Arb bars only taking warn winches

[Busiboy]

I've got a stx navara with the v6 diesel, which means it's hard to get aftermarket gear as everything is just that little but different.

I had an arb bar fitted at purchase as it was the only choice at the time, I recently wanted to go with a winch as I seem to be venturing out more on my own.

I pick a non arb supplier to fit their winch, they sell 2-3 flavours, I got the dreaded phone call, it doesn't fit.

I slipped over, arb has widened the mounting point which means the free spool lever fouls on the bar no matter which position it is turned to, you can't do the bolts up, you can't free spool, you'll notice now arb winches have an extra spacer between the winch drum and the free spool. I think it's the direction they are heading, buy an arb bar, must buy a warn or arb winch.

Given the car was in bits and I'm heading away, I went to arb and dropped the cash and got my warn, not happy considering the price difference and the screw around.

Be warned (pun not intended)

[evanstaniland]

I've got a new ARB bar going on soon and currently have a cheap winch in my ARB bar now so time will tell!

[Busiboy]

All depends on the distance from the mounting bolts to the clutch lever. I saw a tigerz I think that might have enough, be interesting to see if this is model specific, but suspicious as the winch design has changed.

[CRUZAAMAD]

Other option youve got

but a stuff around..

is a pre trial fit up
of bar to winch before the purchase
as all bars get painted or powder coated at each shop

Only thing is
will they allow it.

Kind of sad to see that sort of thing happening
pretty much forcing you into a warn or arb winch.

their design must have changed..
as a one up to the cheap winches coming onto the market.

[A.J.]

I've fitted a Tigerz11 winch bar to my GU ($399 !!!!) and the mounting system for the winch is pretty well done. The cradle mounts to the chassis and forms a platform for the winch and the bull bar then mounts to that. Obviously the bar has to come off to fit the winch however, as a result the bull bar itself does not take any load from the winch which I think is a good design. As far as I can tell there is space to fit almost any winch!

I was always a big fan of ARB gear but there are definitely good alternatives out there.

[Busiboy]

The point of the post is that ARB have changed my bar at least so far so that you can only fit a warn winch, the bar fouls with the free spool lever and you just can't bolt the thing in.

Be warned. (Get it)

[GOONA]

All ARB bars are designed around the Warn and Bushranger range of winches. In having said that the V6 diesel is somewhat different to the rest, but from memory a Mean Mother winch fits these bars.

[Struth]

You will find ARB bars are primarily made to fit the winches they sell, to me it seems wrong, to do that. But then why should they bother designing bars to fit winches from all around the world. They shouldn't really. There business is to supply a good bulbar, which they do that works as they intended it, ie: a good quality product.

[evanstaniland]

have had several ARB bars and all fitted cheapo winches. asked the guys there and they said theyre not designed around a warn winch.
They use a generic winch mount pattern.

[Struth]

Most, probably almost all, winches use the standard pattern, some have larger bodies (the Avenger Mako for example will not fit many ARB bars) so you need to be careful that any winch you buy will fit the bar.

Cheers

[Busiboy]

For the last time, the mount is generic, it fits, it was the posts of the bar fouling on the clutch.

[stilivn]

[Struth]

For the last time, the mount is generic, it fits, it was the posts of the bar fouling on the clutch.

Gee sorry

We strayed from your original concept

[bazzle]

Im sure VRS winchws from Ateco will fit too.