Thinking about getting a winch.

[ringo]

http://www.mud-club.com/forum/index.php ... 331.0.html

Might be worth a shout? for some decent cable?

Ringo

[jed the spread]

All the cable and stuff comes with it. My way of thinking on this is that isnt the towing point strong enough to be winched out with? The bar fixing brackets are bolted to the chassis in three places and the bars are bolted to the brackets with 4 big bolts. If the bars arnt strong enough it looks like a bit of fiddleing and fix it to the van chassis that the bars are bolted to anyway. Let me take a couple of pictures to show you good folk.





Like i said i know nothing about this stuff so appreciate the input on the final fixing point.

Jed

[toomanytoys]

Have you been towed out with it attached to the bull bar? if so I bet it was low down on it so a striaght pull to the mounts.. anything bolted to that strip accross the top line of the bumper would bend it like chocolate... needs to be bolted to the front cross member which in turn needs a bit of extra support....

WHat happens when you grab hold of the top of the bull bar and give it a good tug? quite a bit of flex I should think..

[joolsvw]

I have a fear your winch will ...er....recover itself

[ThorAlex]

How about this:

The winsh is is mounted on a 2" squere steel tube that fits in a 2" hitsh reciver bolted on the front, or when needed the on the rear.

[jed the spread]

WHat happens when you grab hold of the top of the bull bar and give it a good tug? quite a bit of flex I should think..

Both Neil and I have stood on it together today at the same time, jumped up and down on it and it didnt budge. I guess as i payed £60 for the bar, pillar grab handle, Expansion tank, and door pocket its worth a calculated risk fixing it on the bars. I guess this is how all the suck it and see trail and error testing products shine through (or not ). I can see abit of action in Axemans garage coming on with the wielder It reminds me of when Pete put his R&R bed in his doka and the same suck it and see engineering took place on that and i learned by his advice and the mistakes he corrected when fitting mine. Also when Alex put those massooove wheels and landy arches on his doka. Though due to all this constructive advice from everyone i really do appreciate that it might bend like a Quavour

jed

[jed the spread]

How about this:

The winsh is is mounted on a 2" squere steel tube that fits in a 2" hitsh reciver bolted on the front, or when needed the on the rear.

looks a good idea

jed

[ringo]

That looks mint.

The ability to swap from front to rear is nice.

Still, its not nice if your up to your bodywork in mud - which is when you probably will need recovering!

Ringo

PS. What do you know about safety when using winches Jed? I seem to remember theres some does and donts but i never had a winch so i cant remember them...

[syncropaddy]

The idea of receivers on both ends so only one winch is necessary is very appealing. Saw this idea on an American site some time ago and some 4x4 specialists actually stock the winch carriers etc

[jed the spread]

Well its arrived, and boy is it a bit of kit just been outside doing a bit of head scratching. I am now thinking mounting the front of the mounting plate on the bull bars and maybe make some spacers so i can bolt the rear of the fixing plate to the front beam. At least this way its not sticking right out in front of the van but enough so i dont have to cut any of the van away. The bars have defiantly had a winch on before as the mounting holes for the winch match exactly with the ones drilled out on the bull bars.

jed

[v-lux]

The bars have defiantly had a winch on before as the mounting holes for the winch match exactly with the ones drilled out on the bull bars.

Still doesnt mean its a good idea though.....

[axeman]

is it on yet?

[PC52]

Now then Jed, it's been a little bit wet but this afternoon it dried up enough for a few pics.

Winch - Permanent mounting



It doesn't stick out too far and avoids a really good nose end dive



Underneath fixing



Winch demountable - original mount



Then we fabricated a plate to go with it which holds the winch and the fairy wheels



And then on the electrical side the anderson couplings are pretty handy for isolation, good for 400amp.

[jed the spread]

Hey thats really good of you to go to the trouble of showing those pictures. I was abit confused as how the fairy wheels were to be mounted but then realized the need for a good mounting plate. I stupidly assumed the fairy wheels were conected to the winch so abit more money has to be spent yet I think i might go for one of those universal ones. I have just been looking in the screwfix book for long stainless bolts ready for tackling the job. Mine looks exactly the same shape as yours but orange.

jed

[PC52]

All the same, Jed. Depends what name is on it.

Think orange would clash with the yellow...