Install Ebay winch for $370 on '97 3rd Gen 4Runner - no welding & stock bumper

[thecole1098]

Here's how mine is setup now that I had the chance to get some better pictures of how its all mounted. Basically I removed the "bump stops" then chiseled off the thin plate that was tack welded as the frame end cap. I then had 3/4" grade 8 bolts tack welded inside of the frame, one pointing down and one coming through the front of the frame. I then welded 3/8" steel plate as a new frame end cap. Then I took some angle iron and simply used the bolt I tacked and used a washer/nut to attach the angle iron. Once the angle iron was attached to the frame, I mounted the HF winch plate to it via a bolt/washer as seen in the pictures. I did have to create notches in the winch plate for it to slide into the frame as seen in the pictures. From there, I just used 4 more of the grade 8 bolts to attach the winch to the plate. So basically, the plate is supported via the frame itself and that angle iron. It's on there so good, I'm positive the frame itself will bend before anything else lol.

 

[calnhob]

Where is your control box? Mine sits above the winch forcing me to have the winch mount lower than I would like.

Also the valance wasn’t cut. I removed it a while back.


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[Arnezie]

Hmm [emoji848] winch on 4Runner with highway all terrain tires and running boards.


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[Wedgy]

Hmm [emoji848] winch on 4Runner with highway all terrain tires and running boards.

Oh no you dittn't......

 

[thecole1098]

Where is your control box? Mine sits above the winch forcing me to have the winch mount lower than I would like.

Also the valance wasn’t cut. I removed it a while back.


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I mounted mine above the motor, so I have easy access to the remote port.

 

[JohnMc]

When you redo this, spend some time pondering the approach angle. You wouldn't get very far off road with that winch hanging down that far on the front before it's being used as a bulldozer blade.

 

[Lindenwood]

OP, first, thanks for the updated original post. Glad you saw some of the weak areas.

I dont believe anyone mentioned it, but your shackle mounts should be turned 90 degrees from their depicted position. Any normal pull you do against them like that would put a tremendous amount of torque on those bolts in the shear direction. By my estimations, you would have been looking at approximately a 2:1 mechanical advantage (pulling on the end of a 3" shackle with 1.5" bolt spacing). So a 10,000lb snatch against one shackle might put 20,000lbs of shear force on the bolts, which would break even 1/2" Grade 8 bolts (and 3/8" Gr8 bolts can only handle half that).

Granted, the whole winch plate would have gone flying long before that, but when you redo that keep that in mind as well!

 

[UnderFire]

Buying the Tacoma bumper mount from trail gear and Frenching a winch plate into it may be a great way to get this kind of winch setup on your truck.

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