Fitting a winch...

[RockyF75]

Ok so this is probably a really stupid question, but I have a winch bar, I presume, cause it has a hole cut out at the front and mounting points for the winch.

Is installing one as simple as bolting it to the bar and wiring it up? Or do you need to brace it to the chassis somehow aswell??

Been looking at the Tigerz11 winches if it makes a difference.

[GUtripper]

No, it should bolt up assuming it's a standard warn low mount pattern. However, many lowmoount bars have insufficient room for a 12,000 lb winch, and sometimes a 10,000 or a xp9.5.
Two of the bolt holes, typically the lower ones are where you align the fairlead, those two bolts may be slightly longer.
Make sure where the bar attaches to the chassis is strong enough and all the mounting bolts to the chassis are the correct grade and where they should be. I've seen a bar pulled off the front of a car for this reason.

The winch controller will have a earth wire, typically 5mm or so wire. Make sure it's earthed properly ( I always extend mine and run it back to the battery) . Don't earth it to the bar, most bars are powder coated and are a poor earth point.

[RockyF75]

Cool thanks.

They're meant to be hight-tensile bolts aye? I'm thinking of pulling the bar off first and painting it, so might just replace the bolts while I'm at it, I'm sure to strip at least one thread anyways.

[80's_delirious]

I bent the piss out of my TJM steel bull bar a couple of weeks ago. It had cutouts and holes for mounting a winch, but it wasnt up to the task without a re inforced winch cradle of some sort. Doh!!

[RockyF75]

Where did it bend?

This is my bar. Just pulled it off, going to try and sand it and maybe paint it today.










Would I be correct in assuming that light bar has to go??

[howsie]

Light bar looks ok winch mounts underneath but id be doing some strengthening for sure.looks kind of flimsy

[RockyF75]

Hmm not really what I wanted to hear.

Anyone want to steer me in the right direction on how/where to brace it?

Would just thickening the front plate be enough, or should I make something that goes right up to the chassis mounts aswell? Will take more pics of the mounting area etc if someone can help. I'm not too great at fabbing stuff but may aswell try

[RockyF75]

Just had a look at it again, and it's 5mm steel right around that bottom bar and the brackets to the chassis mount Didn't think anyone would make them any thicker than that??

[80's_delirious]

You will definitely need to beef it up IMO

Yours looks like it will bend at the bottom section under the winch (bottom of second pic) mine was sort of similar but bent at the bottom and also at the top, mine had holes in both places that it bent

try and search here for winch cradle to get some ideas

[RockyF75]

Ok thanks.

Found this thread, looks like it might be easier than I first though - http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/viewtopic ... e#p1954381" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Just need to make up a 'cradle' that sits inside the bar and bolts up to the mounting bracket, not to the actuall chassis itself?

[Shadow]

thats how i did a cradle for my 100series alloy bar. havent used the winch in anger but did some test pulls in my drive and it didnt flex much at all.

mine bolts between the steel bullbar brackets

[SCANAS]

I just had a look at my ARB bar and it has a lot more bracing than your bar. Being a heavy 4b to start off with I would brace it for sure.

[thehanko]

You will definitely need to beef it up IMO

Yours looks like it will bend at the bottom section under the winch (bottom of second pic) mine was sort of similar but bent at the bottom and also at the top, mine had holes in both places that it bent

try and search here for winch cradle to get some ideas

agreed, 5mm is plenty but there is nothing else there.

Good luck

[RockyF75]

thats how i did a cradle for my 100series alloy bar. havent used the winch in anger but did some test pulls in my drive and it didnt flex much at all.

mine bolts between the steel bullbar brackets

How thick is that? 5mm??

At this stage I'm planning to do something very similar, only I don't have access to a folder so I wasn't planning on making lips at the top and bottom like that?

So it's going to be 3 pieces, basically just a copy of the shape that is already there on my bullbar, and weld them together and drill holes. Then I was thinking of welding this to the actual bullbar? Would 5mm be thick enough?

[Shadow]

thats how i did a cradle for my 100series alloy bar. havent used the winch in anger but did some test pulls in my drive and it didnt flex much at all.

mine bolts between the steel bullbar brackets

How thick is that? 5mm??

At this stage I'm planning to do something very similar, only I don't have access to a folder so I wasn't planning on making lips at the top and bottom like that?

So it's going to be 3 pieces, basically just a copy of the shape that is already there on my bullbar, and weld them together and drill holes. Then I was thinking of welding this to the actual bullbar? Would 5mm be thick enough?

yeh Its 5mm plate.

I bought a generic winch mount plate from ebay for about $90 delivered.

Its the Ushape but is designed to sit U down. Thats why you can see the fairlead hole on the top of the channel. i just recut the fairlead on the front of it, and used it that way. and then made up the ends to suit my bar.


If i did it again i would get an engineering shop to fold me a bit of 5mm plate with 100mm sides, as its the sides that give all the strength.


i had it dragging the 100 locked up on concrete and the bar was deflecting about 4mm, but it looked mnore like the mounts to chassis were flexing, which are designed by toyota for winch mounting so i was happy.

[RockyF75]

did a bit today getting the bar ready for paint, and noticed this:




Any suggestions on how to bend that out?? Looks like it's hit/scraped a few rocks in it's time and bent back now, which is going to stuff up the fitting of a cradle in there.

I was thinking of putting it back on the car, and seeing if I can squeeze a bottle jack inbetween that front plate and the front chassis crossmember??

[RockyF75]

[Shadow]

did a bit today getting the bar ready for paint, and noticed this:




Any suggestions on how to bend that out?? Looks like it's hit/scraped a few rocks in it's time and bent back now, which is going to stuff up the fitting of a cradle in there.

I was thinking of putting it back on the car, and seeing if I can squeeze a bottle jack inbetween that front plate and the front chassis crossmember??

i would lay it on some blocks of wood, get someone to hold it, and hit it with a sledge