winch mounting ideas

[hurt4x]

Aright well ive done some searching and have came up with nothing. I'm trying to figure out a way to incorperate a winch mount into my factory bumper. (mine has the upper chrome part but none of the plastic stuff underneath so i have a little more room to work with) and a $800+ winch bumper is out of the question

What i have thought about doing was extending the front frame rails a little bit then adding a crossmember(sence there is no real crossmmber up front anyways) and incorperating it into that somehow. but at the same time keeping it in as close to the vheicle as possible, witch seems hard to do.

Just wanted to see if anyone has done anything like this and/or has pics of something like it for me go off of before i jump into it. If no one does then i guess i will just go at it my self and ill post pics as i go for anyone else wanting to do the same!

 

[hrt4me]

have you considered a front 2" receiver hitch, and then a portable winch cradle?

Portable Cradle WARN M8000 winch extraction on cradle solo wheeling example in 06 WK Jeep Limited - YouTube

 

[downpour11]

A couple members have done it, here's a link to jmildoc's:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/132544-winch-stock-bumper.html

 

[hurt4x]

have you considered a front 2" receiver hitch, and then a portable winch cradle?

Portable Cradle WARN M8000 winch extraction on cradle solo wheeling example in 06 WK Jeep Limited - YouTube

no way, IMO that's way to much of a hassle. I don't want to be that guy on a trail. If I am half way up a climb and need to winch I don't want to wrestle that thing up a hill, I want to have it done quick.

 

[hurt4x]

A couple members have done it, here's a link to jmildoc's:

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/132544-winch-stock-bumper.html

thanks for the link! that is kind of what I was looking for I just couldent find anything. I will probably be doing a write-up on here in the next few weeks also.

 

[Doc2012]

Look at Singtoe's build thread too.
He did it.

 

[Ol'Blue]

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/94282-v8-conversion-39.html#post1328353

 

[the great him]

no way, IMO that's way to much of a hassle. I don't want to be that guy on a trail. If I am half way up a climb and need to winch I don't want to wrestle that thing up a hill, I want to have it done quick.

well ill just crack this up to you being ignorant... this is actually one of the best ways to have a winch on your vehicle, as it allows you to have it on the front or the rear, or be able to remove it when you dont need it or want to lug all that weight around. i have this type of a set up on my pickup. and believe me, it sure is nice to have a winch front and rear. not only that, but you can then take it and put it on any vehicle with a 2" receiver... dont be so quick to knock it.

your being "that guy" buy saying its too much of a hassle... its ok though, we all have to learn new things and no one expects everyone to know everything... just thought id point out a few of the advantages of this idea

 

[hurt4x]

well ill just crack thiis up to you being ignorant... this is actually one of the best ways to have a winch on your vehicle, as it allows you to have it on the front or the rear, or be able to remove it when you dont need it or want to lug all that weight around. i have this type of a set up on my pickup. and believe me, it sure is nice to have a winch front and rear. not only that, but you can then take it and put it on any vehicle with a 2" receiver... dont be so quick to knock it.

your being "that guy" buy saying its too much of a hassle... its ok though, we all have to learn new things and no one expects everyone to know everything... just thought id point out a few of the advantages of this idea

Yeah I've been wrong before, im not sure if you are trying to convince me or yourself .as far as weight its not significant. Its not a 350+ winch bumper. you can olny move it front to back if its wired front and back same with switching vehicle. If it was such a marvlous idea im sure you would see more on the trails...

 

[98OzarksRunner]

If you're going to mount a winch to (safely) pull the weight of the truck (uphill, stuck in mud, etc.) I'd want something more substantial than a piece of metal mounted to the end of the frame rails. Before I decided to just get an ARB bumper (somehow buying well-designed products usually works out costing me less in time and money than building things - and I've built/build a lot of things!) I was looking at a design like this:

Tacoma Winch Mounting - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

If my truck (or my life) is at stake, I want something that is going to 'be there' and not break loose and let my truck (perhaps with me in it) go careening down a hill backwards when the lightweight mounting setup I made decides to give way. But then again, if I designed bridges they would collapse under their own weight - but they'd come down in one piece!

 

[Singtoe]

If you're going to mount a winch to (safely) pull the weight of the truck (uphill, stuck in mud, etc.) I'd want something more substantial than a piece of metal mounted to the end of the frame rails. Before I decided to just get an ARB bumper (somehow buying well-designed products usually works out costing me less in time and money than building things - and I've built/build a lot of things!) I was looking at a design like this:

Tacoma Winch Mounting - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

If my truck (or my life) is at stake, I want something that is going to 'be there' and not break loose and let my truck (perhaps with me in it) go careening down a hill backwards when the lightweight mounting setup I made decides to give way. But then again, if I designed bridges they would collapse under their own weight - but they'd come down in one piece!

If the ARB bumper is not a piece of metal bolted to the end of the frame rails, what is?

 

[Singtoe]

winch

 

[hurt4x]

Yeah that's all an arb is, bolted to the frame. Singtoe I really like how you did yours. It looks like synthetic line is a must as far as clearance and approach angle goes.

 

[the great him]

works fine for me, and its cheaper than having a winch for every vehicle i own, or two winches on a vehicle full time(although i will hard mount a winch in the rear on the 4runner soon)


-just trying to help and give you ideas, and inform you that the mobile mount isnt a bad idea, but its your rig, do as you want

 

[98OzarksRunner]

If the ARB bumper is not a piece of metal bolted to the end of the frame rails, what is?

The bumper itself is a structurally engineered piece that uses angles and braces to create a structure that is much stronger than flat plates bolted to the frame rails. That is how they can make the bumper out of lighter steel and still have the strength of much heavier gauge steel.

But just looking at the brackets, you can see that they box the end of the frame (adding crush strength, and have a sleeve on the front bolt to keep the frame from crushing when the bolt is tightened). The boxing plates also add strength to the rails for vertical loads (pulling up or down on the frame). It also uses the tow hook bolt holes. In addition, if you weld on an end plate (instead of using the flimsy plate on the end of the 99-02 rails) it adds additional strength. On mine, there are 4 bolts holding on each bracket (including a 7/16" bolt into the 1/4" plate welded to the end of the frame).

Compare that to one bolt connected to a nut welded inside the frame, with an end plate here (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/132544-winch-stock-bumper.html) and you can easily see the ARB mount is going to be several times stronger.

No offense to anyone who builds their own - I'm all for do-it-yourself fabricating (I've built lots of things for my truck [including a rear bumper and tire carrier], am building an off-road trailer, and built a 65 Mustang with a 4.6L supercharged mod motor - 550HP - LOTS of structural engineering to keep that from killing me). But when it comes to something like this I'd rather trust the engineering skills and experience of a company that's built and sold tens of thousands of them, had them safety tested extensively, and backs them up with a warranty AND liability insurance (so somebody can sue them if it kills you!) than build it myself. And if I did build it myself, I would do something like the link I posted earlier (Tacoma Winch Mounting - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum) - overbuild the stupid thing since my life does in fact depend on it!

 

[Singtoe]

The bumper itself is a structurally engineered piece that uses angles and braces to create a structure that is much stronger than flat plates bolted to the frame rails. That is how they can make the bumper out of lighter steel and still have the strength of much heavier gauge steel.

But just looking at the brackets, you can see that they box the end of the frame (adding crush strength, and have a sleeve on the front bolt to keep the frame from crushing when the bolt is tightened). The boxing plates also add strength to the rails for vertical loads (pulling up or down on the frame). It also uses the tow hook bolt holes. In addition, if you weld on an end plate (instead of using the flimsy plate on the end of the 99-02 rails) it adds additional strength. On mine, there are 4 bolts holding on each bracket (including a 7/16" bolt into the 1/4" plate welded to the end of the frame).

Compare that to one bolt connected to a nut welded inside the frame, with an end plate here (http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-gen-t4rs/132544-winch-stock-bumper.html) and you can easily see the ARB mount is going to be several times stronger.

No offense to anyone who builds their own - I'm all for do-it-yourself fabricating (I've built lots of things for my truck [including a rear bumper and tire carrier], am building an off-road trailer, and built a 65 Mustang with a 4.6L supercharged mod motor - 550HP - LOTS of structural engineering to keep that from killing me). But when it comes to something like this I'd rather trust the engineering skills and experience of a company that's built and sold tens of thousands of them, had them safety tested extensively, and backs them up with a warranty AND liability insurance (so somebody can sue them if it kills you!) than build it myself. And if I did build it myself, I would do something like the link I posted earlier (Tacoma Winch Mounting - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum) - overbuild the stupid thing since my life does in fact depend on it!

Why wouldn't the bumper pull itself out if it was being winched on. It looks like it would stretch out like an accordion.





I tested mine last weekend and it worked great. I pulled 14 year old bushes out of the front yard. It was a straight pull from the ground up. It was enough strain that the winch nearly stalled out (9000 pound). The front suspension squatted down to its knobbers. Roots started breaking one by one and finally the root ball came out.

and backs them up with a warranty AND liability insurance (so somebody can sue them if it kills you!) than build it myself.

This is why it cost $200 for some Tylenol at the hospital. This is why it cost me $1400 to have 4 suchers applied to my kids eyebrow.

I guess this is the American dream. To hit the jack pot. Sue somebody who has work hard all here lives to provide for the family to have it all taken away when someone trips over their own oxygen hose in your driveway.

Yet you know that there is a big ass warning label on the sunvisor telling you that the vehicle is unstable especially off road. And if the bumper fails because it falls off, your expecting a big payday.

But then there is always the disclosure you get when you buy bumpers that it was for off road or non-street use only, cutting them out of the liability loop.

 

[hurt4x]

I don't know about anyone else but those bumper brackets look like they would create a lot of leverage on those bolts. I mean obviously they work but they way I was planing to mount it I don't see it being any stronger. Weld small frame extensions, tie into winch plate, reinforce winch plate with angle iron, reinforce frame extensions with 3/16 plate. I will just have to mess with it a little to figure out how to get it in close enough and up high enough to keep it out of the way. Thanks for the links everyone

 

[hurt4x]

View attachment 89763

works fine for me, and its cheaper than having a winch for every vehicle i own, or two winches on a vehicle full time(although i will hard mount a winch in the rear on the 4runner soon)


-just trying to help and give you ideas, and inform you that the mobile mount isnt a bad idea, but its your rig, do as you want

I don't know where you wheel but if I left that in a front or rear hitch like that it would be totally destroyed in less than an hour lol. I'm sure it would work just fine for some, but its just not for me

 

[snivilous]

My dad installed the winch on my 4Runner before I inherited it about 7 years ago or so. He just bolted on a plate onto the frame from the looks of it. It's done a ton of work and no issue. It also sat recessed into the bumper and in the front lip so besides the cable you wouldn't know there was a winch.

There are just 8 bolts in shear holding 1/4" plate or so that the winch is mounted to onto the frame.

 

[slomatt]

Receiver mounted winches are great because they can easily be moved from front to back on your rig or to another truck, but they have two major downsides. 1) As mentioned they significantly decrease the approach/departure angle. 2) They are not good for side pulls because of the long lever arm of the hitch adapter.

- Matt