New Apex 12K Harbor Freight winch Install

[ShadowsPapa]

I just installed the Badlands Apex 12k with the RR Arcus bumper and what a terrible combo. It was such a pain and I dont like how the Apex winch power cables push so hard into the grill. If this bumper ever needs to come off Ill never reinstall it. Looks good but with this winch combo its just terrible. I noticed how some of you drilled in to the side of the power pack or relocated the power pack to under the hood but I should've looked on here first. I wouldn't have purchased this combo. Oh well live and learn. Ill likely drill the side of the power pack out too since that seems to be the easiest option after the fact.

I reshaped the power lead and pulled it away and clamped it in place. Many do run the power cable out the passenger end of the cover, but I found this easy and there's plenty of room between cable and grill in my case - (ignore the bugguts, as my wife calls them)

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[jeepinmike]

I reshaped the power lead and pulled it away and clamped it in place. Many do run the power cable out the passenger end of the cover, but I found this easy and there's plenty of room between cable and grill in my case - (ignore the bugguts, as my wife calls them)

Its not possible in my case unfortunately. Your bumper looks like maybe the mopar one so it possibly provides different clearances. Hard to tell in the photo but i had to have myself and a friend push up on the winch plate that came with the arcus bumper very hard while simultaneously trying to line up three other holes to get the arcus shell on. Terrible instructions from Rugged Ridge as well. If you follow their guide youd have to remove everything two or three times to install the bumper and everything correctly. They want you to install the winch then install the bumper shell and your fairlead. Thats impossible to do.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Its not possible in my case unfortunately. Your bumper looks like maybe the mopar one so it possibly provides different clearances. Hard to tell in the photo but i had to have myself and a friend push up on the winch plate that came with the arcus bumper very hard while simultaneously trying to line up three other holes to get the arcus shell on. Terrible instructions from Rugged Ridge as well. If you follow their guide youd have to remove everything two or three times to install the bumper and everything correctly. They want you to install the winch then install the bumper shell and your fairlead. Thats impossible to do.

It's the winch plate that determines how the winch will be positioned - closer to the grill, or away from the grill - winch plate decides.
The winch doesn't bolt to the bumper (at least not to these) so isn't a determining factor on clearance. A person could use 1/4" spacers between the winch plate and frame horns to space the winch away from the grill a bit. That would also move the bumper out 1/4" since it goes on AFTER the winch plate and bolts to the frame horns, holding the winch plate in place.

In short - if you are using a winch plate - that is what decides where the winch sits - not the bumper - unless YOUR bumper is what the winch actually bolts to and you are not using a winch plate.
I could have put spacers between my winch plate and frame and gained more clearance had I needed it.

 

[jeepinmike]

It's the winch plate that determines how the winch will be positioned - closer to the grill, or away from the grill - winch plate decides.
The winch doesn't bolt to the bumper (at least not to these) so isn't a determining factor on clearance. A person could use 1/4" spacers between the winch plate and frame horns to space the winch away from the grill a bit. That would also move the bumper out 1/4" since it goes on AFTER the winch plate and bolts to the frame horns, holding the winch plate in place.

In short - if you are using a winch plate - that is what decides where the winch sits - not the bumper - unless YOUR bumper is what the winch actually bolts to and you are not using a winch plate.
I could have put spacers between my winch plate and frame and gained more clearance had I needed it.

I get what youre saying but unless you actually have installed the arcus bumper I dont think you would understand the challenges of trying to use spacers between the shell while lining up everything else. The winch plate for the arcus bumper reuses the two factory horn spots on the inside between the frame so there isnt any way to move the plate forward or back. Id need an inch to clear properly. The winch plate just pivots in those two bolts until you get the Arcus shell on then you tighten everything down.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I get what youre saying but unless you actually have installed the arcus bumper I dont think you would understand the challenges of trying to use spacers between the shell while lining up everything else. The winch plate for the arcus bumper reuses the two factory horn spots on the inside between the frame so there isnt any way to move the plate forward or back. Id need an inch to clear properly. The winch plate just pivots in those two bolts until you get the Arcus shell on then you tighten everything down.

Yeah, maybe like this (pic below)
I used bolts to hold the ends of the plate up on the frame horns, and used the brackets that go below to hold it down there. Then when everything was ready and I was ready to put the bumper outer shell on (it also goes on in pieces), I put a floor jack under the winch plate, removed the bolts you see holding the plate to the frame, then put the next part of the bumper in place.

I could have put plates between the winch plate and frame and it would have moved the winch forward more. I would have used double-back tape to hold the plates in place on the frame horn, then put the winch plate in place.

Jack under center of front of winch plate, removed the silver bolts shown holding plate to frame, put the rest of the bumper on.
When I move this setup to my new JT, if it ever gets built, I will use spacers between the winch plate and frame. Tape will hold the spacers in place.

The slots in these winch plate brackets are plenty big enough I could have slid the plate forward another 1/4" or even more. Once I had these in place, I put a floor jack under the plate and removed the bolts shown above that held the plate to the frame ends until the bumper shell went on.

 

[JTR178]

I just installed the Badlands Apex 12k with the RR Arcus bumper and what a terrible combo.

The OEM steel bumper and Warn winch plate were no walk in the park either.

My positive cable is also mashed against the grill, so many reviews on Amazon said the skid plate would line back up without modification (wrong!), the Mopar filler plate did not cooperate with the Badlands fairlead and the winch plate, and last but not least I missed the hint about using a spacer to guarantee the clutch handle clears the bumper. It did before I tightened everything up. And then it didn't.

I absolutely refuse to take the bumper off again, let alone start at step 1 with the winch install to add the spacers, so I'm looking for solutions for the clutch handle. Probably end up cutting it for clearance.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I removed the lever, took it to my bandsaw, and trimmed it to clear the bar. It cleared the bumper fine - but then I'm not using the Warn winch plate.

 

[Summitsearcher]

I reshaped the power lead and pulled it away and clamped it in place. Many do run the power cable out the passenger end of the cover, but I found this easy and there's plenty of room between cable and grill in my case - (ignore the bugguts, as my wife calls them)

I’m going to try and get this done today.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’m going to try and get this done today.

Pictures and report?!

 

[JTR178]

Update: Took a grinder to the winch handle. I'll clean it up and shave a little more off when I have access to a bench vice. Sandwiched it between two spare pieces of 2x4 on the garage floor and went to town.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well done.

 

[Summitsearcher]

Pictures and report?!

Out the side instead.

 

[damageinc321]

I used a table top grinder to cut 1/8 inch off. Then a aluminum polishing wheel. You can also raise the winch up with spacer plates per a post early.

How did you recover the clutch handle? I took out the Allen set screw and pulled up and it wouldn't come out, I tried pulling up while turning it each way and it didn't budge. Did you use a pry bar?

 

[damageinc321]

Well done.

How did you remove the clutch handle? I took out the Allen set screw and pulled up on it and tried turning it in either direction while pulling up on it but it didn't budge. Did you use a pry bar?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

How did you recover the clutch handle? I took out the Allen set screw and pulled up and it wouldn't come out, I tried pulling up while turning it each way and it didn't budge. Did you use a pry bar?

Mine lifted right out - of course I had no tension on the rope, but once the screw was removed, it simply lifted up and out.

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