Opinions on my winch

[kingbobdole]

Keep in mind I wanted to keep the stock bumper and the winch is 80% for "show"...

 

 

I started first by removing the front bumper, scuse the cell pics

 

Then "made" a plate from some steel strap

 

Then drilled holes in the plate that matched the winch mount and welded the plate to the bumper.. and bolted it there...

 

Then reassembled... the winch mount is bolted to the car better then the winch is to the mount!

 

 

Here you can see the remote for the winch

 

 

And here's a video of the silly action!

 

Be harsh if you like, but this wagon is my winter beater and hardly sees any action.... It's a ton and half winch (3k lbs) so probably right at its limit on this thing, but hey, it was on sale and I have a snatch block around somewhere.... but like said, it's mostly a toy.

[Numbchux]

it looks flimsy just sitting on the plastic bumper.....but it looks like you've done a good job reinforcing it.

[ivantruckman]

the whole bumper sub straight is far to flimsy to mount a winch to, in my opinion, i defiantly wouldn't pull another vehicle out with it, especially if it weighs more than a soob. i made another bumper out of 1/8 thick 2x4 inch rectangle tubing. and u shape 1/8 th inch steel channel for the brackets, also used 4 mounting holes to go into the unibody frame. but then again i have the poor car carved up i am looking for the nasty off road military camo look. i was considering mounting the plastic shell over the square tubing for the OEM look

[pheonix165]

other then the lack of gusseting i kind like your approach, however, i myself would have mounted it in front of the bumper instead of on it (mostly because my lights are on top of the bumper)

[Scott in Bellingham]

It's a ton and half winch (3k lbs)

.

 

I have a 2,000 Lb winch and with a pulley it will lift the whole front of the car off the ground, when you get stuck it will sure come in handy, beets waisting your arm on a come-a-long

[WoodsWagon]

If you have a welder, and a sawzall with some steel stock, you should go a bit more hardcore with the whole bumper. Like this:

 

I've clipped trees with the corners, hits that would have taken out headlights and quarter panels, and it stops or shifts the car. Sometimes you can't watch all your corners all the time plowing out of a mudhole in the trees, and having something that can take a hit without folding like a wet rag is nice.

 

This bumper, in the form you see, rear ended a ford ranger at 15mph. It trashed the tailgate, bumper, taillights, and a corner of the bedfloor, and shifted the bed forward enough that it left markes on the back of the cab. The bumper was fine, however the unibody crumpled about an inch backwards and one of my headlight loops trapped the hood shut by looping over the corner.

 

I think it's a 9k milemarker winch, but it's old and the stickers are long gone. Planetary drive, permanent magnet motor, relay box under the hood by the airbox. It will drag other cars around, however I would not block the wheels and pull for fear of ripping the body.

 

You should put a support from the bumper down to the lower radiator support to handle the downward twist of the winch on the bumper when it's pulling.

[Jerry DeMoss]

Your wagon looks nice and purdy Phil! Looks like it is time for you to take it on a trail or two again. Maybe we can all work out some sort of trail meet soon.

[offroadsubaruguy]

as a purely for looks standpoint, id say it looks good.... but as others have noted, you might want to at least reinforce the crap out of the bumper before really trying to use it........but, it does look good..

[kingbobdole]

so.... will my bumper beam itself bend or what? Thing seemed to be made of 2 laminated sheets of 3/32" steel... seemed pretty stout to me... Just as thick as the mount.