Mounting a winch on a surf

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:40 pm

Well now that my winch is here it is time to mount it.

The plan:

is to use a bit of 75x100x6 angle iron to wrap around the front and bottom of the front chassis cross member and use the 4 holes that the factory tow hooks mount onto as well as 4 that are on the front of the cross member to mount this to the truck. (may also use four more on the bottom of the cross member and weld to extensions of 50x5mm flat plate onto the end to reach two holes a little further back if i get round to it)

Then to this i am going to weld abit of box section I have off my old bull bar, (think it is 50x50)

on top of that will be two recievers both 65x65x5 and two gusseted tabs of 50x5 for my tow hooks so that they will be up the right way.

then for the winch I am planing on using a piece of 200x400x5mm plate welded to two 50x50x5mm box sections that will slot into the recievers
for bracing between the two bits of box section I will use two bits of 50x50x5mm angle.

here is a rough sketch

Hopefully will get started tomorrow. And at a later date I will put two bits of 65x65x5mm box on my back bar so that the winch can be used at the back as well.

Pete

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:43 pm

hmmm how do i make that pic bigger..

here is a link to it in my album
http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/modules.php?set_albumName=Pete&id=winch_mounting&op=modload&name=Gallery&file=index&include=view_photo.php

Cheers Pete

Steve_t647 · Post by **Steve_t647** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 4:45 pm

Edit: OK you fixed it first

If you use only ine locating piece (make it like the old school pizza oven tray thing) it will be less difficult to make and far less likley to bind or get stuck after a recovery.

Just my 2c

http://img170.imageshack.us/img170/1698/winchen1cz.jpg

Like this but I would make it stronger and have a bar at the back flush with bullbar to stop it bending.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/ ... /pose3.jpg

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:01 pm

good point. We started off with one and decided to go to two for strength...
any body elce got any thoughts?
Cheers
Pete

Steve_t647 · Post by **Steve_t647** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:14 pm

Most of he hitches I have seen are singles the only problem with then would be a twisting action like the first shot.

Using all 8 mounting points is perfect that will be as stiff as you can make the reciever hitch. I have also seen one that mounted verticaly into the bullbar front and rear again only one and it would make the bullbar a bit thicker but if you were in mud or against a bank you could still fit it.

Can't find the pic tho, vertical would be harder as it would mean managing lights and aerials and other stuff differently on the bullbar. Nice and easy to lift and drop in or out and if you have to you can Jack it out if stuck.

Storage would be more difficult and the rollers would be really close.
and the bullbar would have to be well engineered in the winch mount area too, at the back you would have to be carefull if you have a tray and a removeable towbar or hook would cause issues with doors and stuff.

hulux-happy · Post by **hulux-happy** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:27 pm

Petemcc wrote:good point. We started off with one and decided to go to two for strength...
any body elce got any thoughts?
Cheers
Pete

hi there pete,
i am as you know selling my cradel and mouting bars + front and rear power cabels both pos. and neg. plus a removable tow ball. both mounts are 50mm reciver hitches like the hamen resse ones but with alot more strenthening the set-up is worth about $1400 or so but am selling the lot for $1000 now as i need more cash to mod my new thing. its all here in linwood so if you want to come have a look still let me know. anyone else im selling the ep9000 superwinch for $1500 its 4 months old so still under warrentie.

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:37 pm

hulux-happy wrote:
Petemcc wrote:good point. We started off with one and decided to go to two for strength...
any body elce got any thoughts?
Cheers
Pete

hi there pete,
i am as you know selling my cradel and mouting bars + front and rear power cabels both pos. and neg. plus a removable tow ball. both mounts are 50mm reciver hitches like the hamen resse ones but with alot more strenthening the set-up is worth about $1400 or so but am selling the lot for $1000 now as i need more cash to mod my new thing. its all here in linwood so if you want to come have a look still let me know. anyone else im selling the ep9000 superwinch for $1500 its 4 months old so still under warrentie.

Sorry steve but I dont have $1000 am hoping to build this for a little over 100. I have already built a rear bar that will easily incoperate this system. All I would really be keen to get off you would be the front bar with the reciever in it, which would mean cutting up your bullbar and stuff. So I think i will try make my own first lol if it all turns to shit ill give you a ring.

Cheers Pete

Engineer · Post by **Engineer** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:38 pm

ive got that plate at home ill run it to blairs tonight. howed u guys get on today?
get the material?

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 5:41 pm

Steve_t647 wrote:.

You make a very good point about it getting stuck...

Has anyone tried two??

I think at this stage we will give it a go with two and if it doesnt work out then go back to one.

Thanks for this input though, you have got me thinking!

Cheers Pete

NJV6 · Post by **NJV6** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:00 pm

I presume your in Invers at the moment Pete? Sing out if ya need another pair of hands or access to pieces of steel....

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:18 pm

Rik ran a 2-prong - occasionally needs a bit af a helping hand from memory, but far stronger and avoids the torsional issues of a single-pin.... I'd go 2.

I'd look seriously at how its mounted to the front of the truck tho - that front crossmember, and the 4 threaded mounts on it are piss-weak.

I'd look to some custom mounts off the chassis rails, and maybe use those threaded mounts as "bonus" support - definitely not as primary attachments.

Take photos

Steve

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:49 pm

NJV6 wrote:I presume your in Invers at the moment Pete? Sing out if ya need another pair of hands or access to pieces of steel....

Might take you up on that... can get the steel off a m8 for $50 but ill have to weight till sat or it will cost me about $100 cos id have to pay to get it cut up.... Ill give you a pm and see what you can do. As im keen to get it done asap

Cheers Pete

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 7:57 pm

SupraLux wrote:
I'd look seriously at how its mounted to the front of the truck tho - that front crossmember, and the 4 threaded mounts on it are piss-weak.

I'd look to some custom mounts off the chassis rails, and maybe use those threaded mounts as "bonus" support - definitely not as primary attachments.

Take photos

Steve

Well im keen on that lol. Dont want the bloody thing to come off.

At the moment i was using the 6 threaded holes (3 each side) on the actual chassis rails, the 4 on the front of the cross member as a bonus and also maby the 4 on the bottom but probably not much point for the last four as they are on the cross member also.

what exactly do you suggest? Havn't done this before so i need good explainations and maby diagrams lol

Cheers Pete

kaney · Post by **kaney** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 8:25 pm

they other part of this should be in invercargill tomorow.
had to pay because the trucks are full as at the moment lol. still got it cheaper... well it weights 43.55kg lol

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:24 pm

thanks m8. will sort you out when I get home

kaney · Post by **kaney** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 10:27 pm

no worrries mate

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Wed Aug 29, 2007 11:44 pm

Petemcc wrote:what exactly do you suggest? Havn't done this before so i need good explainations and maby diagrams lol

Cheers Pete

Probably need to look at a 130 and think about it - but off the top of my head I'd weld some bracketry to the chassis rails for mounting, and run some braces on angles...

Possibly also sleeved holes through the chassis rails to tie to...

Steve

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:16 am

Probably need to look at a 130 and think about it - but off the top of my head I'd weld some bracketry to the chassis rails for mounting, and run some braces on angles...

Possibly also sleeved holes through the chassis rails to tie to...

Steve

Then i would be into getting a cert wouldnt I because of the chassis welding?? Ive already paid for one of those lol cant afford another.

Pete[/quote]

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Thu Aug 30, 2007 9:44 am

At this stage im not going to get it made before I head back to chch next week. Will hopefully get abit of stuff tacked up but the final mounting and proper welding will have to be done up there. Ill be in touch Steve, might get you to have a look when i get back.

Cheers Pete

JJ · Post by JJ » Tue Sep 04, 2007 10:42 pm

Check this out. It only weighs about 60kg with winch & rope & its bullet proof.

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 7:29 pm

Well im all done. Im confident it will be strong enough. it uses all the mounting holes that hilux-happys' does that he got made for him.

its not as heavy as i thought and i can put it on and off on my own. just have to mount the solinoid box and a tow hook for double line pulls.

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:02 pm

Thats looking nice and clean... what have you got under the plate for bracing where the 4 winch mount bolts go through? A finishing idea might be a couple of handles on either side... seen a few of the US guys winch cradles with them, probably makes it much easier to get in and out of the sockets...

Good work tho...

Steve

Thrupp · Post by **Thrupp** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:24 pm

Thats looking really good. Where are you going to mount your tow hooks?

dazza85 · Post by **dazza85** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:34 pm

That looks really good.

Like Steve I am interested in the chassis mount.

So many great ideas so little money

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 8:52 pm

SupraLux wrote:Thats looking nice and clean... what have you got under the plate for bracing where the 4 winch mount bolts go through? A finishing idea might be a couple of handles on either side... seen a few of the US guys winch cradles with them, probably makes it much easier to get in and out of the sockets...

Good work tho...

Steve

there are two bits of 50x50x5 bracing the plate and i have found that using the two shiney bars on top of the winch make good handles.

not sure where to mount the solinoid box. cheap asian winch doesnt have anywhere on it to mount and i didnt leave much room on my bar lol.

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:30 pm

Thrupp wrote:Thats looking really good. Where are you going to mount your tow hooks?

will mount the hooks on the box section next to the roller with crush tubes.

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 9:34 pm

dazza85 wrote:That looks really good.

Like Steve I am interested in the chassis mount.

So many great ideas so little money

I used the 3 bolt holes with captive nuts down each chassis rail but managed to change the front two captive nuts for new ones as there is a wee hole in the side of the chassis at the front and i also used the 4 captive nuts on the front of the chassis cross member

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:05 pm

Petemcc wrote:there are two bits of 50x50x5 bracing the plate and i have found that using the two shiney bars on top of the winch make good handles.

not sure where to mount the solinoid box. cheap asian winch doesnt have anywhere on it to mount and i didnt leave much room on my bar lol.

Are the mount bolts through the box tho? or just the plate? I'd have some bracing behind the plate that the bolts run through.

Oh, and normally the solenoid boxes on the chinese winches come with clips to mount them to the two bars you're using as handles

Steve

rokhound · Post by **rokhound** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:12 pm

Petemcc wrote:
Thrupp wrote:Thats looking really good. Where are you going to mount your tow hooks?

will mount the hooks on the box section next to the roller with crush tubes.

Do you mean on the box that forms part of your cradle?
Why would you bother doing that? If you have to fit the winch to use the tow hooks, what would be the point?
Better off to mount some hooks on material that can fitted into the receivers that you have already made, If a tow doesn't work, pull them out, slot in the winch and carry on.
Looking good though

Petemcc · Post by **Petemcc** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 10:29 pm

SupraLux wrote:
Petemcc wrote:there are two bits of 50x50x5 bracing the plate and i have found that using the two shiney bars on top of the winch make good handles.

not sure where to mount the solinoid box. cheap asian winch doesnt have anywhere on it to mount and i didnt leave much room on my bar lol.

Are the mount bolts through the box tho? or just the plate? I'd have some bracing behind the plate that the bolts run through.

Oh, and normally the solenoid boxes on the chinese winches come with clips to mount them to the two bars you're using as handles

Steve

the front bit of angle iron is visable and flush with the front of the plate, the is towards the back and the back two bolts of the winch go through it and the plate. the front two bolts just go through the plate (a slight design flaw lol) i will look at putting bracing in for the front two going the other way (front to back).

It came with a wee thing to mount the solinoid but takes four bolts that have to be put somewhere... ill sort something out.

Cheers Pete