Another winch in a plastic bumper.

[jav_eee]

No spacers necessary in my install, though you can hardly slide a sheet of paper behind my X20 and the grille. It's a snug fit.

thank you for the info! I guess I’ll find out how snug it is in a few days when I get around to doing it.

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[AverageJoe]

I had to use the supplied LOD spacers, but my winch was a Warn EVO 10S.

 

[jav_eee]

I had to use the supplied LOD spacers, but my winch was a Warn EVO 10S.

I hadn’t opened the box yet I didn’t know it had spacers ??

 

[fireproof69]

Parts:
LOD Signature Winch Plate
Harbor Freight universal fairlead mount
Two hawse fairleads from Amazon

Bolted in LOD winch plate and Smittybilt X20 winch, bolted HF fairlead mount to the bottom of that, and cut out all the plastic and metal in the center. Kept trimming till look and clearances were right.

The two Amazon hawse fairleads will be sandwiched behind the visible fairlead / bumper and in front of the HF fairlead mount. I need to find two bolts for this so I will post when done. This will create a solid aluminum sandwich up front that is very sturdy for the cable to pass through and hold the plastic in the center rock solid. The two together were a perfect fit between the plastic and the fairlead mount.

Outside wings seem as solid as before. All the metal and plastic is still in them.

Plan to finish it off with the bright silver Mojave skid plate underneath.

Definitely inspiring me on doing this to my Sport Sand keeping my stock bumper.

will consider different winches and try to keep a tighter clearance around it. But love that aluminum fairlead plate on the front!

 

[jav_eee]

What did you all do with that raised edge in the back of the LOD mount? Mines hitting the bottom of the grill keeping me from getting it into place

SCRATCH THAT IM AN IDIOT LOL

I had it in upside down

 

[Jaxmax]

Don't worry, we all screw things up then step back and go WTF!......post some pics when your done, still very happy with mine!.....Jack

 

[jav_eee]

I’m about 80% done. What I’m stumped on is how you all got the fairlead bolts on and tightened up. The only way I can figure out how to do it is to mount the fairlead to the bumper before putting it on the the winch plate/jeep frame. There isn’t enough room to do it any other way…

 

[ChrisNLA]

I’m about 80% done. What I’m stumped on is how you all got the fairlead bolts on and tightened up. The only way I can figure out how to do it is to mount the fairlead to the bumper before putting it on the the winch plate/jeep frame. There isn’t enough room to do it any other way…

Mine was super easy. Just pushed the bolts in from the front and reached in from the top with a wrench to hold the nuts. The top of my bumper is cut out so I Can see the entire winch. My fairlead mount was bolted in when I mounted the winch to the LOD plate.

 

[jav_eee]

Mine was super easy. Just pushed the bolts in from the front and reached in from the top with a wrench to hold the nuts. The top of my bumper is cut out so I Can see the entire winch. My fairlead mount was bolted in when I mounted the winch to the LOD plate.

I was trying to keep the top mostly covered with the bumper but it’s looking like I might have to cut it to expose for the bolts and all that…

 

[fireproof69]

I was trying to keep the top mostly covered with the bumper but it’s looking like I might have to cut it to expose for the bolts and all that…

I like the looks of more of it covered!

 

[jav_eee]

I like the looks of more of it covered!

I do too. It got dark on me yesterday so I’ll see what I can figure out today after work.

 

[AverageJoe]

I bolted the fairlead mount to the bumper and fairlead and tightened everything prior to reinstalling the bumper.

 

[Jason_92586]

Plus, I actually like the stock bumpers look overall compared to some of the god awfully gawdy looking bumpers I often see

Same here. The more ‘road warrior’ wannabe bumpers I see the MORE I like the stock one!

 

[Jaxmax]

Well there is the once and done way, tape a lock washer and nut on the inside of fairlead, put bumper on then put the bolts in tighten by hand pulling on the bolt until the lock washer bits then tightened it up. BUTT won’t be fun to take off probably have to to drill out the bolt head , that’s the reason for an Allen head bolt.
Ok or get under the jeep and use whatever extensions and angle adaptors you need to get it on, then there is always the closed end wrench with the nut taped in , tape anything you need to the wrench to make it longer or bent to get it in there somehow.

 

[Jaxmax]

If you follow Mav’s build he used two cheap Amazon hausers for spares to fill the gap between plastic and fairlead, perhaps using a 3/8” coupling nut fasten to fairlead , then mount it all up and put bolts through hauser into the coupling nut. If all of this doesn’t help walk away do something perhaps drink a beer and come back and look at it, it’s nice to have the winch pretty covered up and concealed…..Jack

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