SDHQ 2015+ F-150 Winch Mount System Installation Recommended Tools: Door panel removal tool Needle Nose Pliers 10mm Socket or Wrench 13 mm or ½ Socket (⅜ Drive) 14 mm or 9/16 Socket (⅜ Drive) 21 mm or 13/16 Socket (1/2 Drive) 13 mm or ½ Wrench 14 mm or 9/16 Wrench T30 + T25 Torx 3/8 Drive Ratchet 1/2 Drive Impact or Breaker Bar Installation: 1. Unplug the fog lamp Connectors. 2. Remove the clips holding the rubber radiator shroud to the bumper. 3. Remove the 10 13mm head bolts holding the bumper to the bumper brackets (two bolts are hidden above the frame rails on the top part of the bracket) to prevent the bumper from falling leave two bolts loose. 4. With the help of someone, remove bumper from truck being careful not to scratch anything. 5. Remove bumper brackets from truck frame with a 21 mm or 13/16 socket. 6. Remove plastic covers on tow hooks/remove two bolts holding in tow hooks using a 15mm socket/set aside for later use. 7. Carefully cut back the rubber radiator shroud to the bend line as it interferes with the Winch. Remove the clips on both sides and discard. 8. Remove the Plastic Insert from the center of the bumper with your Needle Nose Pliers. Trimming of the plastic to fit the Fairlead can be done now or at the end of the installation via the Plastic Options and Instructions Sheet.
9. With the plastic removed you can now re-install the bumper brackets to the bumper via the 13mm head factory bolts 10. If not already done so, install your winch to the SDHQ Winch Mount and attach the winch line to the drum per winch manufacturers instructions. (once winch is installed attachment of winch line may not be possible) 11. Place the assembled winch mount and winch on a jack with rags or a towel to avoid scratching the powder coat. 12. Raise the mount into place lining up the front set of slots to the center of the existing tow hook bolt holes. It is a tight fit so keep an eye on clearances while raising into place. Then using factory tow hooks and bolts, bolt the tow hooks through the winch mount into the frame, making sure to align the factory nut clip inside the frame rail. Leave slightly loose for adjustment.
13. Now is a good time to check the clearance between the winch wires and the transmission cooler line, it may be necessary to slightly bend the trans cooler line bracket back for more clearance. 14. Now we will remove the two front bolts, that bolt the winch to the winch mount. Set the bumper mount bolts into place through the back of the frame horn, then position the fairlead mount into place over the bumper mount bolts and winch mount, thread the 2 longer winch mount bolts (provided with the winch for a fairlead mount) through the fairlead mount, winch mount and into the winch, leave slightly loose for adjustmec. Next bolt the 2 3/8-16 x 1.25 Grade 8 Bolts through the remaining two holes connecting the fairlead mount to the winch mount.
15. Adjust the winch mount and fairlead mount as needed to get the fairlead mount centered with the bumper brackets holes, then tighten the tow hook bolts. Next with the fairlead mount pushed all the way back against the frame horns tighten the 4 bolts that attach the fairlead mount to the winch mount, starting with the 2 in the center first, then the 2 outer ones. Now tighten the rear bolts that bolt the winch to the winch mount. 16. Now is a good time to route our positive and negative cables up into the engine compartment and to the battery. As pictured, the cables can be routed through the core support by trimming the wire loom on the positive cable. Attach cables to the battery, Red = +, Black = -.
17. Next with the top bumper bracket studs placed in their slots (using a piece of tape to hold them in place helps if they will not stay), we can re-install the bumper. With help carefully install the bumper, thread on the 21mm nuts to all 6 bumper bolts. Align the bumper to the truck accordingly, and tighten bolts. (note that the rubber blocks on the ends of the bumper should not be smashed, but just touching the bumper.) 18. Now we can install the fairlead to the fairlead mount using the hardware provided with the winch. The best was to access the fairlead bolts is from underneath through the cutouts. (again tape may aid in holding the bolts into place while sliding the fairlead over them, or just an extra set of hands) We will leave the fairlead slightly loose at this point. 19. Now if you not yet done so trim your plastic, outlined in the Plastic options and Instructions documentation. 20. Carefully install your plastic into your bumper aligning your fairlead with the hole you made in your plastic. Once the plastic is snapped back into place we can now proceed to tighten down our fairlead bolts. 21. We are now done with the installation of you SDHQ 2015+ F-150 Winch Mount System! Now you can power on your winch and spool you line according to the winch manufacturers instructions!