Knocking the dust off.........

Mex and setexasplott, I will have to look back and see if I cabn find that post.

Mike, that looks about like what I need. You can see in my pics the box is leaning back. The box itself is made out of 1/2" EMT and 4" square bull panels. The bottom is 1/2" plywood. The whole box (empty) doesn't weigh but about 40-45 lbs. But when I put two fat out of shape dogs in the box, it squatted the 4 wheeler and made the front light. Mine is a Rancher also, can't remember what year though. I see where you used channel for the bottom mount for the shock, was it channel for the top mount also, or just flatbar? What was the shock you used off of? It would need to be the right length and stiffness to make it work right.

I thought I saw somewhere, where someone had welded some brackets under the 4 wheeler and added another shock on the opposite side of the rear axle from the side the factory shock is mounted on. (i.e. one on the front of the axle pointed to the front of the 4 wheeler and one mounted on the rear of the axle pointed to the rear of the 4 wheeler). I would have to look and see what it could be welded to as I am not sure you could go from the back of the axle up to the rear rack in a straight line.

I personally like the box better than the platforms, as if I need to leave a dog at the 4 wheeler I don't have to worry about him hanging himself while I am gone. I also can lock the doors on this box, if I need to. Plus, I hauled that sow home (untied) in one side of that box, so you can haul a small hog in it too. Only thing she did to it was scratch my new green paint job!!