I would not do it - I was really thinking about it but decided to get a grill guard instead - the ranchhand style replacements weigh roughly 255lbs. - That is alot of weight on your front end add a winch and you will be over 350 easily - andhavingan IFS I would not do it - you will wear your front end parts out quicker and for what you are wanting it for a grill guard will do you just fine - at about half the cost and half the wieght. I bought a cattlemanhd.comgrill guardwith the punch plate grill - it looks good and will do the job of protecting my front end well enoughwhenpushing stuff over or bumping gates.

 

First off you better get a real ranchhand bumper.
They will install it on a quarter ton. But to give you an idea, I can stand on my bull bar or front bumper when I'm working on my truck 4x4 and it doesn't sag much, I'm 6'4 300pounds (check out the 3rd gen pics and youll see why), anyways if I stand on my buddys 2wd that just drops it. You need to look at getting a some skid plates. I know about the brush, I've hunted hog in brush up to my neck.
Now this may sound ghetto but if youre gonna be beating up your truck in the front going through all that crap down in our brush country you could consider line x'ing the front area.
As for the winch warn makes one that fits on a receiver hitch so you can at least have it in the rear.

 

not to sound like a know it all but ummmm why arent you considering a brush guard.......my dad has a rclb 2wd 2005 hemi.... i bought him a light duty westin brush guard ....mostly for dear because we are in michigan....but those things are so protective......I have also seen brush guards with hinges on them for hood protection like they use on rock climbers......you could get 3...5" galvanized pipes and mount them as your bumper....cheaper lighter and prolly stronger if you bolt them straight to your frame

 

the brush country in texas is really unlike no other, filed with sharp pointy crap, when i go hunting i always have to decide, keep the cammies down and over hear or roll up the sleeves and bleed like a stuck pig. My arms are always bloodied after a long hunt. What makes the hunt interesting is wild boar and javalina will actually frequently charge at you rather than run away like most hunted animals, and when youre in that thicket you can walk right up on them without even realizing it. Hence why i always bring a 180gr .40 pistol with me. Have killed several hogs with that, but nothin like dropping them with my .308 .... A lot, well not a lot, but im assuming a lot more in texas than the rest of the states people will line x the area where the lower two tone paint would be.

so when youre driving your truck through this crap you want a bumper that actually protects, unlike the what pavement queens put on. as well as skid plates and make sure all the wires under your truck are zip tied close to metal, nothing hanging lose.

 

Get a grill guard - and a 4X4

 

I have been charged by both javes and pigs but more often than not they run - they are a blast to bowhunt along the senderos - what I worry about is the damn rattlers - those things are pissed off from birth! I think IMO that a full replacement is going to be to much for the 1500 2wd front end - just buy a good heavy duty grill guard. I would also spray your rocker panels - that brush will screw up your paint quick - unless you like the Texas pinstripes!

 

How about the Bull Nose on that site? I wonder what that one weighs?

 

Where is cattlemanhd.com located? Im assuming texas by the license plates on the pictures on there website, however it doesnt list an address to where they are located at.

 

Nothing f ups a front end like southern brush land, that crap is made out of barbwire or something.

 

i was looking to get some ranchhands for my truck as well...which is also a 2wd...but I did some research...they are HEAVY...but I have a winch just sitting in my room dying to be put into one of those....