Stock bumper 12k winch insallation

[Lenny]

After seeing a Quad Van ad with a winch installed on a stock bumper I tried to contact them (by email and phone quite a few times) but they are either in Lala land or just didn’t want to talk to me.
Couldn’t find anything anywhere on a this type of install so I then took the matter into my own hands.

The build went pretty easy, just a lot of fitment moves, but seeing how the stock bumper is only about 20lbs or so and 4 bolts, it wasn’t a big deal. Anyway, who needs another 100 or so lbs and $2,000.of aftermarket bumper when I already had the hitch.

With a $40 winch mount plate (22”L x7 1/4Wx 4”H) from E bay, some shims and a couple of clamps I proceeded to find out what size angles I needed to weld to my hitch to carry the winch plate and have it be flush with the bottom opening in the stock bumper.

You need 1” from the frame /chassisto the top of the mounting plate or 1” up from the top of the hitch (that is if you have a Draw Tite #65001 hitch).
The front face of the winch mount is 2” from where the bumper mounts to the chassis (see photo)

The bumper is a stock bumper I picked up on E bay and a local welder added the bull bar. I then cut into the top center part of the bumper for access to the clutch lever and trimmed it out with Trim Lok PVC edge trim.

The wireless/ wired controllerbox is located behind the grill and because the winch sits about 2” from the radiator I used a Bulldog tensioner#BDW20234 in the event of a birds nest(something you won’t have to worry about if you have synthetic rope instead of wire).

The winch is a pretty standard size 12K el cheapo Road pro ( 21.3”X6.3”x8.6”). I suggest you have the winch for fitment purposes before you do any serious welding and stuff.

[MountainBikeRoamer]

Very cool! (And very tidy looking.)
Really dig your fairlead mounting location on the stock bumper.

Quick question though ---
You've mounted a 12,000-pound-rated winch to the structure of the front hitch, do you know the maximum pull rating of that front bolt-on hitch receiver structure itself?

Only reason I ask ---
...I've got a bolt-on front hitch receiver that looks very similar to yours.....was just reading the data sticker on it the other day --- think it mentioned a 9,000 pound straight-pull rating. Been planning on mounting a winch to it as well ( but just using a simple slide-in/receiver-mount hitch tray.....far less elegant than your solution) ---- so I've been wondering about the pull rating limitations of the front hitch receiver itself.

[brp]

Thanks a lot for the detailed write up. I was going to be building a custom winch mount to use with the stock bumper. Using the front receiver as a foundation saves a lot of hassle and gives the bonus of a front receiver.

[KTMRIDER]

Looks great. Nice job.

[arctictraveller]

Very nice.

[gcvt]

That's awesome...really nice work! I might have to copy this. Rallypanam was nice enough to give me a front hitch just recently.

[Bbasso]

I like.

[TomsBeast]

outstanding! All the magazines would have you believe you need to purchase bolt on this, through away that, to get your rig working the way you want. I personally love to repurpose the existing hardware, whenever I can. Nice job

[Lenny]

Originally Posted by MountainBikeRoamer

Very cool! (And very tidy looking.)
Really dig your fairlead mounting location on the stock bumper.

Quick question though ---
You've mounted a 12,000-pound-rated winch to the structure of the front hitch, do you know the maximum pull rating of that front bolt-on hitch receiver structure itself?

Only reason I ask ---
...I've got a bolt-on front hitch receiver that looks very similar to yours.....was just reading the data sticker on it the other day --- think it mentioned a 9,000 pound straight-pull rating. Been planning on mounting a winch to it as well ( but just using a simple slide-in/receiver-mount hitch tray.....far less elegant than your solution) ---- so I've been wondering about the pull rating limitations of the front hitch receiver itself.

Thanks, Yes the pull rating is 9K but then again I have pulled a lot of big boys that were buried down to their axles with that hitch. I guess you can find a hitch with a higher rating but if you got it on already, hey, I would just stay with it.

[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.