Winch Mount

[RIPPEDK5]

Debating on buying a winch. Dont have it in the budget to buy any winch mount or custom winch bumper..

is there anyone who have mounted then strongly without buying a costly mount or bumper?

is there any other ways to mount them strongly and affectively?

 

[sweetk30]

get a 2" reciver for the front . hide it behind the bumper . cut hole and use flip down bracket for plate off old gm rear wheel drive car that had gas tank fill behind plate.

then use the cradle mount system for the winch . then you can run front or rear on the winch .

 

[MNorby]

Do you have access to a welder, drill, and torch/grinder?

 

[RIPPEDK5]

A drill and grinder yes.. a pripane torch yes. Acetolen no.. a welder no unless u count a somewhat friend thatll chart me $10/ft of weld wire cause he couldnt possibly help a friend for free

 

[Fordum]

I have mounted dozens.
Problem is, they were designed to be mounted without a bumper mount. We basically used the same bolts that held on the bumper but upgraded in size and strength.

Also, these bumpers were mounted pretty much directly onto the frame. Mostly 60's and early 70's trucks.

The winch was on a flat plate with two legs coming down in front. Two bolts went into the top of the frame just in front of the grill, and the two legs bolted to the two front bumper bolts.

Used grade 8 bolts, never had a winch come off. I still see some of those winches from time to time on trucks, but its very unlikely I can find one mounted right now.

But, I think I know where one is that is not mounted. If so, I will post a pic tomorrow.
Its not going to directly pertain to a factory winch, but if you see how this one mounted, you could basically make a mount that a factory winch would fit that bolts on like this one did.

These winch mounts were built with nothing but a cutting torch and welder, but you are pretty much going to have to have those.

Although, you might be able to rig something up with some really heavy angle iron just using what you have........

 

[mr250twostroke]

What are your reasons for wanting a winch if I may ask? Do you actually need one?

 

[RIPPEDK5]

This might sound stupid.... but for other reason then for winter use and for other odds and ends I guess I dont really need one..

I am trying to get back in the off-road scene, Finally most of my crap is paid off, and have looked at a few rigs around here and there just junk or people want all the money and then some..

my thought was to get something smaller to start the re-entry process without dropping $5k

,,,the other reason; I got a settlement for my back injury and I wanted to do something for myself, since my bills are taken care of.. other then that I dont know what I want

 

[Fordum]

What are your reasons for wanting a winch if I may ask? Do you actually need one?

Hmm, sounds like someone who has never owned one......

Every truck and Jeep I have ever owned has had a winch on it.
In my case, they were all PTOs

Nothing against electrics, I used to help build and install them, but I like engine power.
Everybody I used to hunt with either had a winch or wanted one. Today, not so much, due to increased age, cell phones, and improved roads.

As long as they can call me..............

In my case at this point in my life, my winch gets more or less used in this fashion:
Pulling myself out, 30%. I have a good truck.....

Pulling other people out, 40% They don't......

Other uses, 30%. Moving things that won't move otherwise, mostly.

I have pulled dead trucks onto trailers, winched big gensets into sheds and a big lathe into my shed. I have aimed trees in the direction I wanted them to fall when cutting them down.
I have done this three times this year.
And I may have to do it this weekend.

Hoisted dead deer, pulled engines out of trucks, tightened fence wire when putting up fences, straightened things, bent things, torn down billboards and buildings, pulled wells, and picked up the front end of my truck to change a tire.
I have also hoisted large antennas up on towers, lowered them, and lowered a 600lb radar unit off a 200 foot tower.

I suppose if you live in the city, never go offroad, then the uses are limited.
But, then so is the use of 4wd.
A winch is a tool. How much use you get out of it, depends on how creative you are.

I was in my truck with the plant mechanic many years ago. We had a trailer behind us, and were going to buy a used rear end out of a tour bus.
Front end of the bus was totaled, but the rear end was good, and we had a big F750 that the input seal had failed and burned it up.

When we got to the junkyard, the guy said he could not get to the rear end right then.
It was backed up to a fence, the front end was blocked by a semi, and he needed to get behind it with his big forklift to pick it up.
There was a big live oak about 80 feet away from it at right angles to the rear end.

We needed that part.
Our truck needed to roll the next morning.
I asked the guy if he was going to use anything else off the bus.
He said, no, it was going to scrap.

I drove the front end of my truck hard up against the tree with the winch fairlead just clear.
Took my cable over to the bus and hooked it to the frame just above the rear wheels.

Junkyard owner said you are not going to do what you think you are.

I knew my winch, I just smiled.

Put the winch in gear, slid the entire back end of the bus sideways through the dirt until it was clear of the fence.

The dirt piled up over the tires on my side, one of the tires on the other slid off the rim, but he was able to get the rear end out.

As we were leaving with the rear end, the junkyard owner came over and offered me $1000 for my winch.

I wound up selling him a new one for more than that

No way he was getting my winch...

 

[mr250twostroke]

Hmm, sounds like someone who has never owned one......

I'll assume the smiley face meant you were joking . Im well aware of the endless uses, here's a couple in my driveway-

Pulled off my trailer and up my driveway.

The 396 in that crate was also pulled on/off my trailer, off with a snatch block.

I also could not wheel the PNW without one or go on broke/stuck/abandonded vehicle recoveries etc...

The reason I asked my question was the op said a winch was all that he had in his budget. No mention of the amount so what winch is he even considering buying? A proven one I hope but... there not cheap. Not even sure what kind of vehicle he's thinking of putting it on? If its not necessary right now, I "might" suggest he spend his money on a bumper 1st. Save up for the winch 2nd.

 

[RIPPEDK5]

The winch(s) I was looking at were either Super winch or the Amphibious Rugged Ridge 8000 pounds.. They run in the almost $400 range

I am not a fan of large bumpers, they are extremely heavy (yes the provide a place for a winch and add protection) but i dont hardcore wheel and I dont want to invest in a bumper for a truck I plan on getting rid of...

bed mounted maybe? probably require a plate on to and bottom

 

[Fordum]

I'll assume the smiley face meant you were joking . Im well aware of the endless uses

Yep, I pretty much figured that most folks here appreciated winches.

Although, you would be surprised. I have only heard one person who actually owned one say it was not worth the money. But, in his case, he was right.

The piece of junk hanging on his front bumper was not worth whatever he might have paid for it.

But, with snatch straps being so common these days, I have actually had more than one person tell me that a winch was not necessary and a waste of money.

One darn fool was bogged up to the doors, and I had had to winch in to where he was to pull him out.

I was slowly dragging him out, letting the winch run slow so the wheels had time to dig a trench in the mud.
He called out that that was why he would never own a winch. They were too slow. He said that if his friend with the snatch strap had gotten there sooner, he would already be out.

Then he asked if it would not go faster.
I started to rev the engine up and see if I could pull the entire undercarriage out from under his truck.

But, instead I just reached down between the seat and door and moved the hydraulic lever from forward to reverse.
The winch reversed, and gave him slack. I got out and started winding up the cable. He asked if the winch had broken.
I said no, I was going to take him to his friend's camp so he could come back with the snatch strap.

And did.

It took 4 trucks to get him out. One finally got to him, but could not get enough traction to pull him out.
The next one could pull that one out, but not both.

It got dark, and I went back to the camp for supper. Last score I heard, they wound up breaking one strap, a windshield, ripped off a bumper because someone mishooked a strap, and snapped a shackle off when they snatched him with a wheel against a buried stump.

Don't know what else, but they had to trailer two of the trucks home.

Oh, and to the OP, a bed mount is doable, but its a pain to do and use. Especially if you run the cable out the front.
The first pulley block where the cable turns right angles has to be very well mounted, considerably stronger than the winch rating, and needs to be as big a wheel size as practical to minimize friction.

Plus there cannot be any gap between the wheel and side plates so the cable cannot jump out of the track.

 

[rockhard69]

If your putting the winch on a K5 and depending on what year, you can remove the front bumper, install a 1/4 steel plate between the frame rails. The plate sits on the inside bottom of the frame rails and then bolt the winch onto the plate. Cut a slot in the front bumper for the roller head and reinstall the front bumper. I installed a Ramsey Patriot 9500 on my 88 K5 that way. I had to cut a couple of inches out of the lower grill to make it fit.
The winch is almost out of site and it would be quicker to steal the truck than remove the winch. I have several pictures posted on another forum.