Need winch plate/mount advice

[hondo]

ok got some pics i wish i had gone with some thicker steel but it hasn't failed yet. i was somewhat Limited on what i could do because of the size of my winch (i would have gone with what duffer did if it wasn't so big) as it is its about 1/8 inch from the grill and touching the fairlead even after i spaced it out 1 inch






i am not a fan of anything harbor freight the only things i will buy there are things I'm going to modify and don't mind if they break. look for a good used winch you should be able to find a good deal. as for the plate either go to a scrap yard local fab shop or neighbor who likes building things, get a plate and build your own mine cost me $30 and i bought extra steel and some other bolts.

 

[brownrxmd]

ok got some pics i wish i had gone with some thicker steel but it hasn't failed yet. i was somewhat Limited on what i could do because of the size of my winch (i would have gone with what duffer did if it wasn't so big) as it is its about 1/8 inch from the grill and touching the fairlead even after i spaced it out 1 inch






i am not a fan of anything harbor freight the only things i will buy there are things I'm going to modify and don't mind if they break. look for a good used winch you should be able to find a good deal. as for the plate either go to a scrap yard local fab shop or neighbor who likes building things, get a plate and build your own mine cost me $30 and i bought extra steel and some other bolts.

Thanks for the advice. I guess I was over thinking this. I couldn't visualize that there is enough space between the winch mount plate and the frame cross member for bolt heads that hold the winch in place, but apparently there is. I have tons of steel up here, and access to a welder, I think our shop even has a plasma cutter. That will probably be the way to go if I have time. Thanks for the pics!

 

[brownrxmd]

I build my own mounting. What will work will absolutely depend on which winch is sourced. Personally, I would find a used 8274 and just go though it. Even if it ends up costing a bit more than a new chinese one it's way worth it.

The aftermarket winch mounts usually have way more unnecessary weight than I want, block too much air flow, and I much prefer a low mounting. Here is what I put on my B:

I love that idea the best! Makes a lot of sense.

 

[hondo]

the bolts that hold my winch on are small (3/8 or 7/16 i think) and the crossmember plate is lowered into the frame a little. besides even if it sticks up a bit you can just use a couple spacers and your done.

 

[Hedgehog]

? do you often tie trees to your jeeps bumper?

 

[brownrxmd]

? do you often tie trees to your jeeps bumper?

I was wondering the same thing, maybe it's a Christmas thing. LOL

 

[hondo]

its actually a wreath with a deer skull, (i work at a christmas tree farm and this wreath had a busted ring so i got it free). and its on the winch fairlead. (that makes all the difference right?)

 

[brownrxmd]

its actually a wreath with a deer skull, (i work at a christmas tree farm and this wreath had a busted ring so i got it free). and its on the winch fairlead. (that makes all the difference right?)

LOL,,,oh love it man!

 

[Hedgehog]

Yeah I knew it was a wreath. Very cool, very in the season. My grand parents had a relatively small (~10,000 tree) Christmas Tree Plantation. Every year I'd spend late May staring into the sun with a set of clippers in hand covered in pine sap trimming trees and cleaning up the tops from weevil damage. Those were good memories. In December we would have families show up to buy trees. We'd take them up to the trees, they would pick one out, we'd shake the snow off tree after tree, cut the one they wanted and drag it out to their car. I'm sure we created good memories for the families that came every year for their tree. A real Currier and Ives type memory I'm sure. .........

Sorry, off topic, it's the time of year......................

 

[hondo]

Yeah I knew it was a wreath. Very cool, very in the season. My grand parents had a relatively small (~10,000 tree) Christmas Tree Plantation. Every year I'd spend late May staring into the sun with a set of clippers in hand covered in pine sap trimming trees and cleaning up the tops from weevil damage. Those were good memories. In December we would have families show up to buy trees. We'd take them up to the trees, they would pick one out, we'd shake the snow off tree after tree, cut the one they wanted and drag it out to their car. I'm sure we created good memories for the families that came every year for their tree. A real Currier and Ives type memory I'm sure. .........

Sorry, off topic, it's the time of year......................

yep we are lazier though, we make them cut em down, and we replaced the pruning shears with special thin (and extremely sharp) machetes.

now back on topic.

 

[wm69]

yep we are lazier though, we make them cut em down, and we replaced the pruning shears with special thin (and extremely sharp) machetes.

now back on topic.

Not yet!

Just got back from Punta Cana and was watching the locals trim the miles of hedges at the resort. I was quite surprised to see them all using machetes to do all the pruning given the seemingly endless lengths of hedges.

 

[Hedgehog]

Used machetes too, but my grandpa was meticulous in what he wanted so we used trimmers quite a bit. The last time I did it alone machetes were used a majority of the time. The trees were older and largely shaped by then and the job was mostly a little trim as opposed to a real hair cut.

Wm69 - If they are cutting new growth, as in trimming, it's fairly simple and quick to trim with a machete. Pruning sheers work best for established growth with hard bark on them.

As you said, now back to the winch plate question: Did you settle on a winch plate yet? For me the Harbor Freight plate was hard to pass up. It is universal with many extra holes in it. I welded them up closed, grinding them smooth to make a professional look.

 

[brownrxmd]

Used machetes too, but my grandpa was meticulous in what he wanted so we used trimmers quite a bit. The last time I did it alone machetes were used a majority of the time. The trees were older and largely shaped by then and the job was mostly a little trim as opposed to a real hair cut.

Wm69 - If they are cutting new growth, as in trimming, it's fairly simple and quick to trim with a machete. Pruning sheers work best for established growth with hard bark on them.

As you said, now back to the winch plate question: Did you settle on a winch plate yet? For me the Harbor Freight plate was hard to pass up. It is universal with many extra holes in it. I welded them up closed, grinding them smooth to make a professional look.

I've been north of Phoenix for almost a week now but haven't made it to HF to look at the winch plate. I found a winch (several) on Amazon that I can get shipped to Homer for free using Amazon Prime 8500-9500 lb winches. Tomorrow I'll make my way to HF to look at the winch plate. I am leaning heavily on the universal one. If it's too heavy to put in chec-in luggage though I'll order one on Amazon and pick it up when I get back to Alaska in Feb.

 

[Hedgehog]

Not an item for casual air travel. IF you can get free shipping definitely go that way. Are there no Harbor Freight stores in Alaska? Alaska seems like a perfect place for a H-F store.

Edit ..... Did a search, evidently there are no H-F stores in Alaska. Simply mind boggling.

 

[brownrxmd]

Not an item for casual air travel. IF you can get free shipping definitely go that way. Are there no Harbor Freight stores in Alaska? Alaska seems like a perfect place for a H-F store.

Edit ..... Did a search, evidently there are no H-F stores in Alaska. Simply mind boggling.

You are sooo right! Alaska would rock a HF. I went online ordered one using a 25% off coupon and total was under 400 bucks for winch and mounting plate. A few days later I got an email saying they were waiting on shipping quote, I was expecting that. A week later I called HF and they told me they cancelled the order. When I asked why it was because of shpping. A few days later I get an update with the shipping total, around a hundred bucks which was cool since that was what I saved with the coupon. In the meanwhile I found that amazon prime will ship for free with about a 3 day or 4 day shipping time. So in a week or two I'll order the winch and get that installed when I land in Alaska. So then I should be ready to drive out of Alaska blizzard style.

 

[Hedgehog]

Did you get the 12,000 lb winch? That is the one I have. Used it only once. The CJ sunk to the axles on flat ground. I hit some of that super soft flour sand in the middle of a tight turn. The Jeep hit it, all forward motion stopped and it basically went down. I stepped out of the directly on the ground. Even on foot the sand was up to the top of my ankles, miserable stuff. Got lucky with a live Palo Verde Tree barely within the 85' cable reach. The winch was slow, but it hardly gave a grunt pulling the CJ out. I have very little time on a winch, but this one impressed me, but once more time, it was slow.

 

[Petescj]

Out of curiosity do you have a Fastenal in Ak?

 

[Hedgehog]

Looks like they have a bunch of'em in AK. Looks like it's not an inexpensive place to do business.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Have'n work'd in AK. I can tell you that NUT'N is "inexpensive" there.
LG

 

[brownrxmd]

Did you get the 12,000 lb winch? That is the one I have. Used it only once. The CJ sunk to the axles on flat ground. I hit some of that super soft flour sand in the middle of a tight turn. The Jeep hit it, all forward motion stopped and it basically went down. I stepped out of the directly on the ground. Even on foot the sand was up to the top of my ankles, miserable stuff. Got lucky with a live Palo Verde Tree barely within the 85' cable reach. The winch was slow, but it hardly gave a grunt pulling the CJ out. I have very little time on a winch, but this one impressed me, but once more time, it was slow.

Amazon Prime has a 12,000 lb Tyger winch for 327.00 free shipping. I'mm going to order it in a couple of weeks before I head back inside. Lumpy Grits is right nothing at all is reasonable up there. In the village I live in I pay 6.85 per gal of gasoline. Lucky I don't need my jeep in the village and I get around on a Honda Fourtrax. 16 oz block of mild cheddar is way over 10 bucks. Anchorage is a little more normalized however I'm 300 miles from there. My 13 minute bush plane ride just to get to Homer is 86 dollars, so imagine what it costs in time and money just to go a grocery store. I'm not complaining though, I haven't been in a WalMart in nearly 2 years, no cell phone either and life is pretty good now. Hey when you own a 35 year old jeep and your biggest worry is how to get a mounting plate and a winch then life is really good. LOL