Smittybilt XRC-9.5K on a WARN Winch Plate?

[jzak]

First off, I know it's insane to put a Smittybilt winch on a WARN bumper, but I just cant bring myself to dropping $600 or more on a Warn winch right now.

So my question is, will a Smittybilt XRC-9.5K fit on a Warn Winch Mounting plate? Will the holes match up, or would i have to spend hours and a few carbide drill bits making my own holes in the mounting plate?

A link to my WARN winch plate is below.

Thanks!



WARN 13910 - Warn Winch Mounting Kit for 70-86 Jeep® CJ - Quadratec

 

[PaRenegade]

It should. All winches and plates have a universal 4 1/2"x10" bolt pattern. If the plate already fits the Jeep then your golden.
Nothing insane about it. Smitty's are a decent winch and you don't pay for the name.

 

[jzak]

It should. All winches and plates have a universal 4 1/2"x10" bolt pattern. If the plate already fits the Jeep then your golden.
Nothing insane about it. Smitty's are a decent winch and you don't pay for the name.

Thanks for the feedback! Just bought the Smitty last night. Great to hear it's a decent winch and it should fit.

 

[Hedgehog]

Even if you have to drill it some the plate shouldn't be difficult to work with. A hard or brittle winch plate could crack. That's not saying the plate wont be strong, but should be easy enough to drill. It's making sure it fits your CJ that might be tricky. Some welding on of some support tabs might be required.

 

[hole]

jzak, works like a charm. I'm running warn plate and smittybilt winch, bolted right up

 

[jzak]

jzak, works like a charm. I'm running warn plate and smittybilt winch, bolted right up

Well your answer is about as definitive as it gets. Thanks! The winch is coming in the mail today. Can't wait to install it!

By the way, i've read some reviews an Amazon where they say the winch is great but the hardware is cheap and will start rusting immediately. Did you run into that problem? I was thinking about replacing all the mounting bolts and nuts with stainless steel ones.

 

[Torxhead]

I would suggest a grade 8 bolt with a coat of paint. The conventional stainless bolts will not rust but are of a softer grade of steel. There are hard grades of stainless but they can rust up a bit also. Locktite will help hold them in.

 

[Woolyworm]

I've run my XRC8 for about 5 years now and done some really long hard pulls with it and it's never whimpered a bit. No issue with rusting hardware either. Bid get another in a heart beat.


Wooly

 

[hole]

Well your answer is about as definitive as it gets. Thanks! The winch is coming in the mail today. Can't wait to install it!

By the way, i've read some reviews an Amazon where they say the winch is great but the hardware is cheap and will start rusting immediately. Did you run into that problem? I was thinking about replacing all the mounting bolts and nuts with stainless steel ones.

Cant say rust has been an issue, been on for 5+ years.

 

[jzak]

Thanks for the feedback guys. Just installed it, and everything works great. Couldn't be happier!

I did notice some built quality issues though. First I tried to mount the controller unit on the left over the motor, but one of the allen bolts completely stripped when trying to unscrew it. So I then tried to mount it over the cable spool. It came with some mounting hardware to attach the controller unit to the winch. When I tried to attach the bracket, I saw the manufacturer had forgotten to drill one of the holes, so i had to drill it out myself.

Nothing critical, but I have to admit it did concern me about the overall quality of the winch, but after getting it on my CJ, and trying it out a bit, I feel confident i made the right purchase.