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Twizted's Front Winch Cradle

stock bumper

heres a picture of the stock bumper with te behind it. a couple spacers and some longer bolts and it bolted up.
100_1766.jpg

100_1763.jpg
 
K5fd89, That looks awesome, would you mind posing up some more detailed pictures of your install? like something straight on from the front and a shot from the front underneath?
 
Dafey,
Sorry I didn't notice your post earlier, it sort of got lost on the end of a page. I sell complete Tie Rod / Drag Link kits with the 1-ton GM Style Tie Rod Ends for $155 (Tie Rod) / $145 (Drag Link) plus shipping. Normally that is the price for the DIY kits, but if you give me the center-to-center hole measurements, I will gladly weld them together for anyone on CK5 for free!

-Darren

P.S. - If you need a bend or two in the draglink for crossmember clearance (not if you have one of my crossmembers! hehe) then there is an additional cost of $20 per bend.


Dafey said:
Sorry to Hi-Jack but.... You sell tie rods , how much for a 77 Chevy Blazer 4X4? Complete? With the ends and rod
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I have a HUGE issue with the fact that the winch it mounted with the mounting surface in the flat posistion instead of in the vertical posistion. The winch is COMPLETELY being held by the sheer strength of the four bolts ONLY. The is not a very strong design considering the heavy weight of a full sized K5, Suburban, or pickup. I have seen pics of winches ripped off their mounts being mounted this way.

I would seriously consider another re-design mounting the winch mounting surface in the vertical posistion with the mounting surface against the back side if the fairlead surface Then your actually using the full surface area of the entire winch fixture as support, not just four bolts. I would say if the bolts failed it MIGHT contain the winch inside and not let it rip out and hit the ground. I bet if you made it hang just a bit lower and mounted the winch on the face angle it would work. Other then that it's an awesome looking design.

Please don't take this wrong, but it's a serious safety issue that should be addressed IMHO. I highly doubt you would ever want one to fail and someone get hurt or have parts damage even. I know there are other companies making winch bumpers with the same flat mounting, but for lighter Jeeps, and Toyota's it is less of a concern. BUT for the record it was pics of a Jeep where the winch was ripped off it's mount. I do not know if grade 8 hardware was used. Even if it was not it's too big a risk mounting it flat using grade 5, or grade 8, or 9 for that matter. Just my .02 cents.
 
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rdn2blazer said:
I have a HUGE issue with the fact that the winch it mounted with the mounting surface in the flat posistion instead of in the vertical posistion. The winch is COMPLETELY being help by the sheer strength of the four bolts ONLY. The is not a very strong design considering the heavy weight of a full sized K5, Suburban, or pickup. I have seen pics of winches ripped off their mounts being mounted this way.

I would seriously consider another re-design mounting the winch mounting surface in the vertical posistion with the mounting surface against the back side if the fairlead surface Then your actually using the full surface area of the entire winch fixture as support, not just four bolts. I would say if the bolts failed it MIGHT contain the winch inside and not let it rip out and hit the ground. I bet if you made it hang just a bit lower and mounted the winch on the face angle it would work. Other then that it's an awesome looking design.

Please don't take this wrong, but it's a serious safety issue that should be addressed IMHO. I highly doubt you would ever want one to fail and someone get hurt or have parts damage even. I know there are other companies making winch bumpers with the same flat mounting, but for lighter Jeeps, and Toyota's it is less of a concern. BUT for the record it was pics of a Jeep where the winch was ripped off it's mount. I do not know of grade 8 hardware was used. Even if it was not it's too big a risk mounting it flat using grade 5, or grade 8, or 9 for that matter. Just my .02 cents.
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Well, you are most definitely correct in that it IS stronger with the mounting bolts facing the cable exit. I cannot disagree with that at all. I certainly put some thought into it before going with this design, but ultimately decided that mounting it the way I did really isn't an issue. I wish you could see some of the winches I've seen come into my shop on Jeeps/Toys/etc... - with only three bolts in place, or all of them loose, or with them replaced by hardware store grade 2 bolts because they got lost, or a number of different scenarios. With that in mind, I'm not surprised at all when a winch comes loose! HOWEVER, when you get down to it - just one single grade 5 3/8" bolt in shear can support approximately 8,250lbs of force when tightened properly. And that is just a minimum figure too, most manufactured bolts can actually support much more than that. That same 3/8" grade 5 bolt can also support a tension load of over 9,750lbs! - although there is very little tension load on the winch mounting bolts. Now consider that there are 4 bolts, and even if one comes loose you really shouldn't have ANY problems with your winch.
NOW, after saying all that, I still really do like the idea of mounting the feet forward towards the cable exit if it doesn't present any other problems/issues. And in this case (as in most) it tends to interfere with some of the fairleads available today.

I'm glad you brought this up - and I appreciate your opinion. Thanks for sharing!

-Darren
 
rdn2blazer said:
I have a HUGE issue with the fact that the winch it mounted with the mounting surface in the flat posistion instead of in the vertical posistion. The winch is COMPLETELY being held by the sheer strength of the four bolts ONLY. The is not a very strong design considering the heavy weight of a full sized K5, Suburban, or pickup. I have seen pics of winches ripped off their mounts being mounted this way.

I would seriously consider another re-design mounting the winch mounting surface in the vertical posistion with the mounting surface against the back side if the fairlead surface Then your actually using the full surface area of the entire winch fixture as support, not just four bolts. I would say if the bolts failed it MIGHT contain the winch inside and not let it rip out and hit the ground. I bet if you made it hang just a bit lower and mounted the winch on the face angle it would work. Other then that it's an awesome looking design.

Please don't take this wrong, but it's a serious safety issue that should be addressed IMHO. I highly doubt you would ever want one to fail and someone get hurt or have parts damage even. I know there are other companies making winch bumpers with the same flat mounting, but for lighter Jeeps, and Toyota's it is less of a concern. BUT for the record it was pics of a Jeep where the winch was ripped off it's mount. I do not know if grade 8 hardware was used. Even if it was not it's too big a risk mounting it flat using grade 5, or grade 8, or 9 for that matter. Just my .02 cents.
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I'm surprised no one brought this up sooner. I believe for some winches, the manufacturer requires that you mount the winch feet-forward. Can't remember what size they say, but I wouldnt mount any winch over 9.5k feet down
 
muddermilitia said:
I'm surprised no one brought this up sooner. I believe for some winches, the manufacturer requires that you mount the winch feet-forward. Can't remember what size they say, but I wouldnt mount any winch over 9.5k feet down
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True, the 15,000 lb winches are designed to be mounted with the feet forward, as you say. With a snatch block, a 15k winch adds up to 30,000lbs of pulling force! 10,000lb winches and smaller are designed to be mounted feet down. A 10k winch even with a snatch block will only exert 20,000lbs of pulling force - that's a whole 10,000lb winch LESS force! My winch cradle is specifically designed for 10,000lb winches and smaller, the 15k winches will not fit into it.
Figure it this way, in order to break four 3/8" Grade 5 bolts (at their weakest possible steel rating), you would need to pull on that winch with approximately 33,120lbs! You would pull your front frame horns off before those bolts broke!

Check out these pics:

Here is a Warn 12,000lb winch, very specifically designed to be mounted with feet "down":
endurance_features.jpg


Warn's "Ultimate" performance 9,500lb winch & cradle system (comes from WARN with the feet mounted "down"):
9.5ti-Portable-Winch.jpg


Smittybilt's XRC 12,000lb winch, also designed to be mounted feet "Down":
60_1.jpg


Ramsey's 9,500lb winch (every "integrated" style winch out there will HAVE to be mounted feet down):
patriot9500.jpg



Anyways, I certainly appreciate your thoughts and comments, and totally respect the fact that you two in particular would like to see the feet mounted vertically - but please just be aware that this cradle was NOT incorrectly or WEAKLY designed. There WAS a lot of thought that went into it, and it is NOT unsafe :)

-Darren
 
All great points twisted.. I don't see the need for a feet forward either in this case as you have stated. We run 20,000 lb PTO winces on out trucks and they are mounted in a sheer application also, and often run snatch blocks with no failures.
I have a feeling this will go on and on but if the manufactures are saying it and it has been done this way for decades no need to change it up.
 
mnstrburbon said:
All great points twisted.. I don't see the need for a feet forward either in this case as you have stated. We run 20,000 lb PTO winces on out trucks and they are mounted in a sheer application also, and often run snatch blocks with no failures.
I have a feeling this will go on and on but if the manufactures are saying it and it has been done this way for decades no need to change it up.
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I agree if the manufacturer has intended a winch to be mounted feet down then thats how it should be mounted. Maybe state in the sale of your mounting plate to use atleast Grade 8 fasteners. It is a good reminder anyways.
 
did you ever come up with some "wings" to mount off the sides? I like the winch carrier design, but I would like a bit of front end protection
 
Recon! said:
did you ever come up with some "wings" to mount off the sides? I like the winch carrier design, but I would like a bit of front end protection
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Hey Recon!,
I've been slowly puttering with some designs for the "wings" on this - I've got a Blazer here at the shop that's been here for the last couple weeks, and I have not been able to make anywhere near as much progress as I had hoped (lots of other jobs gone bad that have taken up too much of my time!). I think I might even have some time to work on it a little today - I'll keep you posted with any progress I might make today. But regardless, I am working on it, and it should be soon :)

-Darren
 
TwiztedEngineering said:
Hey Recon!,
I've been slowly puttering with some designs for the "wings" on this - I've got a Blazer here at the shop that's been here for the last couple weeks, and I have not been able to make anywhere near as much progress as I had hoped (lots of other jobs gone bad that have taken up too much of my time!). I think I might even have some time to work on it a little today - I'll keep you posted with any progress I might make today. But regardless, I am working on it, and it should be soon :)

-Darren
Click to expand...

Excellent! I'll be waiting for the sure to be outstanding results!
 
hey this is off topic but wheres the details on your truck? not sure if you designed the SAS on your Z but if you did have you thought about a kit.
 
i am intrested in a little more front end coverage as well, let me know when you get it done.
 
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