Gonna be able to tackle the trails better with my new 12k lb. winch...

[MidnightRebel07]

Lono, check this out...

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=372938

KJL, that's how you should spool a winch up so it has enough tension on the wire to properly get the wire spooled up tightly.

 

[OffTrac]

That's what my buddy did and it didn't wind it tight enough. That little TJ probably just didn't offer enough resistance.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Yeah, his litte Jeep needed to atleast needed to be pulled at an uphill slope to give more resistance. When you wind up a winch you should do it at a slow speed and line up the wire in the rows as it's rolling up.

 

[KJL]

Yeah iirc it said to apply a little brake pressure if needed.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Yep.

 

[zukman]

Just bought one of these waiting for time to mount on Mr Mud. Will be designing a cover very very soon.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Yeah, I'm gonna need to come up with some kind of cover for mine too because I live in the Snow/ Rust Belt.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Well I finally got some half decent weather to get the winch installed. As with everything else I do to my truck I had to do some more modifications and fabrication to get the winch to fit and mount up.

Since the winch is clocked to mount from the front instead of the bottom I had to cut the wire opening on the bumper to a bigger opening by cutting 1.5" down and the width of the opening, elded up the peice cut away to the bottom inside of the bumper to make a nice flat smooth exit for the steel wire to slide across instead of sliding on the opening lip and had to use the bottom two mounting bolts to bolt the roller fairlead onto the bumper.

Finally I had to modify the control box brackets to bolt onto the front of the bumper and the roller guide on the backside of the winch (was supposed to be mounted to the top of the winch and both roller guides but the winch was clocked so I couldn't mount it to them).

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Here's a couple daylight pictures of the winch mounted...

 

[Naasau]

Looks good! Wanna go test it out?

 

[MidnightRebel07]

I plan to this week or next weekend. It's supposed to warm up next weekend.

 

[MidnightRebel07]

Took a quick picture this morning at work. Feels good to finally have my winch installed, took ALOT of fabrication and modication to the bumper to mount this big *****...

I'm gonna be cutting up all the steel using my templates for the custom steel rear bumper. My neighbor/ landlord has a plasma cutter that he's letting me use (never used one before) should be alot more fun and faster then using a angle grinder with cutting wheels. lol

 

[05dakotatrac]

yeh have fun with the plasma they tend to slag a lil i know i worked with one for over a year. good luck on the rear bumper

 

[ChallengerDave]

yeah plasma cutters are the cats meow. As long as you do a straight consistent cut they do a great job. I always use a piece of angle or a 2x4 to guide the cutter just to make sure is perfect.

 

[LONO100]

looks effing awesome! great job.