receiver mounted winch

[gcam]

Does anyone have experience with a receiver mounted winch? I like the idea, because it means you can hook your winch up to either the front or the back, as needed, but it also means you'll be hauling around a 70lb piece of gear through the mud and trying to hook it up... Ideas and opinions from those with experience please.

 

[old_man]

I have a receiver mount winch. Yes it weights about 90lbs, but most of my wheeling is such that I need it to pull me out backwards more often than forward.

 

[badron]

I like the idea that if needed it can be moved. Also if a good set of jumper cable could carry the load of the winch. It could be moved to any rig with a receiver! At least it's something to check out.

 

[87manche]

I'm fond of the idea that I could take it off my DD, and not worry about all the morons here messing with an $800 winch.
How does your cradle hold up to side pulls Tom?

 

[old_man]

I made a 2" receiver bracket and bolted it in the back of my rig. I place the winch in it and have a locking pin. Having rolled an XJ, I would hate to have a winch chase me around the interior. I'm getting old and don't move as fast as I used to:jester:

Side pulls are to be avoided if possible anyway, but it is all a matter of how strong the carrier is and how strong your bumper is. I'm fabing a new rear bumper on my rig at the moment and it should be fine.

I use 400 amp quick connects for the wiring, just like are used on fork lift batteries. I have one in the front and have one wired in the back, using large welding cable. A side benefit is that I fab'd a set of jumper cables that have that connector as well. I can plug them in the front or the back, or if it works better, I can pull the winch and use a sling around a rock or tree, and run it from a battery. It can even be temporarily plugged in someone elses receiver and run from their battery.

A movable winch is not the best for extreme rock crawling, but I'm more interested in using it for when the wife and I are on a mining trail and have a problem.

 

[2xtreme]

The only down side to standard receiver mount winches is they are usually mounted very low in the front.

I have a 8K industrial winch on a custom mount that goes in my 2" receiver either front or rear (front is wired and rear I use disconnect cables designed for the load). My custom mount puts my winch on top of my front bumper (much like a standard winch).

I can use my winch front or back of my XJ. on any other vehicle with a 2" receiver. and for a pulley system I built.

I think it is a good option. However, it is unusual that you can not "makedue" with a standard winch on the front bumper.

Michael

 

[Wil Badger]

mine has worked for me.like mentioned find a way to hold it down when you have it inside the vehicle,get some welders cable,and a handle full of quick connects.

i chased a set of wires down inside the frame rail.i also put a second battery in the rear.watch where you put the quick connects so they can't get smashed on something.

rear inner reciever as well as second battery

front wiring/quick connect

you will lose some front approach when you have it on but at the same time when its not you gain some over a solid mount winch from being able to run a slimmer bumper

same with the rear.the other thing you have to look out for and think about in the rear is how the tire is mounted if you have a tire carrier

i also run a Ready Welder it uses the same style quick connects so with a switch of a few cables i'm runnig 24 volts out of the smae plugs.like mentioned above i use a 20' extention cord so i can weld further away.i can also use it like mentioned above on anybodys truck with a 2" receiver and a set of jumper ends with quick connects on them

 

[lazyxj]

I use 400 amp quick connects for the wiring, just like are used on fork lift batteries. I have one in the front and have one wired in the back, using large welding cable.

What size welding cable did you use? I like the idea of using Anderson plugs and adding jumper cables for use of the winch away from the XJ or on another vehicle.
Good idea.

I plan on using a removable mount and will build a hold down inside the XJ to secure the winch when not in use. I'm thinking about storing it in back of the passenger seat to centrally locate the weight.

 

[mylt1]

wil i like that rack in the back of your xj. did you make it?

 

[lawsoncl]

What size welding cable did you use? I like the idea of using Anderson plugs and adding jumper cables for use of the winch away from the XJ or on another vehicle.
Good idea.

I plan on using a removable mount and will build a hold down inside the XJ to secure the winch when not in use. I'm thinking about storing it in back of the passenger seat to centrally locate the weight.

I had a front receiver on the Wrangler that I used for the winch. It worked great since this was a DD and I stashed the winch behind the back seat. It wasn't too bad pulling it out and hooking it up if I got stuck enough to need it. I used the quick-connects as well and made a jumper cable that plugged into the connector as well.

One of these days, I'll get around to making a front receiver hitch for the MJ.

 

[Wil Badger]

wil i like that rack in the back of your xj. did you make it?

it was part of the coilover build.since i needed sometubing back there it was also made into the rack and winch carrier

 

[Big Red]

Thanks for all the comments on the receiver mounted winch. Some punks just ran off with my Olympic bumper and Warn 8000i winch so I'm looking into getting a front receiver mount and being able to take my winch with me. :gonnablow


I also like the flexibility of moving it from front to rear, moving it to another vehicle, and being able to bring it inside your house/garage when it isn't needed. Now I'm just debating on which front receiver bumper to use. I like the Olympic in the 1 I had (Rock bumper), but might get the front receiver one which looks pretty good and is low profile. Do you guys leave the winch in front when you wheel, or is it best to store it and hook it up when needed? I know that can be a pain, but how much more of a pain is it hooked up? I know my Olympic rock bumper was fairly low profile, but it did stick out a bit. I think the removeable winch would do the same and stick out a little more in front, the problem will be getting it as high as possible. Would you lose a lot of strength by running an angle to the multi mount to get it higher? Also what winches can you run? I hear only a few Warn winches are compatible with the multi mount. I'm starting to look at the Warn XD 9000.

1 last question:

Can a removable winch that you attach to your receiver be as strong/stronger than a permanent front mount? I see it tied into 4 or more places etc so I think it would be. I know class 3 tow is 3,500 lbs, what is that all about? I think winching a XJ would be within that weight limit, but can you do more safely for a small while when you need to winch to get yourself unstuck?

Troy

 

[scorpio_vette]

sorry for the hi-jack, but what is that little red box on the left between the bumper and crossmember???

 

[Wil Badger]

the red box on the one side is the quick connect for the winch.

Big Red do yourself a favor and don't buy the Olympic rock bumper with the 2" reciever.its total garbage and only uses the stock 6 bolt holes .i would suggest the Rigid for a bumper with integrated 2" receiver.as for the tow rating of a rear receiver thats more of a rating of what the Jeep can handle not what the hardware can handle(depending on application).if you decided to go with a multi mount make sure to have very good mounting bumper/receivers.i mention the Rigid because he has one of the best mounting systems out there and uses the most bolt points over all others.

now as to were to leave it while wheeling.that all depends.if you are looking for as much clearance as possible leave it inside the truck but if you do this make sure to make some kind of bracketry to hold it down incase a unfortunate accident.thats were i leave mine.if i come to an obsticle that i think i might need it a take it out and put it on.

 

[Big Red]

the red box on the one side is the quick connect for the winch.

Big Red do yourself a favor and don't buy the Olympic rock bumper with the 2" reciever.its total garbage and only uses the stock 6 bolt holes .i would suggest the Rigid for a bumper with integrated 2" receiver.as for the tow rating of a rear receiver thats more of a rating of what the Jeep can handle not what the hardware can handle(depending on application).if you decided to go with a multi mount make sure to have very good mounting bumper/receivers.i mention the Rigid because he has one of the best mounting systems out there and uses the most bolt points over all others.

now as to were to leave it while wheeling.that all depends.if you are looking for as much clearance as possible leave it inside the truck but if you do this make sure to make some kind of bracketry to hold it down incase a unfortunate accident.thats were i leave mine.if i come to an obsticle that i think i might need it a take it out and put it on.

I love the versatility of the multi mount. I'm a pretty big guy so I'm sure I can install and remove the winch when I need to. Really though I only used my winch once on Fordyce and the Rubicon for myself and that was when I was going from the True Sluice on the Con to the bypass which my friends took and got hung up on the big rock in the middle of the trail. Other than that I only get stuck when snow wheeling. Thanks for the suggestions on the Rigid bumper, I'll look into that. I liked my Olympic rock bumper and winch.


Those were some real punks who not only took my winch, but the entire bumper as well. I should have had those bolts welded after the nuts to deter thieves, but I bought the Jeep with the bumper and winch already on it and have always been envious of the multi mount. Now I'll have the privelege of opening up my wallet really big and buying my new winch and bumper, wiring, etc etc.

 

[Wil Badger]

i'm not going to say anything about Olympics solid mount winch bumper but their receiver style bumper is total ass and not worth the money in any way shape or form.i wouldn't use it to move a 12 foot john boat around the yard.there just isn't any support what so ever.

 

[dmillion]

I'm a pretty big guy so I'm sure I can install and remove the winch when I need to.

I'm not that big and I don't have any problem with mine. Just remember to lift with your legs.

 

[afd516]

I wired mine up for the multi mount system and never used in the back. For that matter I have tried to find situations to use the winch from the back. I have not come up with any. Also, If you wheel with others that have winches then they can do the work from the back. I am not saying that situations won't arise but they have not yet.

There really is no negative to not using it in the back but there definatly is a positive in some situations, I'm sure.

Now, for the negative. It absolutly kills the approach angle. I beat my cradle all to hell and broke the housing on the winch and ground it out while it was on front coming off a rock and trying to get up another. For this reason, I went from this.........you can see where the housing is missing and the intenals are exposed

to this............

And no, it does not overheat. I drove all day today in this humid 100 degree weather here in Texas and it barley hits 200 degrees.

Approach angle is definitely something to consider. my .02

 

[Wil Badger]

its all depends on how and were you live.when i lived in Jersey i used the rear reciever all the time.i wheeled a lot by myself and when you hit a mud bog that is over 150 foot and you don't make it going backward is the only way.there are time you go into a mud bog only to realize you are stuck and it only gets deeper so you really don't want to go further into it.since moving to Utah i have still used it.when on a trail that is to skinny to turn around and the next person doesn't have a winch .that rear reciever is handy.i still wheel a lot by myself here and find its nice to use when i have to drop off a ledge that is tall keeps you from going over endo style.

so it really breaks down to how and who you wheel with.its nice to wheel with other people especially when they have a winch as well but not everybody does and its those time being able to just pull it out of the rear hatch and stick it on is great.

 

[Timber]

its all depends on how and were you live.when i lived in Jersey i used the rear reciever all the time.i wheeled a lot by myself and when you hit a mud bog that is over 150 foot and you don't make it going backward is the only way.there are time you go into a mud bog only to realize you are stuck and it only gets deeper so you really don't want to go further into it.

That's the same basic situation I have. I don't have a winch at all yet, but my 'wheeling buddy won't even buy a Hi-Lift because I always carry one and sometimes two (one's a Harbor Freight) and I always have chains and straps in the back. Most of the pulls I've had to do with straps or using a Hi-Lift as a winch were from the rear.