It was a half-decent stock hitch bumper to start with. Put some of the tubing from the old brush guard back in, hidden from plain sight – same as the new 10k winch I’m integrating into the hitch receiver. I suspect the guy who crafted the brush guard also made the receiver. It’s a very stout unit, getting better with upgraded hardware tied in to beefed-up structures all around. Took me the whole 1st day of bumper work to get that hole for the fair-lead cut through the extra layer of 3/16 steel going across there.
The truck is pretty seriously off-road capable with the locker up front now, so I figure on probably going back if I ever get stuck with it. 😉
LATE UPDATE: Added a few more progress pics. Spent all afternoon yesterday re-installing the entire 100+lb. receiver assembly a 2nd time after forgetting to attach one of the ground wires that becomes inaccessible when the winch itself is bolted to the receiver. After a little beef-up I’m calling this hitch a Class-IV+, due mostly to the properly sized and installed grade-8 fasteners now holding it in place. “Gee” was doing a little redneck engineering there the 1st time around.
 |  |  |