on each side with serrated edges to prevent feet from slipping. The heavy-duty shackle points for tugging or winching and the light mounts are other great additions.
Up next was the front. We had done some measuring to check the fitment of our winch. It is an older Superwinch EP 12.5 but it still worked well and we wanted to mount it on the new bumper. All was good and the bumper can mount ‘foot down' or ‘foot-forward style winches. Ours is a foot-forward design and since there are four holes on each side (instead of the standard two) we drilled an extra two holes. As our drill bits weren’t all that sharp at the time of the install, I started the holes with a plasma cutter and cleaned it up with a ½” drill bit. The heat from the cutter didn’t distort or affect the coating on the bumper, which we were pleased to see.
The first (and only) problem we encountered was our snow plow frame. If you have a truck with a plow, you know the subframe stays on the vehicle even when the plow is not. This was a problem since the two frame horns caused a clearance issue with the bottom of the bumper.
After some careful measurements, we elected to cut a 6 x 8 x 3 cm (2.5 x 3 x 1 in) notch out of the bottom edge of the bumper in two locations so it could clear the plow frame. This solved our problem.
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The large cutouts to access the winch and for the step allowed us to easily install and tighten the bolts without getting underneath.
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The weight of the bumper is approximately 91 kg (200 lb) and the winch is 68 kg (150 lb) so we needed to use our pallet forks with a lifting strap and a jack to position the bumper before attaching the fasteners.
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The weight of the bumper is approximately 91 kg (200 lb) and the winch is 68 kg (150 lb) so we needed to use our pallet forks with a lifting strap and a jack to position the bumper before attaching the fasteners.
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We then hooked up the winch cables and went for a test drive. Everything looked great. We’re thrilled with our new front and rear bumpers!
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We then hooked up the winch cables and went for a test drive. Everything looked great. We’re thrilled with our new front and rear bumpers!