Mid Mount Winch - Best Approach?

[mike]

Hi All,

Want to look at mid mounting a winch on the LR. Saw a pic of one mounted in the back tray of something the other day and it just makes sense on the LR as the battery is there, can pull out backwards, keep the winch out of the shit etc. Whats the best approach for this with respect to running the cable? I'm thinking it would do a double pull out the back and straight from the front? how do people normally run the wire underneath? through tubing? pullys (what about jumping off). Some ideas would be good before surfing for the perfect setup.

[Jafa]

An oldie, but a goodie
http://www.4wdonline.com/Foers/Winch.html

[Windsock]

Been thinking similar for sometime now. An approach similar to that noted in this patent document appeals for simplicity. It's a double pull rearwards and a single pull forwards. Utilises the chassis tube as a guide going from rear to forward which simplifies the whole potentially tangled 'wire guidence' issue. Compression stresses are 'absorbed' by the chassis structure and there appears to be little requirement for reinforcement.

http://patents.ic.gc.ca/cipo/cpd/en/patent/2307601/summary.html

EDIT: Just noted who holds this patent - Foers!

[rokhound]

Just going through exactly the same design process at the moment Mike for the Mutt.
I also want to mount the winch inside to keep it out of all the shit.
Another google search is for IBEX, which is the name of the rig that John Foers built that had the mid mount winch. I also found a link the other day that had an NZ rig with a mid mount PTO winch ( no link though, sorry)
Other than that, there does not seem to be a huge amount of info about mid mounts, but IMHO I reckon they are a damn good way to go.

Can pull forwards and backwards without moving the winch or using 4 snatch blocks.

Do not bugger up approach angles

No 40kg weight factor hanging forward of the front axle, ctr mount is better weight distribution.

Can be sorted to keep the winch out of all the shit, so no major maintenance issues

Should be able to set up easily to avoid cable bunching (this has cost me a PTO before).

Main draw back seems to be cable routing and the hassle of sorting out a cable breakage. I hasten to add, if you are in a situation where you break a cable, I would hope that you are not on your own, so there will be others to help out in this case.

[mike]

cheers guys. exactly what i was looking for to give some ideas. Quite like the idea of driving along the cable and rotating on the spot

[skid]

somebody asked this question a couple of weeks ago

theres a thread around here somewhere

had links to a local welly cruiser with mid mounted pto and showed lots of pics of how he did it

was on pirate as well I think

[Bulletproof]

Craig and Mark in the Marlbourogh Club who do the winch challenges have mid mounted winches that run off the back of the gearbox somehow and they pull in as quick as you can drive.
I have never had a close up to see how they work. All I know is I can't run as quick as pull in.
The last time we did Tailings a rocky hooked on behind Craig and he still pulled up the steep bank just as quick.

Some one might know more about them. I think it works through another transfer case

Richard

[tgaguy1]

somebody asked this question a couple of weeks ago

theres a thread around here somewhere

had links to a local welly cruiser with mid mounted pto and showed lots of pics of how he did it

was on pirate as well I think

That was the late Andrew Farmers rig. It would be worth while finding the thread on pirite. It is very well writen and he gives his reasons for doing it one one instead of another.

[Aces1]

Have a look at Ih8mud, not pirate for the late Andrew Farmers fig.

[mike]

cheers for the info. Looks interesting. Wonder where he got those fairleads from. look easy enough to make if I had access to the equipment

[Jafa]

http://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/61398-gertrude-centre-mounted-pto-winch.html

[Andrew1706]

I thought about running a mid mounted PTO but my PTO box comes out just underneath the drivers seat and I think trying to connect it all up would be a nightmare let alone being unreliable.

However, running a hydraulic pump off the PTO for a hydraulic winch wouldn't be a bad idea

[darinz]

Probably half of the trucks doing winch challenges are running mid mounted winches, pto, hydraulic and electric.
Most of the things you are worrying about just aren;t issues. I've been running mid mounted since 2005 and the only drawback is servicing as it is under the tray.

I don't have mine set for winching backwards and have never needed to so don't really see the point. I have a high lift etc for that if it was ever needed.

To guide my rope I have a piece of tube that is bent to direct the rope from the centre to the chassis and then it comes out the fairlead. Most of the way it is open and I've never had it tangle and get less rope jams on the drum than a front mount.
And not to mention the approach angle, wieght distrubution etc.
Basically plan on having the first guide 1m away from the drum and then just fit a guide (or pulley if wire) where you want to change directions.
The Nissan PTO drop boxes can be turned around to face backwards.