Portable winch options. Quick on off attachment.

[riplipper]

I live at the beach, so I cannot buy ANY aftermarket bumpers that can stand up to salt air.
Trust me, after 40 years I can make the statement, "nothing stops salt" And I hate sanding and repainting bumpers.
So, would like to have a smaller winch that can attach to hitch or front hooks.
I can pretty much build one but wondering what others have done.
PS, I do not need to vertically lift my jeep up a tree, just pull it out of swamp mud.
thx

Sponsored

 

[Mr._Bill]

Curt has a front receiver and winch platform that fits the JL/JT. Warn has quick connect cables to use with a winch. I went this route with a Warn VR-8S.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

A front hitch, winch hitch basket, some good wiring and a suitable andersen connector are what you need.

I had this same setup for a while on my rig and was easily able to winch from the front or rear with no hassles. Its handy and helpful.

 

[riplipper]

Thanks guys, looking at options now. Harbor freight actually has some winches that I plan on looking at.

 

[LordEnzo]

Amazon for the hitch cradle. Smitty winch 9.5k. I keep mine in a tote in bed with other recovery gear. Stop at a loves/flying j/pilot and pick up a j hook to make easier to pull out. On amazon I bought 25ft of red and black 2 guage welding wire and some anderson plugs with covers. Ran wires direct from battery, down right side, and securely attached to just behind rear fender. There's a perfect spot for it. Warning: winch and cradle are heavy.

 

[riplipper]

Thats a pretty hefty winch set up right there.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Thats roughly the setup I have. Yes, heavy is a word I would use to describe the setup.

Warn M8000 is 75 pounds plus another 20 in the carrier plus shackles, sheaves, hook etc. It ends up being a lot to horse around.

The big down side is, as far as my experience, it murders approach and departure angles and is never on when you need it.

 

[CerOf]

Seems I’ve read people have modified their plastic bumper and fit a winch plate and winch.

Have you thought about going that direction?

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

The amount of work to do a low profile install is greater than a hitch mount basket by far. Also, with the ability to go front or back, much more functional from a horizontal save yourself from a mud hole perspective.

This is more of a save yourself winch than a forge the way cross the Darien kinda package.

 

[DougF]

Are there any front bumper area accessories that will work with the front hitch installed? I am planning on going that route for winching, but it looks like I lose the capability to install lighting or other accessories. I wanna dress the front up a little bit.

 

[Mr._Bill]

The Curt front receiver mounts between the frame below the bumper. It doesn't affect any of the area above where lights can be mounted. I used the Mopar frame mount kit to attach a stainless steel tube just above the bumper in front of the grille. I have two sets of lights attached to it.

 

[DougF]

The Curt front receiver mounts between the frame below the bumper. It doesn't affect any of the area above where lights can be mounted. I used the Mopar frame mount kit to attach a stainless steel tube just above the bumper in front of the grille. I have two sets of lights attached to it.

Mr._Bill, I searched high and low for the frame mount kit you reference, but could not find it. I have the Sport model vs your Overland. Different bumper?

 

[Mr._Bill]

Mr._Bill, I searched high and low for the frame mount kit you reference, but could not find it. I have the Sport model vs your Overland. Different bumper?

Mopar 82215428
Fits any JL/JT. Mounts to the frame between the grille and the bumper, and provides two tabs to mount to.

AllMoparParts is a forum sponsor and will provide a discount code for free shipping.

Also available on Amazon.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07VCLXVVZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_5KET1SYC5DM29JB4KC8J

 

[DougF]

Mopar 82215428
Fits any JL/JT. Mounts to the frame between the grille and the bumper, and provides two tabs to mount to.

AllMoparParts is a forum sponsor and will provide a discount code for free shipping.

Also available on Amazon.
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B07VCLXVVZ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_5KET1SYC5DM29JB4KC8J

Thank you! I read on the JL Forum that this kit comes with some wrong sized nuts, requires drilling, and is generally difficult to install. How was your experience? I'd love to see your bar attached to this kit if it's not an imposition.

 

[Mr._Bill]

Thank you! I read on the JL Forum that this kit comes with some wrong sized nuts, requires drilling, and is generally difficult to install. How was your experience? I'd love to see your bar attached to this kit if it's not an imposition.

You do have to drill some holes and install some nutzerts, but after I figured out how to do it, it wasn't too difficult. I didn't follow their template for the holes in the plastic cover, they were fairly big. I measured and made them just big enough to fit.

There's some pictures here. https://www.allmoparparts.com/sku/82215428.html

This is a picture from when I installed it.

Sponsored