Stock bumper 12k winch insallation

[illking]

Im surprised you couldn't get ahold of quad van. I emailed them about their winch mount and they replied swiftly. Nevertheless your solution turned out great!

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by brp

I’m not an engineer, but it seems to me that you have dispersed the load more evenly than when pulling from the receiver, and you have also shifted the load closer to the mounts...both factors gotta be working in your favor.

If the mounts are the weakest link then neither consideration matters.

I plan to copy your set-up and have no concerns. Thanks again.

I am not an engineer either but if hindsight is 20/20 this is what I would do differently.
Instead of bolting the winch mount to the angles and separately bolting down the winch (12 bolts). I would set up the angles on the hitch so that you can bolt from the bottom straight through the angles through the mount plate and into the winch (just 4 long bolts).

I would also move the mount/winch a 1/2" forward (from 2" to 2 1/2")so you can more easily access the rear two through bolts under the winch (I had to shorten the rear two winch bolts to squeeze them in).

In doing so would mean you can either shim out the bumper1/2" (there's plenty of room on the bumper bolts) or you can cut into the face opening of the bumper some.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions, good luck.
~ Lenny

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by illking

Im surprised you couldn't get ahold of quad van. I emailed them about their winch mount and they replied swiftly. Nevertheless your solution turned out great!

Thanks, I would have gladly taken any help I could find for this project. As I said before, the bumper wasn't heavy or difficult to remove or replace so I just keep shimming and clamping till I got it right.

[TomsBeast]

Originally Posted by brp

...it seems to me that you have dispersed the load more evenly than when pulling from the receiver, and you have also shifted the load closer to the mounts...both factors gotta be working in your favor.

I would add that trailer hitches are rated for safe towing of the rated load (static), towing under very dynamic circumstances. Those dynamic loads can be almost double under harsh loading like a big pothole, according to one text on trailer design. You're spot on in that mounting the which plate on the crossbeam will improve things. Said another way, a hitch rated for 9000lb towing (with the trailer load cantilevered even further away on the ball mount), will tolerate higher loads without failing in your winch configuration.

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Originally Posted by TomsBeast

I would add that trailer hitches are rated for safe towing of the rated load (static), towing under very dynamic circumstances. Those dynamic loads can be almost double under harsh loading like a big pothole, according to one text on trailer design. You're spot on in that mounting the which plate on the crossbeam will improve things. Said another way, a hitch rated for 9000lb towing (with the trailer load cantilevered even further away on the ball mount), will tolerate higher loads without failing in your winch configuration.

Hey this is great info!!!!
This explanation helps a lot, and certainly makes concerns about straight-pull ratings for a receiver hitch vs. a winch seem like distinctly different concerns.

Having towed, in the past, all sorts of "frisky," heavy trailers that didn't have trailer brakes....there was always the lurking concern about how much sudden load or "shock" the entire hitch assembly could withstand. I think from physics the correct term for a brief, ultra-high shocking force is the "impulse force"? (A force that can be briefly, almost instantaneously imparted, and which can be quite large for that brief moment when momentum is shifting rapidly.)

It makes complete sense that hitches would need to be expressly engineered to withstand those massive, occasional forces. Long and short, they've got to be damn robust to handle towing forces.....so the forces of a winch would logically fall very-safely-within their engineered load tolerances. Definitely feel like my earlier concerns are put largely to rest.

(Disclaimer: I'm not an engineer either.
But I do have several years of community-college-level engineering classes....which puts me officially in the category of "knows just enough to be dangerous," lol.....)

[Flux]

I am an engineer and stayed at my house last night.

Yeah, that 9000 lbs also has a built in safety factor and would most likely deform and right in the middle. By bolting a winch tray on it, which is rated to handle the winch load anyway, you definitely strengthen up that center area big time. The moment of inertia resisting that force is gonna be huge in that spot.

I love the setup. Seeing the amount of space in between the horns means you can keep your bumper way more low profile. Some bumpers just look too big up front.

Nice work and a great idea!!

[Lenny]

Thanks, and thanks again for the assurances on the hitch/winch setup.

[K31 Van]

any issue's with the cable and non roller fairlead

[Lenny]

No real issues with the non roller (steel) fair head but then again most of the pulls that I have done were fairly straight. I would suggest keeping a snatch block handy if otherwise.

If I had my druthers I would definitely go with synthetic rope and aluminum fair head.

[K31 Van]

thank you lenny