Winch mounted!!!

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2008 6:49 pm

no problem I have a few trips to make with the KJ but by the end of September i will be tearing the Facia off and start on the project unless someone else beats me to it.

JPaul · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2008 10:58 pm

So now I'm toying with this new way of mounting a winch to the KJ.

I could do it the way Indian did it and mount it upside down. But then I was thinking about approach angles plus exposing the winch to getting bashed accidentally by a rock.

So I combined this concept plus my thoughts of mounting up some receiver tubes to the front.

Basically, I would use two 18" 2" receiver tubes that are bolted to the frame, one on each side (Similar to what another guy on here has fabbed up). They would extend out far enough that you could then mount a universal winch plate to the top of them right in front of the bumper. This way the winch would be upright and out of the way of any rocks or stumps or what have you, plus I would have the receiver tubes to use for shackles, hooks, tire carriers, etc.

It would require some major cutting of the bumper, but I'd feel better with it out of the way of stuff on the ground. It should be pretty dang solid as well, and I could even have a guy I know weld the winch plate to the receiver tubes to tighten everything up as much as possible. (otherwise the tubes would have to stick out far enough to permit anything put in them to miss the bolts holding the plate on.)

All in all this would cost about $100 to fabricate. $17 x2 for the receiver tubes, $40 for the winch plate (Both items from Harbor Freight), plus about $25 for tax and miscellaneous hardware.

What do you guys think?

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:22 pm

Good idea but dont forget the TJ Universal mount is only about 80 bucks, you wont have to fabricate anything. Acording to their info they bolted the mount on and welded support brackets in the back of it. the front silver plate in 3/8 inch alum. Im doing what I can to get a templste from them for the front plate. As far as hitting something well I guess you can do that with anything.

JPaul · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:30 pm

True, I wouldn't need to fab anything up, if I chose to mount it upside down. But I'm a bit wary of that only because there wouldn't be anyhting to protect the winch from being hit, which it inevitably would be some day.

I'd onyl fab up something like I was talking about just so that it could be moutned right side up and not have to worry so much about it being hit. It would stick out of the bumper yes, but I'm less worried aobut keeping clean lines than I am protecting my investment.

If I mounted it upside down I'd still want to fab up some kind of protective cage for it.

I just can't afford an ARB or any other kind of bumper, plus I like to make stuff as inexpensive as possible, that way I have money left for more goodies than I could have bought otherwise.

Don't get me wrong, If I had the extra grand laying around I would love to have an ARB, but that is not in my near future at all (I'm talking the next ten years here.), so I do what I can.

Inc · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:30 pm

Great idea but on my 05 I have chopped my bumper up where the winch would hang down kind low and I have already hit some good size boulders right where the winch would be sitting. Wouldn't lose clearance with this setup but the winch would most likely get messed up. If there was a pic looking directly at it mounted from an eye level view, you could tell how far exactly it hung down and then could tell better what kind of danger the winch would be in. Still an awesome idea. Someone has to do this and give us all a detailed write up with PICS!

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Sun Aug 17, 2008 11:53 pm

JPaul wrote:

So now I'm toying with this new way of mounting a winch to the KJ.

I could do it the way Indian did it and mount it upside down. But then I was thinking about approach angles plus exposing the winch to getting bashed accidentally by a rock.

So I combined this concept plus my thoughts of mounting up some receiver tubes to the front.

Basically, I would use two 18" 2" receiver tubes that are bolted to the frame, one on each side (Similar to what another guy on here has fabbed up). They would extend out far enough that you could then mount a universal winch plate to the top of them right in front of the bumper. This way the winch would be upright and out of the way of any rocks or stumps or what have you, plus I would have the receiver tubes to use for shackles, hooks, tire carriers, etc.

It would require some major cutting of the bumper, but I'd feel better with it out of the way of stuff on the ground. It should be pretty dang solid as well, and I could even have a guy I know weld the winch plate to the receiver tubes to tighten everything up as much as possible. (otherwise the tubes would have to stick out far enough to permit anything put in them to miss the bolts holding the plate on.)

All in all this would cost about $100 to fabricate. $17 x2 for the receiver tubes, $40 for the winch plate (Both items from Harbor Freight), plus about $25 for tax and miscellaneous hardware.

What do you guys think?

are you gonna do all of the welding yourself? if so you could just make your own bumper for not much more and it would look way better

XC204 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 1:25 pm

Here is a print for a double receiver that the tubes come out of the bumper lined up with the grooves in the scoop area.

click image to enlarge.

jsc7002 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:30 pm

thats a good sized angle you have shetched, if you want to cut down on cost and it still be plenty strong 2"x1/4" angle would be enough

JPaul · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 2:56 pm

JSC, No, I won't do any welding myself, for one, I don't own a welder, and two, have never welded anyhting in my life (I am pretty good at soldering though). I would not trust myself to make welds strong enough to hold onto a winch as it is pulling my jeep from the mud.

I have thought about doing up my own bumper, but that is way down the list right now. This would be a good stop gap since it could serve as the basis for a bumper later on though.

In all reality, I'm holding off on doing any kind of modification to my KJ right now. We need to make sure we can refinance the loan and that I will in fact be keeping it. No sense in working on something that might be gone in a month. Once I know that I'm keeping it though, I'm taking off the front bumper so that I can get lots of pics and measurements. Then I can do a mock up in AutoCAD to get everythnig just right.

XC204 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:07 pm

The 3" brings the cross tube down to clear the humps in cross member its not much more in cost. Steel cost minus 2 premade curt receiver tubes was about $25. for those that ask why buy the premade rec. tubes I like the rounded lip.

nosnorb_808 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 3:09 pm

Anyone have any idea what winch was used in the Indian Rescue KJ.

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:54 pm

Indian cars are a bit weary, it seems they dont really want to give away any secrets, there is more to those pictures I posted and Im going to get from them if I can, I know that somehow that front custom pate is attached to the frame, they mentioned that in the e-mail, they also said they did it for the Infinity Sound systems Jeep KJ. Im looking for pictures . will post if I find them.

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 4:59 pm

Here you go , a bit of a different design, but the same.

JPaul · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:17 pm

That setup looks a lot better, The skid in the front there will protect the winch perfectly! It probably wouldn't be too hard to make it work out either really. I think we tend to stick to the typical mounting solutions for all of our crap (winches, hi-lifts, tools, etc.) and fail to think outside the box enough.

I relly hope I get to keep my KJ, I like the idea of tucking the winch in behind the stock buper to hide it, especially if I have it setup so that the liscence plate completely covers it.

Inc · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:19 pm

I don't ever plan on buying a winch but if I was, I'd consider this as a first option.

LIV42DY · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 5:47 pm

We will need to stay in touch, regarding the fabrication. As I said earlier, I will be out with the KJ for the next 3 weeks, as soon as I return I plan on starting to take a closer look at this, as I find more info I will share

. this can be done! and I like it.

nosnorb_808 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:04 pm

Keep me updated. Im very interested about this setup. It seems cost efficient compared to an ARB. I also like the clean look. I think I might take the pictures to a local fab shop & see if they can duplicate this setup for me.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Mon Aug 18, 2008 6:05 pm

LIV42DY wrote:

Here you go , a bit of a different design, but the same.

No way that would work without doing some major cutting to the actual steal bumper behind the plastic bumper cover.

nosnorb_808 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:11 pm

Just got the winch ordered (Warn M8000). TJ universal winch mount is next. Then the project begins to mount it in the bumper.

riptricket · **Posted:** Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:34 pm

nosnorb if you don't mind me asking... how much did it all cost you (winch that is)

Winch mounted!!!

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