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New bumper endplates cooling after being cut out of 1/2" plate with the torch. Lots of cleanup still required. These plates will cap off the new 4"x6" tube bumpers and slide inside the back of the framerails, with (per side) three 9/16" Gr8 bolts in the original bumper holes, and three 9/16" Gr8 bolts at the narrow end forward of the shackle.
I still have to check numbers on what these frame attachments will take, but when I checked the tear resistance on the three original bumper bolts alone, they were good for around 9,000lb. That's with no safety factor -- at 9k, they rip out of the frame. The problem is actually frame strength, not fastener strength, and the three bolts forward of the shackle should be good for a lot more than 9k. I'm hoping to be able to safely use a 1" or 1-1/8" clevis back here for 14k-17k per, without having to rely too much on the skidplate and top plate welds for reinforcement. We'll see how many bolts we'll need to add up top to make 17k work safely.
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