Most comp guys are going mid mount for the obvious advantages. Mines been midmounted since the beginning of 2006. I've shifted it 2 with different rebuilds etc but the basic concept is the same.
I have only ever needed guides where the rope turns a corner and don't like the tube the full length some have. It is a personal thing as some do it and some don't. ie no right or wrong way just different depending on truck layout.
Anyone who thinks a standard 8000lb winch is big enough for a LC or Patrol (or any 4x4 for that matter) has never really used one in anger! It is not the wieght of the truck that is the problem, it is over coming the force of the mud, gravity etc all combined that really causes the issues. I've seen an 8000lb winch struggle to pull a truck downhill through a bog!
But after saying that the biggest mistake most people make when selecting a winch is thinking it is the winch that gives the power. Wrong, it is the charging system, batteries and cables that provide the performance. To make mine work effectively it has standalone charging system, seperate batteries etc. Now mine is probably close to optimum for an electric winch and a little

over kill for the average person but some things can be copied.
You need a big starting battery (or 2), bigger battery cable, (95mm welding cable is the best) and a bigger alternator. Then the winch will actually perform as designed.
I will say that an 8000lb winch will never single line a 3 ton truck up a vertical bank. I've done it in a 2.2 ton truck with an 8000lb winch uprated with bigger motor etc (at the 2005 Kiwi Challenge) and even then in a race we double lined it and it was still a big effort. The rating of a winch is a joke. Even a 9500lb winch on first layer will stall before it pulls 9500lb. It isn't like they are ISO rated or anything like that. So forget maths when spec'ing a winch and ask those who have been there and done that.
Nissan Terrano coilovers, turboed VH45, Safari axles, and some other stuff.