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Why winch in front?

spincast375

spincast375

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Every application I have seen shows the winch up front, usually in a custom bumper. Combined they may add 500 pounds plus to the front end. Wouldn't it make more sense to put the winch in the rear? We have a dd with a bb454 up front, with nothing in the rear but the axle and gas tank. With more equal weight distribution, wouldn't it be more stable?

Yes, my lack of experience may show. But isn't it logical to put the winch in the rear? I have never seen it. Must be a very good reason.
 
Only mudders use rear winches from what I've seen. The rest of us use winches to help us get over an obstacle and carry on forward down the trail.

Rene
 
tRustyK5 said:
Only mudders use rear winches from what I've seen. The rest of us use winches to help us get over an obstacle and carry on forward down the trail.

Rene
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Exactly... why winch back to where you were before? The idea is to keep going forward, so it makes sense to have it up front. That way, if the rig is unable to make the obstical, the winch can be used to assist it through, so you can be on your way again... not headed back the way you came, or looking for another way around.
 
Run a front winch in a truck with no reverse and no brakes. You commit to every line lol
 
if all you want to do is get out of what you got into. Know a few with one in the bed but like said just easier to get out of some mud the way you got in instead of breaking new ground. But this agian is just playing in the mud.
 
with respect to weight distribution, yes, it makes more sense to put it in back. In use it may also... if you are the guy who has the baddest truck in town and always lead the trail runs then it being in back might make sense... cause you can extract yourself back to where everyone else is. On the otherhand, if you are gonna be doing some extreme poo-poo and always want to be moving forward, you'll need it up front to drag your junk over those nasty obstacles. Depends on the obstacle/circumstances which you'll need... personally I am putting mine up front... saving $ and eventually getting one in the back too.

j
 
you right on the wieght thing, a friend is putting one of the biggest friggen ptos i have seen on the front of one of his k5s, the thing is 200 to 300 lbs so yeah it will really efeect him.

me i am gunna put a nice light electric winch up front and my pto out back.
 
Being new to this, I don't know if there are inherant problems with this, but I've got a buddy who has his winch bolted a cradle with a receiver stock coming off the back so he can put it wherever he's got a hitch receiver. He's wired the front and back of his truck with the electrics, and both bumpers have receivers, so it's a matter of carrying it wherever he wants and then moving it to either end of the rig as the situation dictates.

Warn makes a model that comes with the cradle ready to go...
 
you meen a multi mount?

a very good idea, i know some dont like it as much because it tends to stick out from the truck more, so unless you keep it inside it hurts you aproch and deparcher angles.

it it is also a nice way to keep it from getting stolin.
 
yeah, multi-mounts are cool... especially if your hitch is designed to save your approach/departure angles. Keep in mind that the larger winches tend to be pretty dang heavy (especially if you keep the factory steel cable)... add in the multi-mount tray thingy and you're talking a hefty load... better have a friend to help you move it.

j
 
I just bought a ramsey patriot 15k electric and going to mount it in the back.... same reason... if I went into this goo then if I get stuck.. most likely it was really bad so why would I wanna go forward... however if I get a good deal on a pto I will put it in the back and move the ramsey to the front :wink1:

will have pics soon as my digi broke and havent put winch in yet...

I did go dual 1000ca batteries though :bow:
 
I've got a MM 12K electric winch on a multimount. With the 3/8 steel cable she weighed in at 152 lbs. I was able to move it around myself, although it was not pleasant. I went to AM Blue synthetic rope and an aluminum fairlead and she now weighs a mere 98 lbs. Still heavy, but alot more manageable. I put my front receiver up high, so the top of the winch cradle was the height of my hood. I didn't hurt the approach angle any, and helped me see exactly where the front of the truck was. It is real nice to be able to pull yourself over an obstacle, then move the winch to the back and pull your winchless buddies over. I also have a receiver on the front of my trailer so the winch can pull a disabled vehicle onto it.
 
I could be wrong here but isnt a winch multimount system only as strong as the pin holding the winch in place. Or am i picturing the mounting system wrong in my head? Im seeing it as the winch mounted to a reciever just like a reciver hitch would be. Seems to me that the winch is just as strong as the pin holding it in place.
 
You are not wrong at all in this thought. Using a multi-mount cradle, your winch will only be as strong as the receiver pin.



hunterguy86 said:
I could be wrong here but isnt a winch multimount system only as strong as the pin holding the winch in place. Or am i picturing the mounting system wrong in my head? Im seeing it as the winch mounted to a reciever just like a reciver hitch would be. Seems to me that the winch is just as strong as the pin holding it in place.
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As already mentioned, it just depends on what you are doing. In general for trailriding if you get stuck you need to continue to go forward. I've been in lot's of circumstances where you needed winch up a hill to keep going on the trail, or over a rock ledge etc.... If you just had a rear mounted winch then what, winch up the hill backwards??? Or maybe turn tail and go home???

I can see if you are mostly running mud than a rear mounted winch would be fine since you are just interested in getting out of the mud hole.

Multi-mounts can be okay, but a pain in the butt if you don't already have it hooked up to the right end to begin with. Just imagine trying to lug a 150 lb. winch setup around and hook it up to a truck in a middle of a deep mudhole or on a steep hill................. I think the most important aspect of this setup is making sure the receiver mounts are up high enough to not cause clearance issues, making sure the winch is somewhat protected, and the mount is simply strong enough especially for side pulls.
 
I use a Multi-mount on my front or rear, Blazer or my Jimmy and have a Warn quick disconnect hooked to some jumper cables so it can be used on my Massey Ferguson or anywhere including the side to roll me back onto the tires if needed. Oh not sure of the weight, but I'd guess 60 pounds. It doesn't get rained on if it's in the garage, or stolen. That is my daily driver by the way.
Nicevacation.jpg



16873Trout_fishing_new_paint.jpg
 
Another option and not new by any means is to mount the winch on your front axle if you have room. Steering components usually make this impossible. Full hydro helps. This way the weight is unsprung and down nice and low. Of course if you dump it in the mud and get stuck it won't help you much. Lot of the comp rock crawlers mounting them this way these days.

I seen one in somebodys bed that worked out the front or back. No idea how he did it. It was mounted up by the cab kinda recessed into the floor.
 
Ramsey makes a 9000 pound quick-mount winch that I am considering for my '73... the idea is to use the four bolts in the bed that previously held the spare tire carrier (gone when I bought the truck). I would fab up an adapter plate that would hold the winch securely enough for use, but would also allow easy removal. Then, with a class 3 receiver front and rear, I could move the winch as needed.
The winch is about 110 pounds (I think, the 8000 is 105) so it is 'man-portable'. Not easy, but when you need it, you will lift it ;-)
 
cybrfire said:
I seen one in somebodys bed that worked out the front or back. No idea how he did it. It was mounted up by the cab kinda recessed into the floor.
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i was trying to get a buddy to do this on his POS bronce eddie bower (little one) i had the idea to mount behind the seats, and only have a loop in the cable and no hook, so you would just attach a clevis to it, and then feed a steel tube thru the engen compartment and brace it securly, so he could feed the cable to the front as he had no room for his big ramsy 10 000 lbs winch off a tow truck out front.


but he dident do it instead he build a cage by threading gas pipe togeather!!!!!!
 
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