Pros and Cons of Hitch-Mounted Winch

[sharpsicle]

I am planning to install a front hitch to use for a variety of things, and one of which is the idea of popping in a winch when needed. This appeals to me because #1 I don't have to carry it with me when I don't need it and #2 I can't bumper mount my winch due to my offroad lights being there (and I don't want to choose one or the other). My plan currently is to have a 12,000 Badlands winch mounted to a 2" receiver winch mount that could be used in either the front or rear.

I was curious who has done this and what I might need to know if/when I use a winch mounted like this. I certainly don't want to assume it's just like anything else, when I know it isn't, so any additional information, tips/tricks, or cautions would be useful. I've found a good amount of info on putting a setup like this together, but not much in the way of anything past that.

Sponsored

 

[NC_Overland]

I’m curious about this myself. I can’t imagine a hitch pin being nearly as strong as my winch being bolted to my 1/4” steel warn winch plate bolts securely to my frame rails.

 

[sharpsicle]

I’m curious about this myself. I can’t imagine a hitch pin being nearly as strong as my winch being bolted to my 1/4” steel warn winch plate bolts securely to my frame rails.

I had a similar thought. I then started thinking about supplementing the connection point to compensate. Hitches can pull an awful lot as it is.

 

[ChrisNLA]

Pretty commonplace in the fire apparatus industry to use receiver mounted winches for recovery jobs. Typically with 8000-9000 lb Warn winches, but I'm sure it's fine with others.

I'd opt for something a little lighter and smaller than a Badlands 12K. Route you some heavy cable to the front (and rear, if you want) with Anderson connectors. Good to go.

 

[MPMB]

Uh, a what now? Choosing?

Sorry. I know not everyone has the steel bumper.

If you can find a steel bumper take off, for a winch the top plate is removed, leaving holes that are perfect for mounting lights. You'll still need a winch plate.

A front hitch will work fine, although it will impact front clearance a bit, if that's a concern (based on location, probably not).

 

[rharr]

This is my setup
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/front-bumper-with-integrated-receiver.57313/

AI sez a 5/8" pin can have a shear strength of 10k to 30k pounds depending on material.

I have since switch to a yakum grooved fair lead to reduce how far it sticks out.
I have plans to trim and reweld the handles on the carrier basket and redrill the carrier basket pin holes so I can slide the carrier closer to the bumper to tighten things up, improve approach angle and reduce leverage forces if i am pull on a angle.

I have a warn xd9000 winch and a believe it's a warn carrier basket i picked up years ago on craigslist for 600 bucks. I upgraded to synthetic line to reduce weight.

I went this route cause i don't need a winch 99% of the time and UV here is hard on stuff, so the winch lives in the garage when not needed.

The nice thing with the Cavfab bumper was it is drilled to do a bumper mount winch, so if i plan some very long trips and want better angles i can just unbolt the winch from the cradle and mount it to the bumper in a hour or less.

All mount points are steel, and it's going to deform before it lets go, so if you are doing crazy things then you need to watch for signs.

3/8" diameter grade 10.9 bolts are generally used to bolt winches to things, which isn't a very big bolt and to boot the winch feet the bolts clamp down are some sort of cast alloy webbing i would say not much thicker then a 1/8". Don't fool yourself into thinking you main failure point is the receiver, there are a lot of other things in line that could fail the same on a bumper mount setup.

 

[Jaxmax]

I have a Curt front hitch on my Mojave for a surf rod rack , I believe it is rated 9,000 pounds straight line pull. Why go with such a big winch , go with something more basic and old school style with out the fairing. Putting an 8-9,000 winch, even a narrow spool model will make the whole setup a lot lighter and smaller on the front . I think you mount it securely in bed when off-roading and pulling out then you need it as it will bang on everything. You can buy winch receiver mounts with handles on them but aware , even with a small winch it is going to be heavy.
Perhaps listen to MPMB and put winch in the bumper , I have a winch in my bumper and a front receiver….Jack

 

[rharr]

I am planning to install a front hitch to use for a variety of things, and one of which is the idea of popping in a winch when needed. This appeals to me because #1 I don't have to carry it with me when I don't need it and #2 I can't bumper mount my winch due to my offroad lights being there (and I don't want to choose one or the other). My plan currently is to have a 12,000 Badlands winch mounted to a 2" receiver winch mount that could be used in either the front or rear.

I was curious who has done this and what I might need to know if/when I use a winch mounted like this. I certainly don't want to assume it's just like anything else, when I know it isn't, so any additional information, tips/tricks, or cautions would be useful. I've found a good amount of info on putting a setup like this together, but not much in the way of anything past that.

If you don't want to get to deep in modding your bumper you could also fab up a 1/4" steel plate with a 2" receiver tube welded to that, and then mount the plate to the top of your bumper if it has winch mounting holes.

 

[sharpsicle]

If you don't want to get to deep in modding your bumper you could also fab up a 1/4" steel plate with a 2" receiver tube welded to that, and then mount the plate to the top of your bumper if it has winch mounting holes.

So the same thing I'm looking to do, just raised up instead? What advantage would this give me?

I guess my point here is that I'm installing the front receiver for multiple uses, and it makes sense to have winching as one of those uses. I'm trying to find more information on what I need to consider before I actually use it that way, like reinforcement or best practices or limits. I'm not looking for info about bumper-mounting, I already know how that works and it's not an option for me today.

 

[Freems]

Sharpsicle,

I’m right in the middle of the same project (kind of). Ramsey 8k mounted on front winch bumper(traditional style). Wanted a winch out back, for extraction if necessary.
Some things to consider:
Badland 12k is 67lbs
I have a Draw-Tite 2” receiver winch plate with a solid 2” connection shank. P/N 6495 (confirmed it is no longer being built). My weights about 30lbs. Vendor makes one (not a solid shank) but advertised pull rating is 15k lbs.
I use a house battery in the bed to power the rear winch, with Anderson connectors and a 150 amp circuit breaker and a cut off switch.
i looked at dragging 1/0 welding cable down the frame rail to power it from the JT main battery, but the house battery in the bed works great and can come with me now for my portable winch and receiver plate, for a completely out of truck winch efforts.
A few “away from truck“ projects with it yielded great results, but 97 lbs of winch and mounting plate and a 50 lbs of battery, got old in a hurry for an old guy.
So I’m now redoing some things with a much lighter Apex the 5500 long drum (only 37 lbs) on the rear with the same winch mount. Also removing the permanent ramsey up front, and welding a 2” receiver to my front bumper, and reinstall the Ramsey on the winch receiver plate. I’m convinced that portable is better, don’t need one or both simply unplug. Pics…battery bed mount, and fit up of the new 5500 on the receiver plate.
Sorry this a windy message, but I hope it helps. Good Luck.

Mike

 

[sharpsicle]

Sharpsicle,

I’m right in the middle of the same project (kind of). Ramsey 8k mounted on front winch bumper(traditional style). Wanted a winch out back, for extraction if necessary.
Some things to consider:
Badland 12k is 67lbs
I have a Draw-Tite 2” receiver winch plate with a solid 2” connection shank. P/N 6495 (confirmed it is no longer being built). My weights about 30lbs. Vendor makes one (not a solid shank) but advertised pull rating is 15k lbs.
I use a house battery in the bed to power the rear winch, with Anderson connectors and a 150 amp circuit breaker and a cut off switch.
i looked at dragging 1/0 welding cable down the frame rail to power it from the JT main battery, but the house battery in the bed works great and can come with me now for my portable winch and receiver plate, for a completely out of truck winch efforts.
A few “away from truck“ projects with it yielded great results, but 97 lbs of winch and mounting plate and a 50 lbs of battery, got old in a hurry for an old guy.
So I’m now redoing some things with a much lighter Apex the 5500 long drum (only 37 lbs) on the rear with the same winch mount. Also removing the permanent ramsey up front, and welding a 2” receiver to my front bumper, and reinstall the Ramsey on the winch receiver plate. I’m convinced that portable is better, don’t need one or both simply unplug. Pics…battery bed mount, and fit up of the new 5500 on the receiver plate.
Sorry this a windy message, but I hope it helps. Good Luck.

Mike

That's great info. The weight aspect is a concern I had, but I'm also concerned about how much you can realistically pull with the 5500. Have you used it for any kind of recovery-like situation yet?

 

[MPMB]

So the same thing I'm looking to do, just raised up instead? What advantage would this give me?

I guess my point here is that I'm installing the front receiver for multiple uses, and it makes sense to have winching as one of those uses. I'm trying to find more information on what I need to consider before I actually use it that way, like reinforcement or best practices or limits. I'm not looking for info about bumper-mounting, I already know how that works and it's not an option for me today.

The other advantage of a hitch-mounted winch is moving it front to rear. Just need power for it run to both places.

 

[Freems]

That's great info. The weight aspect is a concern I had, but I'm also concerned about how much you can realistically pull with the 5500. Have you used it for any kind of recovery-like situation yet?

No not yet, but a snatch block cures most of those ills if needed.

Taking it out this weekend and will give you an update.

Been thinking about your best practices question on adding the front receiver. On mine, my welding plan will be to completely over built it to combat the dynamics of extreme rope/cable angles on something it wasn’t engineered for below the current winch plate. 1/4” flat bar and Sch 80 pipe full welded in every possible direction: frame horns, internal gussets, up to the existing winch plate. Full welds on everything, no stitch welds, I will also reinforce all the factory welds while I have it off for the surgery. I‘m also going to reach out to a mechanical engineer friend I worked with for years to make sure I don’t miss anything. I will post up his comments as well to the project.

 

[rharr]

So the same thing I'm looking to do, just raised up instead? What advantage would this give me?

I guess my point here is that I'm installing the front receiver for multiple uses, and it makes sense to have winching as one of those uses. I'm trying to find more information on what I need to consider before I actually use it that way, like reinforcement or best practices or limits. I'm not looking for info about bumper-mounting, I already know how that works and it's not an option for me today.

Can you post a picture of your bumper so we can see what you are dealing with?

 

[AmishMike]

As @rharr points out there is some serious strength in a hitch pin, and the hitch will cock just a little and wedge itself in the receiver. That is where most of the strength comes from, not the pin.
Instead of a rear mounted battery like Freems, spend that money on heavy wires and a 150 amp connector. Then you have a connection point that you can run other things with.

Sponsored