How big of a winch do I really need?

[ShadowsPapa]

I have a sport with the steel winch bumper (MOPAR) from factory. What are the limitations of that bumper or does that rely on the winch plate? Sorry if that sounds stupid but I'm new to the winch game.

The bumper is just the bumper in most cases. The real meat is the winch plate itself and how it mounts.
Some winch plates bolt to the stock steel bumper and that adds some strength, but a MOPAR steel bumper that says "winch ready" only means it has the cutouts for the rope, bolt holes for a fairlead, and a cutout in the top for a winch to peak through ta the top.
You still need a winch plate with the MOPAR steel winch-ready bumper.

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[Zachanadandy]

The bumper is just the bumper in most cases. The real meat is the winch plate itself and how it mounts.
Some winch plates bolt to the stock steel bumper and that adds some strength, but a MOPAR steel bumper that says "winch ready" only means it has the cutouts for the rope, bolt holes for a fairlead, and a cutout in the top for a winch to peak through ta the top.
You still need a winch plate with the MOPAR steel winch-ready bumper.

Aside from the Mopar fake winch ready bumper every other winch ready bumper I've ever seen, purchased, or installed has an integrated winch plate. We have the Mopar bumper and a JCR plate on her JLUR. My mojave has an aftermarket bumper that's actually winch ready and the winch bolts straight to it. I think it's deceitful to call a bumper winch ready that isn't ready to actually mount a winch. Every aftermarket winch bumper actually accepts a winch.

 

[DanJT]

I prefer the have it and not need it rule........... Weight difference isn't a lot.

I also bought mine not just for me - but helping others who may have gone off the roads in the winter and so on. It's a tool, so that's how I bought it.

I've seen stuff stuck so badly in mud - ours is the "you're gonna lose your boot in that" type (in fact last year, they buried a decent size dozer trying to clear out our creek for a new bridge - I tried to warn them living here and seen how nasty it is, but they shrugged it off.)


If it was going to be used ONLY to rescue myself, I might have gone different. But again - I hate having something like that and finding out I wish I had bought larger to begin with.
My wife is a "buy the best or biggest and buy it one time" person.
She has made me take things back to the store before if I try to buy a notch down.

Well said, I have the 12K Badlands Apex because I know they are reliable, several friends have beat the crap out of them and they are still working fine. No regrets!

 

[DanJT]

Aside from the Mopar fake winch ready bumper every other winch ready bumper I've ever seen, purchased, or installed has an integrated winch plate. We have the Mopar bumper and a JCR plate on her JLUR. My mojave has an aftermarket bumper that's actually winch ready and the winch bolts straight to it. I think it's deceitful to call a bumper winch ready that isn't ready to actually mount a winch. Every aftermarket winch bumper actually accepts a winch.

Agreed, My son had recently installed a Fab Four stubby bumper and it had the holes to mount the winch straight to it. It also came with a fairlead plate.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Every aftermarket winch bumper actually accepts a winch.

All of them, every one? Interesting news to me. Didn't know they all did.
Only people with the MOPAR bumper ever need a winch plate.

 

[Zachanadandy]

All of them, every one? Interesting news to me. Didn't know they all did.
Only people with the MOPAR bumper ever need a winch plate.

There may be others but I've never seen one. There is an aluminum copy of the Mopar bumper available aftermarket so it probably needs a plate too.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

There is an aluminum copy of the Mopar bumper available aftermarket so it probably needs a plate too.

I think that falls under your "knock-off" section. It absolutely needs a plate (and comes with one - I almost bought one when I still had my 22)

There may be others but I've never seen one.

I haven't seen them all, or even the majority of them, so it was news/surprise to me - REALLY??
It's a good day - learned something before 4 pm.

 

[DanJT]

The problem with aftermarket bumpers is that the winch mounts to where it is directly in front of the Grill blocking airflow to the cooling system. Not all mind you but most do! I ran into that on my JK that I traded in for the Gladdy.

 

[D_JT]

What everyone else said. I have a 10K warn on my TJ (overkill) and a 12K warn on my diesel gladiator. Do I need that much on either one? No. But that's what I wanted. The price difference between a 10 and a 12 was so minor it just made sense to go with the 12. Cheap insurance if you will.

 

[Zachanadandy]

The problem with aftermarket bumpers is that the winch mounts to where it is directly in front of the Grill blocking airflow to the cooling system. Not all mind you but most do! I ran into that on my JK that I traded in for the Gladdy.

Some of them do for sure block airflow. The rock hard 4x4 mount for the stock plastic bumper is literally a winch plate that mounts on top of the bumper putting the winch way too high for me. My bumper mounts it pretty low so I'm happy with it. I think the Mopar bumper with a plate is slightly lower but not enough to matter. (I run a winch cover to keep the synthetic line out of the sun but had to winch a guy out at the end of the day which is why the winch is so clean)

 

[DanJT]

Some of them do for sure block airflow. The rock hard 4x4 mount for the stock plastic bumper is literally a winch plate that mounts on top of the bumper putting the winch way too high for me. My bumper mounts it pretty low so I'm happy with it. I think the Mopar bumper with a plate is slightly lower but not enough to matter. (I run a winch cover to keep the synthetic line out of the sun but had to winch a guy out at the end of the day which is why the winch is so clean)

That is awesome example of a low mounted winch on a aftermarket bumper!

 

[ShadowsPapa]

That is awesome example of a low mounted winch on a aftermarket bumper!

Yes it is - and it's not any problem to air flow at all.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Yes it is - and it's not any problem to air flow at all.

And it was $400 and included the led fog lights. The xbull 13.5k pound winch was another $400. $800 all in and I've pulled well over 10k with it with no issues, deflection, stalling, etc.

 

[DanJT]

Again, doesnt matter what the size.. It matters what it is used for,

 

[WILDHOBO]

I have a sport with the steel winch bumper (MOPAR) from factory. What are the limitations of that bumper or does that rely on the winch plate? Sorry if that sounds stupid but I'm new to the winch game.

I don’t know the rating of that plate. My current and future bumpers have integrated plates. But I don’t know the mopar rating. I’m sure someone does though.

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