magik235
Still Alive
Is mounting a winch as easy as notching the front bumper, mounting a winch plate to the top of the frame then attaching a winch? A picture of my bumper is below.
CK5
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Winch Mount
- Thread starter magik235
- Start date
Is mounting a winch as easy as notching the front bumper, mounting a winch plate to the top of the frame then attaching a winch? A picture of my bumper is below.
Thats one way, or you can put it between the framerails on the bottom.
Not exactly. Not only do you need a winch mounting plate or cradle, you also need something for the fairlead to mount to. The bumper is not strong enough otherwise. You may be able to modify some off-the-shelf winch cradle to mount to the frame, but I doubt you can mount it far enough forward to also hold the fairlead. The bumper itself is kind of deep the winch would be hitting stuff up there. Make a lot of measurements to ensure there is enough room for whatever winch you're mounting. It seems like mounting it upside down gives tons of room, but the width of it still has to fit between the frame rails. Also ensure provisions to work the clutch lever.
Search for hidden winch. There are some good threads showing this done with stock bumpers.
Search for hidden winch. There are some good threads showing this done with stock bumpers.
magik235
Still Alive
Thank you for the suggestion. It made the search function useable when I put it inside " ".
TNA is a vendor here and makes a nice one.
magik235
Still Alive
His looks good. I am also considering a front receiver hitch so I could use the winch in the front or back
but I haven't had any luck finding one for a 1987 GMC Jimmy.
TNA's winch mount.
but I haven't had any luck finding one for a 1987 GMC Jimmy.
TNA's winch mount.
Take it from someone who has gone out in bad places and gotten people out after their mount failed, plus helped haul one to the hospital, when its all said and done, the most important part of a winch mounting is that it stays on!!
Looks are nice, ease of operation is important, but that sudden loud SNAP, followed by your winch, grill, and sometimes even your battery flying out in front of the truck is not something you want to see.
Unless its someone else's truck, in which case its funny as all get out.
Heavy, thick steel, grade 8 bolts and nuts, and maybe a weld or two are necessary.
I have never had a mount fail. But I saw a really well built and designed mount fail because of bad bolts.
We had used that mount system on several trucks with no problems. But when my friend was putting one on his truck, he was using some bolts he had laying around to mock things up.
He would bolt it up, do some measuring. Unbolt it and do some cutting and modifying, then put it back on.
At some point he had it like he wanted, and just tightened the bolts. He swore to me that he forgot to use the 8s he had bought just for that, but I suspect he got lazy.
He spooled up the cable, hooked to an old bus behind the shop and turned the winch on with his truck chained.
The idea was, that it should drag the bus around sideways.
Bolts sheered, winch flew off, the relay pack was behind the grill, so it took the grill out when it came off, battery was bolted down well, so it just ripped the positive post off........
It almost caused me a great injury............From laughing.
Looks are nice, ease of operation is important, but that sudden loud SNAP, followed by your winch, grill, and sometimes even your battery flying out in front of the truck is not something you want to see.
Unless its someone else's truck, in which case its funny as all get out.
Heavy, thick steel, grade 8 bolts and nuts, and maybe a weld or two are necessary.
I have never had a mount fail. But I saw a really well built and designed mount fail because of bad bolts.
We had used that mount system on several trucks with no problems. But when my friend was putting one on his truck, he was using some bolts he had laying around to mock things up.
He would bolt it up, do some measuring. Unbolt it and do some cutting and modifying, then put it back on.
At some point he had it like he wanted, and just tightened the bolts. He swore to me that he forgot to use the 8s he had bought just for that, but I suspect he got lazy.
He spooled up the cable, hooked to an old bus behind the shop and turned the winch on with his truck chained.
The idea was, that it should drag the bus around sideways.
Bolts sheered, winch flew off, the relay pack was behind the grill, so it took the grill out when it came off, battery was bolted down well, so it just ripped the positive post off........
It almost caused me a great injury............From laughing.
The TNA mount pictured is the one I won at BB. Have not put it on. Being a fabricator myself, I would not build it any different.
Warn makes a front hitch for the 1981-87 / 91 trucks.
That said, I had one, and I only ever used it for moving a trailer around the yard. I would not put a winch on a receiver on either end. MAYBE if you were only ever going to do straight-line pulls. But as soon as your winch line is at all sideways, you're pulling the hitch in ways it ain't meant to do and gonna break something.
Stick with a designed-for-that-purpose mount, IMO.
-- A
Mine is on a converted jeep mount on a receiver hitch that's behind the bumper. I've pulled the front wheels off of the ground with it. Slid the truck sideways up hill with the hook on a back d ring. Never had an issue.
Even drove the winch into a tree to save the front sheet metal. It's a custom bolt in.
Even drove the winch into a tree to save the front sheet metal. It's a custom bolt in.
i'd kinda like to see that. i like the idea of hiding the winch behind a stock bumper.
magik235
Still Alive
X 2
I didn't find a picture when I went through the pictures in your signature.
I didn't find a picture when I went through the pictures in your signature.
Backroads
1/2 ton status
Thanks for the story, I never thought about the carnage that would be associated with a winch coming off, especially the part about the relays and the battery.
That TNA looks super beefy. Anybody have experience bolting one to a 1980 and older truck? The front frame ends are more rounded than 81 and up.
Just the hitch mount is behind the bumper. I did this because the which was used on the trailer also.
Fred_M1010
1/2 ton status
Here's how I made my hidden winch mount:
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256348#post2599400
I'm really satisfied with it, and the bumper only needed some minor modifications
http://coloradok5.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256348#post2599400
I'm really satisfied with it, and the bumper only needed some minor modifications
magik235
Still Alive
Thanks for the link. It looks good.
