Suck Down Winch

i have also seen people cut out the bottom of the bumper to run the winch rope down and back off the winch.

you could also run a center limit strap....
 
I'll put it this way...here's me on one of the more gnarly climbs at Rausch, with the suckdown winch in action.

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It easily pulled to the bumpstops there, with the passenger-framerail mount configuration.

Similar climb without the winch...my 3-link never really unloaded that much to begin with, but it makes a difference.

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I'd have a snowball's chance in hell of mounting it anywhere near the oil pan. Even getting the main winch line down to the axle, around the steering & panhard, would be an epic project. I think I can do it but it's gonna require adding the pitman arm brace I've been meaning to do.
 
Why won't it work like this?

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I actually tried that at Morris Mountain and it did not work. My axle while moved foward some is not far enough foward to have any sort of pull on the axle other then foward.
 
For those with/who have had suck down winches, did you find it more useful to have it only in the front? Only in the back? Both?
 
I would imagine a suck down winch in the front is beneficial for climbs, and a rear suck down winch is beneficial for descents.

Could use both for side-hill/off-camber stuff.

I might be oversimplifying it.
 
I would imagine a suck down winch in the front is beneficial for climbs, and a rear suck down winch is beneficial for descents.

Could use both for side-hill/off-camber stuff.

I might be oversimplifying it.
That's what I thought too, but with the weight distribution of a XJ, drivers might find one more worthwhile than the other? Just throwing it out there. I might be overcomplicating it...
 
Well for my rig the 3 link front has a tendacy to unload when I get on steep grades or ledges. There have been a couple times when I could have had a better chance of making a climb if I could pull the fornt down.
 
That's what I thought too, but with the weight distribution of a XJ, drivers might find one more worthwhile than the other? Just throwing it out there. I might be overcomplicating it...

You are...but your well known for doing that.:cheers:

Front is certainly more beneficial. Most climb obstacles in fwd, not reverse. :spin1: If your on a descent and feel the rear end get light, would your fist thought be "Gee... let me use my rear suckdown winch..." or would you just let off the brakes.
 
You are...but your well known for doing that.:cheers:

Front is certainly more beneficial. Most climb obstacles in fwd, not reverse. :spin1: If your on a descent and feel the rear end get light, would your fist thought be "Gee... let me use my rear suckdown winch..." or would you just let off the brakes.

I know one year at the Crawl they had to strap the rear as a precaution BC the first guy down the peckerwood trail about had his ass pass his front. If you are ruining linked front and rear I can see where winces at both ends would be beneficial. I did some searches and could not find a lot of info here so I thought I would create a thread that was easy to find and conical my attempt at one. Not sure how much adv fab will be done though. LOL!
 
You are...but your well known for doing that.:cheers:

Front is certainly more beneficial. Most climb obstacles in fwd, not reverse. :spin1: If your on a descent and feel the rear end get light, would your fist thought be "Gee... let me use my rear suckdown winch..." or would you just let off the brakes.
:laugh: Point taken.
 
Rear suckdown would have done nothing for me here. It was a steep dropoff.

I also had leaf springs.

I just mashed the skinny pedal to keep from going over. This pic was taken while the ass was coming back down.

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So...I agree with Andy :D
 
You are...but your well known for doing that.:cheers:

Front is certainly more beneficial. Most climb obstacles in fwd, not reverse. :spin1: If your on a descent and feel the rear end get light, would your fist thought be "Gee... let me use my rear suckdown winch..." or would you just let off the brakes.

You use the suckdown winch before you feel the rear end get light.

Also, if it's bad enough to worry about, its not "let off the brakes", its "hit the gas".
 
Rear suckdown would have done nothing for me here. It was a steep dropoff.

I also had leaf springs.

I just mashed the skinny pedal to keep from going over. This pic was taken while the ass was coming back down.

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So...I agree with Andy :D


I bet that was a rough landing!

My poor bumpstops in the back would have gone thru the floor.
 
OK, Glenn, I'm going to start workin on mine now. I already had the winch. I just can't find the right solenoid...

All of those cheesy small HF winches come with the solenoid built into the remote! I don't like that! I want the switch on the dash! SOOOO, where can I find a solenoid. I'll get back to you pictures of my winch mounted under the Jeep later today. :)
 
Cool! Wish they had that local... Hate to wait for it... but I just ordered it so it's on the way. I hope the posts are labeled.


Got it mounted, btw. :)

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Not completely, obviously, it's just chillin there. :)
 
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OK finally got back on this. It's alive!

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Solenoid pack. (Not really just a couple relays!)

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Pully... ended up using a pulley off a com-a-long winch that was on sale for 14.99 at O' Reilly's.

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Other side had its challenges. Decided to try this: An old axle u-bolt from my scrap steel barrel welded to my TB mount.

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It's ugly and done cheap. About $100 on everything. :D
 
Yeah! That's what I want to know. How well did it pull it down.

I bought all the stuff to do mine. Exactly like yours but my pulley is gunna be shinier.


How did you end up mounting the winch itself?

Mine I still just sitting there.

The place I have mine sitting isn't directly over the axle tube. The spool on my winch is about 4" in front of the tube. Think that would cause a problem?
 
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