Thanks for the hinge information. I will probably go with that hinge when I get started on my bumper modifications. When considering new bearings, shaft and hinge sleeve ready for fabbing, that seems a reasonable price.
I doesn't seem to matter whether you have it set up high, or in the middle, there just isn't much travel on the front. We use all that is available, and I can't complain about what I have been able to do. Although I haven't tried leaping huge boulders yet.