Winch mount

[tradman]

Hello to all. I have a warn 9.5 xp, have had it for a few years. Im looking for some mount options for a 2016 trail 4runner. I know warn makes one. However just looking to see if anyone has any ideas. Thanks.

 

[BluMtn]

I would build a mount for it that slides into a trailer receiver and then put a recover on the front. Run a power source front and back so if you need to use it you can mount it on the front to get yourself in deeper or on the back to get yourself out of trouble.

 

[tradman]

Good idea, thats what I was thinking. I used to have my winch mounted on a 03 Toyota tacoma. It was mounted using the warn transformer. I've since given the tacoma to my little brother so the winch has been in storage for awhile

 

[SWOHTR]

Beware that when mounted up front in a receiver it may act as a shovel.

Also, if you find yourself stuck and needing to put it up front and you don’t already have it mounted there, good luck.

I would just go with a full replacement front bumper.

 

[Dust Rider]

Warn cradle winch mount. Slides into receiver. You can add a bolt on receiver in the front, use it in the rear to pull out of that situation and then mod/fab one in the bed of truck or headache rack to pull deer and elk into said bed of truck. Three points of winching with one unit that can also move between vehicles. Use quick connects on battery and a extra 30' run of #2 and its movable all around truck.

 

[N2TRKYS]

I’m gonna eventually put a hybrid front bumper on mine.

 

[Squamch]

I would not do a reciever winch mount.

The primary reason is that it SUCKS to try to get one mounted up after getting stuck, nose down, or nose high, or in deep mud or water.
Also, on anything other than a straight pull, you're putting forces on your reciever that it is not designed for. Side loading the hell out of it is a good route to failure.

I have been wheeling pretty hard, and pretty consistently for 20 years, in a wide variety of rigs, from samurais to 1 tons. In that time, I have found myself needing to winch backwards once. On that occasion my rear reciever was underwater, and the water was flowing too fast to stand up in even if I had a reciever mounted winch. It was dumb of me to go into that river crossing, it would have been full blown stupid to do it alone. I was lucky and was able to toss a strap to a buddy who pulled me out. I still hydro'd the motor and bent a rod.
Check irate4x4 (irate, not pirate) for local fab shops in your area. Get a local to build the bumper you want, with the features you want. It should be a better product than anything you can buy.

 

[Opah]

BluMtn has it correct, I have the same set up on my 96 Chevy ZR2 and I will tell you the ability to pull from the front or guide a boat or trailer from the front has it's benefits.
Never had to pull my Goat out but many a Ford and Toyota have benefited from it

 

[tradman]

I would not do a reciever winch mount.

The primary reason is that it SUCKS to try to get one mounted up after getting stuck, nose down, or nose high, or in deep mud or water.
Also, on anything other than a straight pull, you're putting forces on your reciever that it is not designed for. Side loading the hell out of it is a good route to failure.

I have been wheeling pretty hard, and pretty consistently for 20 years, in a wide variety of rigs, from samurais to 1 tons. In that time, I have found myself needing to winch backwards once. On that occasion my rear reciever was underwater, and the water was flowing too fast to stand up in even if I had a reciever mounted winch. It was dumb of me to go into that river crossing, it would have been full blown stupid to do it alone. I was lucky and was able to toss a strap to a buddy who pulled me out. I still hydro'd the motor and bent a rod.
Check irate4x4 (irate, not pirate) for local fab shops in your area. Get a local to build the bumper you want, with the features you want. It should be a better product than anything you can buy.

Looks like I'll have to look up a fabricator to build me one. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Opah]

There is so much more to use a winch on than being stuck:
to unstuck some one else
To remove obstacles in the road trees, rocks, broken down Fords
To hall up game to skin / gut/ process
To lower and /or raise equipment on steep grades or cliffs
and its not hanging out all the time temping the bad guys to steel it.
Plus Mine has its own Battery, that is charged by my truck, has a remote control
is portable and can function in hard to get to remote locations, have a tree or rock
to secure it to and you are gold
just using a wench when you are stuck is such a waste .

I told a hunting partner of mine that I could stick my wench on the front or back of my truck
He replied that I should let her set inside every now and then.

 

[coiloil37]

Just mount it to the front. If you want to winch backwards take three snatch blocks and learn how to use them to pull backwards. Or put a dedicated rear winch on. I used to wheel with a guy who tried the receiver mount and usually he looked like this before he decided he needed it

At that point you don’t want to pull it out and try to install it. As mentioned those receivers are not built for a side load.


Personally I put a winch on the back because I wanted to be able to go into things I might have to come out backward. It’s true if you don’t have one you’ll rarely need it but you will choose not to go some place because the option of winching out backwards isn’t there. Once you’ve got a rear winch though you end up using it nearly as much as the front winch. I highly doubt your at that point being as your asking how to mount it so I doubt you’re anywhere near a hardcore wheeler.

Run 1/0 or 2/0 welding cable for the winch motor. #2 is way to small and especially if your running it to the back. Combined with the fact your low pro winch is so sloooooooow and the motors not going to like the voltage drop/amp increase your little cable is going to feed it while your eating lunch waiting for it to pull you out.


Mount it to the front, use at least 1/0 cable to feed it, at the first sign of solenoid failure or right now install a double pole, double throw contactor (Albright DC88), use a momentary rocker switch on the dash to drive it while your in the cab and a cordless remote when your out of the cab. Personally I wired up the warn atv cordless remote to drive both winches when I’m not using the rocker switch.

I guess now I’m not even using rocker switches. I’ve got some momentary buttons I use but a double pole, momentary rocker switch works great.

 

[tradman]

Sweet set up. I need to get my winch serviced before I attach it.

 

[Squamch]

Sweet set up. I need to get my winch serviced before I attach it.

Serviced is VERY simple. Pull it apart, grease the gears, put some dielectric grease on connections, reassemble.
Buy a runva contactor to replace the solenoids.
If you want to be fancy, get some synthetic rope instead of wire rope for it. I don't like synthetic because dirt gets in it and eats it, and I can drag wire over top of a rock with no worries.

 

[HNTR918]

I chose a hitch receiver style mount, so I can put it in the front or rear. I also installed a 24’ quick disconnects for front and rear electrical.
It’s also nice to remove quickly for the daily commute.
Good tires and vbar snow chains on all 4 have gotten me thru a lot!

 

[BluMtn]

When I started driving in the mountains in the early 70's my dad and I installed a winch on my jeep. My dads advice was this. You can drive in 2WD, 4WD, then put chains on, but the only time you use the winch is to get you or someone else OUT of trouble. Winches are not to get you into more trouble. I have lived by that credo my whole life. Don't jeep anymore but spend a lot of time in my SxS.