Tucked away winch

[karstic]

Nice work. Jeep offered something similar in the 80's. It used the stock bumper, but yours is much nicer.

Here ya go

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24496&highlight=stock+winch

 

[karstic]

Nice work. That took a lot of time, something I can appreciate.

I followed the hidden winch thread a couple of years ago and finally got around to doing it several months ago to my 2001 XJ.
It looks so close to stock that no one has spotted it yet among my Jeep friends.
The winch mount builds off the towing base plate I made several years ago. The base plate doubles as recovery points in the front.
I had to move the bumper forward a little over an inch and did a lot of tweaking to maintain the stock bumper.
I cut the clutch handle off and made a removable handle that includess a 7/16" socket, used to remove the license plate bolts.
The relay box is hidden under the hood and the controller plug is sunk into the grill.
The M8000 is loaded with 85’ of 3/8” synthetic line.

It took a lot of time, something 87xjco may appreciate.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157604557867782/

Awesome setup :thumbup:

How did you modify the clutch handle to make the key?

 

[lazyxj]

How did you modify the clutch handle to make the key?

The clutch handle easily comes out after removing the set-screw.
I cut the curved part of the handle off and found that a 9mm-3/8" drive socket fit snuggly over the remaining shaft.
I silver-soldered the socket to the shaft with the 3/8" drive square end facing outward.

The removable handle is made from an old 3/8" slide bar, a 7/16" socket, a short 3/8" drive extension, a little MIG and some grinding.

The winch had to be opened and clutch clocked so that handle faced the right direction. The hardest part was drilling the hole in the bumper in the right place for the removable handle to accurately meet the clutch handle.

 

[karstic]

Thanks

 

[Weasel]

looks good, gettin ready to put mine up under there.

 

[1999mj]

Nice clean job on the winch mount.

 

[Ghost]

Nice job, have you seen the 5K fab bumper? That is what I run.

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

Great Job Terry! I saw your write-up on Rock Frogs.
Great Work! you get more done in a week than I do in a month!

sorry to here about your luck with the Xota.
I really should register over there... I lurk enough; I'm from Centennial originally; you'll let a Utah boy in your club?

 

[Jimbo_1321]

sorry to here about your luck with the Xota.

what happened?

 

[87xjco]

Went into a center rail on I-70, flopped it on the right side and mangled the axles and arms pretty badly.

 

[Jimbo_1321]

oh man, right after all that work on the front axle and suspension too...
sorry to hear that man, too bad you're not closer or I'd come lend a hand fixing stuff

 

[87xjco]

oh man, right after all that work on the front axle and suspension too...
sorry to hear that man, too bad you're not closer or I'd come lend a hand fixing stuff

I've decided once it's rebuilt, it's gonna be a trailer rig, but that's gonna take awhile until I can afford all that.

So this XJ's getting a quick build and it will be my trail rig until then.

I've got a RE4.5 kit waiting to go in, Ford 9" is ready and the HP44 is gonna be used from the Xota (after some repairs ), I'm doing lot's of trimming to try and get 35's on there.

 

[Jimbo_1321]

I've decided once it's rebuilt, it's gonna be a trailer rig, but that's gonna take awhile until I can afford all that.

So this XJ's getting a quick build and it will be my trail rig until then.

I've got a RE4.5 kit waiting to go in, Ford 9" is ready and the HP44 is gonna be used from the Xota (after some repairs ), I'm doing lot's of trimming to try and get 35's on there.

very nice, that's gonna be a sweet set up!
can't wait to see it

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

Went into a center rail on I-70, flopped it on the right side and mangled the axles and arms pretty badly.

So what's the story behind this mishap? There's got to be more than what you said above! Jeff

 

[87xjco]

I was headed to Moab and nearing the tunnel just before Idaho Springs, started into a curve on the right, steering started wobbling suddenly, vehicle started going left, crossed from the right lane and thru the left lane and went into the center rail, happened so quick I don't know if the steering wheel was turning but the vehicle wasn't responding or if I couldn't turn the wheel.

Probably has something to do with my tri-link upper control arm setup I was running

I had about a hundred miles on that setup with no real problems, everything is mangled underneath now so it's hard to tell what came loose. But that was probably what did it.

I feel very lucky there was nobody near me when it broke loose, and I feel pretty stupid running a radical setup like that on the highway, if anyone else had been hurt, that would have been a major guilt trip.

So my feelings are these days, is let someone else engineer steering and suspension systems for anything I'm gonna drive on the highways. Anything radical or homebuilt is gonna be a trailer rig.

 

[Jeff 98XJ WI]

WOW, you got lucky I would say! I hate the word liability, but I can see a big lawsuit concerning liability if others were involved in the accident. I love to modify vehicles too, but what's really scary is how others are going to hold you accountable if something YOU make breaks and causes damage to others. I'm glad you fared ok though. Jeff

 

[Weasel]

what's really scary is how others are going to hold you accountable if something YOU make breaks and causes damage to others.

Why would it be scary? Thats the reality of modifying your rig and driving it on the road, personal responsibility. Back to the winch mounting, look like most are mounted feet front, why that over mounting with the feet down?

 

[87xjco]

I finally got around to mounting the winch control box, beautiful isn't it?

The cables reach to the winch from this position, but i did have to relocate the remote cable recepticle from where it used to mount next to the switch, to the front of the box.

Then I bolted on the fairlead.

I also hooked up a long bolt that I welded on a T handle for the clutch control

Looks like I loose more approach angle from the fairlead than anything else I've done. :dunno: Oh well when I go synthetic it won't be so bad. I spent almost an hour winding up the cable nice and straight on the spool, that's another good reason to go with synthetic!

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

looks great!