Hidden winch setups?

[Horsethief]

For those running hidden winches, what's your setup?
I want to add a hidden winch to my 2013, and I'm looking at different options.

Right now I think the bud built hidden mounting plate is at the top of the list, I like that it doesn't require any cutting of the front bumper which makes it look clean.

The top three winches I'm thinking of are the Warn Evo 10s, the Smittybilt XRC Gen. 3, and the Ironman monster winch. All in either 9.5 or 10k ratings.

I'd love to run a full bumper like the ARB, but I really don't want to add that much weight to the front

I'll add that I'm not out every weekend wheeling, I'm not going to be beating the snot out of the winch. I want it more for a peace of mind when I do go out, especially if I'm out alone.

Thanks for any input!

 

[honda250xtitan]

not many run them. SDHQ has a mount as well. Hidden winch mounts are super clean on these toyotas. I would love to justify one but the desert and doing group runs makes it a lot of weight for nothing.

 

[4rNCMTNs]

I have two Budbuilt hidden winch mounts on my 4Runner. One in the front and one in the back. Of course they are no longer very hidden and built into my tube bumper.

Given your description of what you want. I think it would be very good. Installation would be super easy for you since it bolts onto the front of the frame horns.

My first bumper was the big ARB and I agree with your assessment that you do not need it.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk

 

[wcjeep]

Saw one very light weight option from SEMA via YouTube.

BUSH Winch - SEMA 2023 | WAYALIFE Jeep Forum


BUT WAIT there's MORE NEW Jeep Stuff and Overland Gear at SEMA 2023 - DAY 3 - YouTube

 

[Humble Leader]

there aren't a lot of hidden winch options for the early 5th gen 4runner. I would like a winch for solo riding but I haven't found anything I liked. LFD offroad probably has one of the best hidden mounts for early 5th gens I've seen that you can actually buy (in Canada anyway) and it has recovery hooks as well. with a winch though even a hidden low profile mount you will probably want stiffer springs. a winch will weigh 70lbs to 100lbs and then you have the mount which is probably at least 30lbs to 50lbs. doesn't seem like a lot of extra weight but it's all at the front of the vehicle

 

[phillyd2]

Really no need to overthink this. Get the Bud Built and be done with it. There’s tons of information here with detailed pictures, including my build thread.

 

[Jetboy]

I built my own for my later style bumper. They're pretty easy to do if you're into welding. I don't think you'll save a lot of $ going one way or the other. But it probably saves about 50-60lbs of weight vs a partial front bumper. I wanted to keep weight to a minimum and it was my daily driver, so I went with a hidden winch. I really liked the low-key design. The downside is that you don't get the protection from the steel bumper. And I did damage my front plastics a number of times on big rocks offroad that might have done better with a steel bumper. Nothing major - just scratched up plastics. I swapped front bumper skins twice in 8 years due to being chewed up by rocks. But I could usually find them color matched in new condition for around $100. So I was happy doing that. I don't think there's a right or wrong way to do it.

I have a little flip up license plate bracket you can buy on Amazon for $15 and then it's almost entirely hidden until you need it.

If you want to use it just as an emergency option - you could go with a front hitch mount and a hitch mount winch. Then you can leave all that weight at home when you don't need it. That's what I've done in past vehicles and on my current Tundra. It's not really an offroad vehicle, but I do get stuck a few times a year in remote places and a winch is really really nice to have when I do. The cost is probably not that much different, but it's a bit easier to install. The biggest downside is that it hangs pretty low and exposed out front if you want to go into more challenging terrain. For more like utility/ranch work or infrequent use as an offroad winch, I like the hitch mount.

Everything has it's pros and cons. That's just another option.

I would also say that if you're budget sensitive, buy a lower cost winch. I've owned about a dozen winches. My experience has been that the $$ Warn ones are not much different in reliability than the Harbor Freight ones. The only one I've broken multiple times is my 8274 on my FJ40, which is the most expensive one I've ever owned. But it gets used pretty hard. Even so - it's the least reliable one. The Superwinch Tigershark 9500 fit nicely in the hidden winch on my 4Runner and never skipped a beat and is a nice budget option if you can find them on sale. With synthetic rope I bought mine for around $500. I have a 17 year old Harbor Freight $200 cheapo 8k winch that is still in service on a utility trailer and still works. And on my current Tundra hitch mount I bought a super cheap Zeon 13k with synthetic rope and it pulls my big old tundra out of mud holes just like my Warn does on my Land Cruiser. The wiring inside the control box is definitely inferior to the warn or the Superwinch. The SW and Warn are very comparable. But it still does the job and has been reliable every time I've needed it.

Good luck!

 

[nglayton]

Bud Built hidden winch mount and a WARN Zeon Platinum 10-S. It's an excellent setup for me.

I made a write up, but none of the pics survived the forum software. Take a look at my thread for some of the notes i had on the install.

 

[4rNCMTNs]

Also the lead time from budbuilt is good now. I was there on Friday and they had 11 hidden winch mounts ready for shipment. This product is the new hot product for them.

I agree with Jetboy about saving some money on the winch. I beat the snot out of my Warns. However I also wheel with others who do the same with their super winch and harbor freight models. A shorter rope and harbor freight winch and Budbuilt hidden winch mount would give you great recovery options for low investment.

Also, as I, and now others have said, it's super easy to install.

Sent from my Pixel 8 Pro using Tapatalk