Winch mount idea

[XJSuperman]

Have been thinking of a way to mount a winch without breaking the bank. I really like the buckstop bumpers and/or the warn winch mounting setups but don't want to spend a couple grand just to mount a winch.



On our 3rd gens... where the tow hooks/rings mount there are 4 bolts to hold each of them on. This obviously has to ba a strong point or a tow hook could not mount here.



If these were removed and a mount was fabricated using bar stock... say the same stuff used to make a hitch... could a mount of sufficient strength be made to hold say the 15 or 16K winch? yes... I know it could be made strong enough... but would the mounting points here be adequate? Also... d-ring or tow hook mounts could be built into the winch mount.



I was thinking a 3rd brace could be added directly in the middle and run down under the bumper and have its own cross member built in. Now obviously it's hard to understand what I mean exactly without being able to have a picture of it here... so don't immediately say it won;t work... it's an idea and I'm looking for other ideas to go with it.



I know this sounds a lot like a 'front hitch' and it is to a degree... but with a winch mount instead of (or in addition to) the hitch. And no I'm not looking into one of those receiver winch mounts. I want the winch on there... not sliding around the bed of the truck.



The steel needed to do this would cost MUCH less than buying a $1000+ bumper setup and I can do a fair bit of the fabrication myself. Plus the end result should weigh significantly less than having a full bumper added on.



I'll see if I can't draw up something and scan it into my computer.

 

[fj40dave]

Hey... . someone put a log between two round rocks and... ... presto... ... we have wheels and an axle... ... ... look what happened to them - now everyone wants one! (with a Dodge Cummins on top of it naturally)...



Man, make it, photo it..... test it, and then get ready for everyone to want ya to make one for them!

I make everything for my '73 Land Cruiser just the same way you're thinking for your truck.....



Go For It!

 

[Hawkeye 04]

Sounds like a great idea! I have thought about the same thing but am not ready to pursue it yet. I really think that you would a great thing going for ya. . make it, patent it, and make your millions!

 

[y-knot]

I kind of had the same ideal a few years back. I wanted a front mount hitch for my '97 and at the same time needed a mount for driving lights and a aux oil pump (remember the great PRE-LUBBER)??? Any how I too used the front frame mounts where the tow hooks attach, I fab'd up a mount that stretched between them using 1/2" x 6" plate with a two 1/2" x 3" stiffeners welded to the top and on edge. Then just take a piece of 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" x1/4" square tube and weld it centered and how ever long you need to get to the front. In my case I went about 3" in front of the lower front valance, and drilled it for a 5/8" hitch pin. I could attach a ball mount or a winch using the Warn portable winch mount (I didn't by one, just copied their design and made it too). The hitch worked well, and served me till I went a different route. I had also done the same thing to my Chevy truck, and had no problems. Materials were less then $100. 00, and it just took a little time. On the Dodge that area is wide open, which makes it easy. Only problem with that type of mount is everything is low, under the bumper. The Buckstop type bumper is kicked out in the middle, so there is room to install the winch. Also on the Buckstop, they supply you with two very large and heavy brackets that bolt to the frame and front cross-member, these is where they pick-up there strength by tyeing in the members. Good luck.

 

[Scrappy]

tow hook mounts

That is a good idea but make sure to tie into the frame elsewhere also, I am not sure how much those mounts can take (only 2 bolts 1/2" diameter on each side). I think we need alot more than 4 bolts with 15-30k # of pull.

 

[XJSuperman]

On mine there's 4 bolts per side. 8 bolts between both hooks.

I figure if each hook is rated for what... . 10,000 lbs?? Than a winch mount of this design would use both sides (not just one at a time) thus making for 20,000 lbs rating??

I do agree that another frame tie in would be needed even if only for safety measures.

On any of the jeeps I;ve had there's never been more than 6 bolts (on my XJ there were only 4) that held the whole winch in place on its respective mount... . and only 4-6 bolts holding the mount itself to the bumper or frame.



I suppose brackets could be made coming from underneath the bumper... using the bumper mounting points as an extra frame tie in. They wouldn't have to be big and if done right wouldn;t hang down but a couple inches beneath the bumper.



I wonder also if a front mounted hitch for a 3rd gen could have a winch mount fabricated onto it? If it's strong neough for a recovery point it would be strong enough for a winch. Just weld a plate on top of it and mount the winch on that???



I noticed another post today about someone asking about front hitches... .



At any rate I'm still in the ideas stage.

 

[VStahl]

Sounds like a good idea. i had a warn transformer on a 2nd gen that bolted up similar to how you are thinking. THe difference was that it had an additional strap backet that snaked its way directly to the frame at a different point than were the other mounts were, kind of as a safety precaution. I would say go with your idea of mounting to the tow hook brackets and then follow it up with a bracket that connected to your mount and then went directly to the frame.

I am thinking of doing something similar and integrating it into my ranchhand guard.

Good Luck, and keep us posted!

 

[Scrappy]

hooks

you are right about the number of bolts at the hook BUT there are only two bolts per side holding the whole bumper to the frame. the hooks actually bolt to the bumper with some backup plates behind the bumper to the frame.

 

[JLovas]

Last weekend I built a cattle guard (grille guard) with front receiver hitch for my pickup (I know... I need to dig the digital camera out and post pics). I'm with you XJSuperman, no way am I dumping a grand or two into something I can make myself (and use the money for some goodies under the hood



The front tow hook points are very strong. The base is made of 1/2 steel and each side has 4 bolts (approx 3/8 in size, but its metric of course). One thing to keep in mind... I don't think you can take the tow hooks off without taking the bumper off... and if you weld something together using these brackets, you won't be able to but it on or take it off unless it bolts together in two places (once on where the tow hooks were, and then another outside of the bumper where your winch mount is. My guard is all welded and is one piece, so I took the plasma cutter out and cut about an 1 1/2" out of the bumper just under the tow hooks (take a look at your ride and you'll see what I mean). I'm not too concerned with looks, that's why I wasn't afraid to take and "customize" my chrome bumper.



My guard also wraps around to protect the headlights, and so underneath the corner of the pickup (underneath the cummin's decal (I removed that plastic wind diverter underneath the bumper)) I have another brace going to the main frame (to add strength in case I hit something at an angle).



A winch will need to be braced a little differently though. On a grill guard, your looking for compression strength; on a winch, its just the opposite. I can't imagine though any winch pulling those two tow hook brackets off... go for it!!!

 

[rbattelle]

XJ,



There is a Ford around where I live with precisely the same winch mount you're talking about, so apparently you're not the only one considering this.

 

[bmarkert]

i made one for my 03, cut out the center of the spoiler and removed the tow hooks mounted the winch to the hook mounting bolts and then reinstalled the tow hooks, used the bottom of the winch mount for a skid plate and bottom brace as well. it was plenty strong enough to winch a bobcat loader out of a pond with my truck chained to a tree to keep it from going in the pond as well, the only exposed part was the fairlead, may have a picture of it that i could scan.

 

[XJSuperman]

Picture would be great.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Here's an idea. I had a friend who had an ancient Studebaker truck flatbed with boxes (his baby ). He mounted the winch midship underneath. Then he could run the winch out the front, rear, or up through the deck for a hoisting arm (what ever it was called) for loading heavy stuff onto the bed.



Unfortunately, my old warn winch is one of the earlier models with the motor on the top. So I went for the receiver mounts. I personally don't like any more weight than necessary on the front end.

 

[bombero]

On my 92 CTD I mounted a 8000lbs wench behind the stock bumper. I mounted the wench to a piece of heavy 8 in channel iron and mounted it between the frame rails with heavy angle. I did this with bolts, no welding. Anyway when I got my 01 I was thinking of doing the same thing. No way, not enough room. I didnt want to build a ugly big bumper so I gave up the idea.

 

[CBradford]

you mean like these?

Seductive Tube Works

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[XJSuperman]

That's nice... but even though the price of steel is going up... I'm not paying $800 for it. Shoot... for that price I may as well spend the extra $200 and get the whole front 'buckstop' bumper. I had a local chassis shop tube the front end of my TJ before I sold it and they used ALOT more tubing than that... only cost me $225.



BUT that is along the lines of my ideas.