CZSteve

What affect, if any, does a Ranch Hand replacement front end have on a 3/4 ton.

Does the weight cause excessive wear & tear on the front end?
What affect does it have on road handling? Improve or detract?

99 cummins

I just put one on a month ago and I think it makes the truck ride better. Smooths out the bumps on the front end some. I measure the truck hight before and after and it didn't make any noticable differance.

DODGE4X4

I have always had a full replacement bumper on my trucks and have never had any trouble what so ever. Don't worry about it.

wyokaboy

Get one you'll love it. Same as what 99 said

zspear1

I have had a Full front replacement on mine since I bought it. This last december another driver pulled tried to turn to soon in front of me. I totalerd his pontiac sun fire and pushed him through a small palm tree and some hedges. It totaled his car ....... when the police were done looking at the wreck sight I fired cummins up and backed out of the landscaping. The only thing it did to my truck was bend that bumper a little and crunched the left front fender. I will never own another truck without a full front replacement.

caleb c.

I agree...I wouldn't drive one without a front bumper replacement.All of our dodges have them.A '93,'02 and'03.Havent had a problem with any of them.I think they are a little harder on a 2wd compared to a 4x4.But I just try to take the rough spots easy on the '02(2wd).Plus they look alot better than a grille gaurd I think.

turbo dreams

does anyone have access to blueprints for these or similar bumpers. looking into welding my own. don't want to pay 900 for one.

hotdram

I have noticed no effect on handling, nor excessive wear or tear on my front suspension.
Only time I notice it is there is under very heavy breaking, the nose dips a bit, but not too bad.
Wouldn't have anything but a full replacement on a truck. I hate the cheesy plastic bumpers on these things.
Plus, it gives you something to stand on when washing the hood. It can sometimes be a pain to work in the engine bay with one on though.


~Rob

dodgediesel4x4

I had one on my old 98 and have one on my 01 right now. In my 12v'er, a mustang ran a stop sign and I T-boned him going 35 mph. It turned his car into a semi-cirlce and it pushed pushed my bumper back into the frame 4 inches, bending the frame and thus totalling my truck. I wasn't even wearing my seatbelt and I barely moved forward. My dog went from the back seat to the front seat and that was about it, no injuries for both of us.

I will never own another truck that doesn't have a full replacement on the front of it. I can gurantee you if I didn't have that bumper on during that wreck, myself and my dog would have been in worse shape than what happend.

99 cummins

I looked at alot of homemade bumbers out there and some of them are truly professional looking but most look homemade. It is hard to get all the bends to match each other right unles you have a shop full of tools to do it with. If you include your time, which to me my time = money, and materials you wont come out much cheaper than buying it and probably won't look as good.

RowJ

I added a UTE and agree with all here. Much more safety and no ill effects on suspension, tires, frt end, etc.

However, I'm suprised I did not here more about some front end bounce from factory shocks!
My UTE is Aluminum, and has to be 50-75 lbs less than Ranch Hands etc.; but it's still heavy! (See Gallery)

At 170 lbs added to an already heavy front end, I noticed a big difference in bounce. Had to up my Rancho 9000's from #5 setting to #7 to get firm front end feel I like. actually just went up to full - #9 and like it.

Use to only go to #9 when got to over 8800 lbs. What shocks are you all running?
RJ

sisusuomi

Just got mine on this AM. I own a 2006 3/4 ton 8 ft. bed quad cab 4x4. Next week I'll add the leveling kit for the front end. Very happy with this industrial bumper, got good reports on it from here and other sites.