Westin HDX Winch Mount Grille Guard _ #57-93985 Install on XLT Fx4 Super Crew

[seanellaz]

The HDX Winch Mount Grille Guard _ #57-93985 does not fit the Ford Ranger XLT Fx4 w/o some mods. 1st step was to remove bumper in order to mount Upper Support Strap. This works fine on Fx4. Instructions provided are good EXCEPT instructions should stipulate that the “support straps” mount to the back side of the bumper. This is NOT AT ALL clear and I found me looking for a very long time for the mount point on the de-bumpered truck. Instructions say use factory bolts, and on completion torque to 16 ft pounds. Use a torque wrench! I stripped one, so bought 2 grade 8 a little longer, then used a grade 8 nut on the far end to synch the bolt onto the flimsy lil fake nut (just a thin tubular threaded sleeve) on the bumper. This step was a GIANT PITA, as the nut is well tucked into the bumper. The instructions also say to “Measure the distance between the upper brackets. Make sure it is 33 1/4 inches.” Inside to inside? Outside to outside? On Center? The words provide zero clue. A close examination of the instruction picture seems to reveal the answer (see Pic 1)

The white line goes to outside of bracket. I took that as gospel (Outside to Outside) and it worked fine!

Instructions say “If tow hooks are equipped, remove the tow hooks.” Easy, but the Fx4 comes with tow hooks onto which mount the front end of the Fx4 bash plate (protects the front underside of the truck) . The Tow hooks have a 2" drop to a plate with a nut welded on it, onto which the bash plate mounts. (See Picture #2

Follow Westin Instructions means delete bash plate, or perhaps use glue or coat hanger wire to tie it on? I was not happy w/ this mod.
I figured out how to retain the bash plate mount points from the factory tow hooks. Using a cuttoff wheel / angle grinder, I cut the sides off of the existing tow hooks, using Yellow tape to mark the cut lines. The stock tow hooks had a little tab on them (see top left image, circled in red). I DK what for. I cut those off also to enable the next steps. See Picture #3

Picture #4 of the before after tow hook cut, leaving bash plate drop mount with bolt holes. Plan was to slide the drop mounts into the Lower Mounting Brackets then run the bolts used to mount the brackets to the truck frame to also bolt the plates into the top of the brackets.

Picture #5 is top view of a Lower Mounting Bracket (there are 2, one for passenger side, one for driver side.) Next, I had to mod the Westin brackets so the drop mounts would fit into the brackets. For the Bash plate drop mount to fit into the brackets, I had to cut off the lower back corner of each, again using yellow tape to mark my cutlines.

Above top is before cut, below is after cuts. you are looking at the bottom of the brackets, the L shape is facing down.

Picture #7, CLOSEUP Left is before cut, right, after cuts.

The cut pieces had sharp, naked edges so I ground, and filed them, then wiped them w/ acetone and spray painted them. BTW, I let them air dry for 1 hr, then baked then @ 185 degrees for an hour in the oven. I then took them outside to cool in the breeze. Zero blister, zero bubble. Once cool I was still gentle w/ the pieces as they will take a few days to full cure and harden (Picture #8)

Finally, I slid drop mounts for bash plates into the Lower Mounting Brackets, then run the bolts up thru the modded drop bolt plates, then thru the bracket then into the frame.

In Picture #9, the Lower Mounting Brackets are upside down, The Bash plate mounts are slid into the brackets, the silver clamps are just holding the drop mount in place for the picture

The Fx4 frame already has nuts welded into it for the tow hooks, as will any ranger with tow hooks. So the double nut bolt plate supplied is not needed.

The Westin Instructions call for mounting the Lower Mounting Brackets to the truck, then using a fishwire to add bolt plates inside the truck frame and Lower Mounting Brackets onto which additional “Lower Support Brackets” connecting the Lower Mounting Brackets to the frame is mounted. Ignore this. Put the bolt plates inside both the frame and the lower mounting brackets before loosely mounting the Lower Mounting brackets to the frame. Use the supplied “clips” to hold the bolt plates in place. (The clips are square pieces of clear plastic, and work fine, just leave them in place when you put the nuts on.) I bought .25" longer than factory, grade 8 bolts to go up thru the drop plates, through the Lower Mounting Brackets, into the frame, as the factory bolts were barely long enough.
Finally, in order for the bash plate to fit over the lower mounting brackets, I cut a ¼ inch notch on each side of the front edge of the bash plate using a cuttoff wheel / angle grinder. This left raw snaggle edge which I filed smooth, then masked and painted. Picture #10 of the driver side painted notches below (yup, it is still ugly up close).

For comparison, here is pic from Westin showing the Grill guard Mounted on a non Fx4:

Note visible lower control arm bolt heads, just above the lowest bar on guard.
Here is a pic of the guard on my Fx4

Bash plate covers the uglies! I obviously have no winch yet. (Ordered VR EVO 10 WINCH today) Here is the truck from another angle:

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[tehschkott]

That looks super good and is going to provide the protection I'm after. I have been on the fence about this or the ARB Summit, but I think I may go this direction. Thanks for the write up.

 

[jacobt409]

That looks amazing with your tires, rims, and lift! Did you buy the guard online or locally?

 

[seanellaz]

That looks amazing with your tires, rims, and lift! Did you buy the guard online or locally?

Searched, searched, searched for best price, found here @ Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VYP384/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Got here SO FAST too. I was not ready to install it for 2 weeks.

 

[seanellaz]

That looks amazing with your tires, rims, and lift! Did you buy the guard online or locally?

Shoped and Shopped. Best price online was here https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B086VYP384/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Delivered FAST

 

[joseywales]

Thank you so damn much for this write up. @seanellaz It really helped me figure out what i needed to do. I have a NON fx4, just an XLT 4x4 with tow hooks and bottom bash plate but a non fx4 package bash plate. So i ended up having to do the exact same thing as you did to KEEP my bash plate!

Pics to follow

if anyone needs any guidance for doing something like this, feel free to contact me, there are a few nuances you may want to know before installation of the tray and also grille.
All in all, i am very happy with this grille and tray, looks aggressive and offers a lot of protection, very sturdy and well made. i would def recommend this product if you are wanting something similar. it was also fairly easy to install once the cutting and modifications were done. I did this all myself, lifted and bolted the brush guard alone etc but i can see this being very, very difficult for an average sized man. May need 2-3 individuals for installation of the actual guard. I used a foam block to help keep the guard in place once i lifted the brush guard up and bolted it onto the winch tray.

 

[tehschkott]

That looks fantastic.

 

[seanellaz]

Thank you so damn much for this write up. @seanellaz It really helped me figure out what i needed to do. I have a NON fx4, just an XLT 4x4 with tow hooks and bottom bash plate but a non fx4 package bash plate. So i ended up having to do the exact same thing as you did to KEEP my bash plate!

Pics to follow

if anyone needs any guidance for doing something like this, feel free to contact me, there are a few nuances you may want to know before installation of the tray and also grille.
All in all, i am very happy with this grille and tray, looks aggressive and offers a lot of protection, very sturdy and well made. i would def recommend this product if you are wanting something similar. it was also fairly easy to install once the cutting and modifications were done. I did this all myself, lifted and bolted the brush guard alone etc but i can see this being very, very difficult for an average sized man. May need 2-3 individuals for installation of the actual guard. I used a foam block to help keep the guard in place once i lifted the brush guard up and bolted it onto the winch tray.

AMAZING!

 

[seanellaz]

2020 Ford Ranger Fx4 Crew Cab has BDS 3.5" Lift with Upper Control Arms. Kit has shackle lift on rear. PLENTY of room to do this mod w/o jacking truck.

Purchased Flowmaster 717909 FlowFX Cat-Back Exhaust System (Best price @ time here WAS ABOUT $470 IN s&h: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07YDYTYNQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . Amazon says it does not fit my truck. They are wrong Flownaster site says it does and indeed it does.). This is a 3.00-inch Mandrel-bent system made of 409 Stainless Steel Tubing. Not ridiculous huge, but larger than stock.

Larger than stock diameter systems are great. However, the associated expansion of the gases when they enter the larger tube causes them to cool, and slow down a little, stall if you will. I wanted to avoid this so I wrapped all parts except the Muffler and Tip with VViViD 4 Inch x 50ft Black FiberGlass Exhaust Wrap (Best price @ time here https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJCCFD3?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details : was $17, this size no longer available, only 25ft rolls for same price)

Soak wrap, tuck wrap @ start, roll and wrap to end of part LEAVING ENOUGH UNWRAPPED TO ALLOW FITTING PARTS TOGETHER AND PUTTING ON THE BAND CLAMPS, use Stainless Steel tie to tie off, set aside, repeat until all parts wrapped. This is a messy itchy job but the result is worth it. To me. Again, I DID NOT WRAP THE MUFFLER. It is a straight thru glass pack muffler, the internal perforated tube is already "wrapped" in fiberglass.

Removed stock system, downpipe back.

Installed per Flowmaster instructions. NOTE 1: There is one clamp smaller than the others. This 2.5" Clamp is used to clamp secure the Inlet pipe to the down pipe. Instructions re this are not super obvious. NOTE 2: I cleaned then lubed the rubber hanger thingys with silicone grease to help the hangers slip in easily, and to make then last longer.

The wrap is FABULOUS. You can put your hand on the pipes after hard drive and they feel warm. Absent wrap the pipes would vaporize your skin. The wrap also dramatically reduces any noise which would otherwise radiate off the pipes when driving.

After driving the truck about 1 thousand miles, I found it still very quiet. I wanted to do a muffler delete. I looked and looked and looked online and found ZERO muffler delete pies for this simple 2' long straight thru 3" muffler. I found several not fitting muffler delete pipes for rip off prices of about $100. I found I could BUY about 10' of 3" stainless steel pipe for $50. I called and called and called shops until found a shop in Tucson that actually has on hand 3" Stainless steel pipe. They do custom exhausts. EXP Performance and Exhaust https://expperformancetucson.com/. They charged me $20 for the pipe with the expanded slip over ends. I tipped them $20 to reward them for not trying to rip me off. SUPER GREAT GUYS.

The Paint on the Exhaust tip is flaking off. Probly because the wrap is doing such a super great job taking the heat all the way to the end of the system. I do not care.

I bought another chunk of wrap, and wrapped the delete pipe (method above), installed it.

I notice that especially downstream of some pipe bends, the wrap was bleaching out. Concerned that it could begin to flake, I decided to paint it w/ heat resistant paint. I looked and looked and looked online and found many kinds of paint. I had zero interest in masking under the truck to avoid overspray or removing the system and spraying the paint on then re-installing the system. Plus thought brush on paint would waste less paint. I landed on 1 quart POR-15 44304 Aluminum High Temperature Paint for about $50 on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XKTV4HG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. I painted the system stem to stern w/ 1 light coat, let it dry overnight. Then drove 5 min to local grocery shopped while it cooled then drove home, let it cool again. Some paint smell, a little smoky fumes. No fires. I then repainted in the spots that looked thin and let it dry again over night. Repeated warm cool process. Let it cool again over night. Next day headed north out of Tucson for Tortilla flats Campground (east of Phoenix). On the way out of town the system was fuming @ 1st stoplight, again no fires. By the time I got to Phx the system was baked on. No more fumes. I would advise SUPER CAUTION when curing the paint. It is solvent based and could explode killing you and all people in a 50' radius if you get it too hot wet and there is a spark. CURE. IT. SLOWLY. IN STAGES. BE CAREFUL / PATIENT NOT STUPID / DEAD.

The truck sounds like a muffled diesel @ Idle. It makes very nice noise under acceleration. Some might find it too loud but I like it. On hiway, cruising @ 75mph, it is a nice warm soft rumble. Stomp the accelerator, the turbine winds up and the truck takes off very nicely with a pronounced growl. I MAY at some point replace the now nekked tip with a chrome plated one with some dampening material (EXAMPLE https://www.pilotautomotive.com/dc_sports/PM-5119.html) if it starts getting on my nerves from too much noise.

PS: Some claim "Oh my gawd, wrapping a system like this will cause the system to overheat and rust or melt." So far after 3k miles this has not happened. I will take my chances. Being stainless it is already less likely to rust.

PPS: ZERO DRIVABILITY PROBLEMS, NO ERROR CODES, SYSTEM WORKS PERFECT W/ THE COMPUTER IN THE TRUCK. ALL, SENSORS IN SYSTEM ARE BEFORE THE CAT BACK SYSTEM. I use regular gas, premium if wanting a little extra oomph. I will use premium when pulling an overlanding trailer I am getting built by Alumaline https://www.alumline.com/products/sport-and-toy-haulers/multi-sport-camping-trailer.

 

[seanellaz]

Thank you so damn much for this write up. @seanellaz It really helped me figure out what i needed to do. I have a NON fx4, just an XLT 4x4 with tow hooks and bottom bash plate but a non fx4 package bash plate. So i ended up having to do the exact same thing as you did to KEEP my bash plate!

Pics to follow

if anyone needs any guidance for doing something like this, feel free to contact me, there are a few nuances you may want to know before installation of the tray and also grille.
All in all, i am very happy with this grille and tray, looks aggressive and offers a lot of protection, very sturdy and well made. i would def recommend this product if you are wanting something similar. it was also fairly easy to install once the cutting and modifications were done. I did this all myself, lifted and bolted the brush guard alone etc but i can see this being very, very difficult for an average sized man. May need 2-3 individuals for installation of the actual guard. I used a foam block to help keep the guard in place once i lifted the brush guard up and bolted it onto the winch tray.

AMAZING!

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