Mike Draper
Member
- Joined
- July 21, 2007
- Messages
- 41
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Riverton Wyoming
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '94 XLT
I recently bought a Smittybilt 8000 winch...needed a secure spot to store it 
:
I used a piece of 1 1/2"X3"X 3/16" rectangle tube to make a crossmember. I had to bend the trans cooler lines for clearance, I replaced the rubber hose with new stuff. I picked up a Warn winch plate at an auction a couple weeks ago for $5.00. I tacked 'em up into place.
Set the winch on to see if I had enough room. I wanted to keep the winch tucked in and out of the way of the radiator. It sets level with the bottom of the frame...probably 3-4" longer than the stock bumper.
I welded in a couple 2" receiver tubing and welded it to the plate and frame ends, added a gusset from the top of tube to frame for a little more strength.
The bumper part bolts onto the frame. I used 1 1/2"X3"X1/8" rectangle tube for the crossbar.
Keep adding plate and bracing to it...it's pretty solid!
I fabbed the uprights from the same tube as the bumper, added a couple crosspieces of 1"X2"X1/8" rect. tube. Then bent the end pieces from 1" 11ga. square tube to wrap around the corner. Shot it with Krylon flat brown paint.
Side view...
Getting dark...camera batteries crapped out, sorry for the lousy pic...I'll get a better one tomorrow.
Mike
:I used a piece of 1 1/2"X3"X 3/16" rectangle tube to make a crossmember. I had to bend the trans cooler lines for clearance, I replaced the rubber hose with new stuff. I picked up a Warn winch plate at an auction a couple weeks ago for $5.00. I tacked 'em up into place.
Set the winch on to see if I had enough room. I wanted to keep the winch tucked in and out of the way of the radiator. It sets level with the bottom of the frame...probably 3-4" longer than the stock bumper.
I welded in a couple 2" receiver tubing and welded it to the plate and frame ends, added a gusset from the top of tube to frame for a little more strength.
The bumper part bolts onto the frame. I used 1 1/2"X3"X1/8" rectangle tube for the crossbar.
Keep adding plate and bracing to it...it's pretty solid!
I fabbed the uprights from the same tube as the bumper, added a couple crosspieces of 1"X2"X1/8" rect. tube. Then bent the end pieces from 1" 11ga. square tube to wrap around the corner. Shot it with Krylon flat brown paint.
Side view...
Getting dark...camera batteries crapped out, sorry for the lousy pic...I'll get a better one tomorrow.
Mike
The mountain trails are closed and will be for a couple more months till the snow melts and the roads dry up. I'll find a place to see how well it works around here. The plan for this summer is for a fishin' trip into Bear Basin, Horseshoe Lake, Shoshone lake and Wiggins Fork...a winch is a must have for any of these trips as cloud-busts turn the black mountain dirt into apeshit. 
