How long does it take to install a winch?

[Deadeye]

I have the Mopar Winch Plate & a Smittybilt gen 3 winch, installing on to the Rubicon Steel Bumper. How long should I plan for the install?

Supposed to have storms off and on all weekend, but I am really wanting to get it on. Unfortunately, the garage is full right now, so I need to work between storms.

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[DeezJT]

Less than an hour if you plan it out instead of going back and forth to your toolbox. 2 Hrs the most.
Power tools are your friend. The oem steel bumpers have long screws and using a wrench will definitely take some time.
Be sure to use zip ties for the cables.

 

[W8lifts]

Winch took about an hour for me, the bumper on the other hand took 6.....Smittybilt decided I didn’t need instructions with my bumper that has a bag full of different length hardware and random brackets.....

 

[Deadeye]

Thanks. I'm planning on laying everything out after work tonight, so it'll be as planned as possible in the AM.

 

[BLK HOLE]

Depending on skill level it shouldn’t take long. It’s just 4 bolts and a few wires to run to the battery.

bumper installs vary depending on style and quality. But the don’t take long anyway.

 

[anon91191]

My dealer quoted 6.5 hours to install just the winch, from what ive seen that is absurd. I will already have the steel winch capable factory bumper on. I will probably just do it myself. any thoughts?

 

[DarthAWM]

I have the Mopar Winch Plate & a Smittybilt gen 3 winch, installing on to the Rubicon Steel Bumper. How long should I plan for the install?

Supposed to have storms off and on all weekend, but I am really wanting to get it on. Unfortunately, the garage is full right now, so I need to work between storms.

Between 1 hour and 16 business days. It will really come down to your understanding of how to take the bumper apart, install the winch and plate and put the bumper back together. With my Warn and RC bumper that number was pretty close to 6 hours for me. Way too much time spent going "How the ^$*^% am I supposed to reach that and hold a &%(@ wrench?"

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Between 1 hour and 16 business days. It will really come down to your understanding of how to take the bumper apart, install the winch and plate and put the bumper back together. With my Warn and RC bumper that number was pretty close to 6 hours for me. Way too much time spent going "How the ^$*^% am I supposed to reach that and hold a &%(@ wrench?"

I hope after 3 1/2 years he's figured out how long it takes, or has at least gotten the winch out of the box.............

My dealer quoted 6.5 hours to install just the winch, from what ive seen that is absurd. I will already have the steel winch capable factory bumper on. I will probably just do it myself. any thoughts?

Just because you have a "winch capable factory bumper" doesn't mean you have a winch plate, the wiring in place, disconnect and so on. All the "winch capable" bit means is yeah, you can pull the bumper off, install any one of a dozen different winch plates and this bumper will hopefully fit around the winch. Oh, like I found - it will clear a large winch with spacers..........
6.5 hours to do a really neat job, properly wired in with disconnect (and mounting said disconnect) or at least doing all of the other stuff - it's more than a 1 hour job - been there more than once.
It can take a few minutes just to run the cables in a way that they don't get burned, or trashed by the EHPS pump or other neat stuff under the hood - there's a lot of hot stuff, sharp edges and more in the engine bay.

Want it done right, or want it done fast and cheap?

Go buy yourself a good winch plate - that bumper is capable of going around a winch, but the Jeep factory steel bumper isn't ready to HOLD a winch.

I bet I spent 6 hours................
but I'm picky as heck and there were some clearance issues and I had to re-route the cable on my Apex winch so it didn't rub the grill, and other nifty stuff.

 

[Idlethunder]

My dealer quoted 6.5 hours to install just the winch, from what ive seen that is absurd. I will already have the steel winch capable factory bumper on. I will probably just do it myself. any thoughts?

That's about how much total time I spent installing mine. It was also the first winch I'd done solo but on an aftermarket winch ready bumper. Mine was 4 to 5 hours for the initial install then a couple of hours a month later to clean up the wiring.

 

[DarthAWM]

I hope after 3 1/2 years he's figured out how long it takes, or has at least gotten the winch out of the box.............

I didn't notice this was a zombie thread

 

[kevman65]

For anyone reading this Undead thread, have a buddy with you. It will make life MUCH easier.

Depending on what kind of bumper/winch plate you have, it CAN be much easier to assemble everything away from the JT and then slide it all on at once.

But again, bribe a buddy.

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