ways to mount a Winch

i wanna get a winch on my 02 tacoma. mainly for pulling firewood up and out. what are the best/ economical ways to mount a winch on a truck.

Also i've seen winches that mount to your trailer hitch, what the pros and cons of these?

 

If you're lookin for a cheap way, the receiver hitch is the way to go! Hitch in front and in back. Then u have ultimate versatility of usage. For me when I get stuck most of the time I'd like to go back, not keep going forward. But your winch is kinda vulnerable when its not tucked into a bumper, easier to steal if its not locked on there too! When u know u aren't going to use it that puppy can be easily left at home instead of it being hard mounted to the truck.

 

I just recently installed this front hitch for this very same idea

 

I built a front reciever tube for my taco that spans across the front of the frame rails and the receiver sticks out the gap in the bumper to eventually use for winching when I get around to running quick connect cables front and rear.

 

I built a reciever for the front of my tacoma, pretty easy if you can weld and own an angle grinder.
I didnt like how low the commercial ones were and they really didn't look very durable only using the factory tow hook mounts.
Heres a link to mine
http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1s...tch-winch-mount-build-using-stock-bumper.html

 

Did you have to fabricate one or was it purpose built for that application?

 

http://www.curtmfg.com/part/31013

On my 2003 one of the 3 mounting holes, the one they tell you to enlarge that isn't one of the original tow hook mounts, didn't line up at all so I had to drill a new hole in the frame. My goal, maybe, is to do something like this:



The guy that did this started with the same receiver as linked above and welded on some mounting plates for a winch

 

Off topic, stumpman, I took this shot tonight then realized it's very similar to your siggy. Regretting selling the black wheels or digging the dark grey?

 

Yes, that is sweet

 

image upload no resize

front and rear is nice....

BUT, i used the front curt receiver like you see above and it drastically reduces approach angle so it's bad news for wheeling. I am going to try and modify it to sit up higher.

For the the rear, be sure to run both cables to the rear you cannot use the frame as a ground.

 

I have the Curt Receiver and a M8000 mounted on a warn cradle knock-off. it can get in the way. as seen below by all the mud







I use the front receiver for trailer maneuvering from time to time. If I could do it over again I'd have saved up more and gotten the Trail Gear front bumper (Like Box Rocket's) since it has a front receiver up higher (and an actual place to mount the winch, once I can afford to upgrade the stock suspension)

 

No I do not regret trading, originally wanted the grey first, got a deal on the black, had for 6 months then traded for the grey, they are growing on me.

 

I'm the guy that mounted my winch using a front receiver as the mounting plate. The disadvantages of sticking it in the receiver are it sticks out in the front and gets in the way and on a side pull it is a weak mount IMO.

Here is the link to how I mounted my winch not my wench...http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/1st-gen-tacomas/100670-mounting-winch-not-wench.html

 

I saw that write up - thought about doing that, but didn't want to cut the bumper bar behind the bottom part of the bumper. - I'm assuming you did on yours. Also, I've read about the stock suspension not holding up to the sustained weight of a winch (and that's not going to happen anytime soon).

How did you mount the jack on your bumper? I like that.

 

I didnt cut steel for the winch mount only plastic where the fair leads stick thru. The steel between the frame rails in front of the radiator is still there. I had put on after market springs front and rear when I lifted the truck, so the springs were not stock. The winch has been mounted for almost 5 years.

I mounted the jack by drilling two holes in the steel bumper. Then I used all thread with double nuts and washers where the all thread went thru the bumper and jack. The jack hangs off the all thread away from the bumper by about 1/2 inch. This mounting has been there for a year or more. Cheched it yesterday and nothing has changed.

 

So does the winch cable go over the steel bar behind the plastic then? I'm having a hard time picturing it because it just seemed like I would have to cut that bar, which I didnt want to do b/c I'd lose the structural support to the bumper. Could you get a pic close up to the fairlead? After the last wheeling trip I'm wanting to change how low the winch is (and how much it sticks out).

 

Awesome work, thanks for linking the thread!

 

I think he had to cut the metal in the bumper, just not the metal support between the radiator and the bumper, just my thought.

 

Trail gear has a bumper with a front receiver hitch and a spot for a winch. $459+oversize shipping, through Summit Racing. If you ever wanted to go that route in the future. I just got one. It is rock solid. Gotta paint it, though. I had the Curt receiver, before getting this one. It worked well, and was easy to install.

In case you didn't already know: You'll need either a series-wound, or a hydraulic winch for work applications. The permanent-magnet winches have too low of a duty cycle, and will overheat during heavy use.

 

Here are some pictures. First one is the winch mount plate (front receiver).
It shows the bar behind the winch mounting area. This bar is the front mounting point for the skid plate under the front of the engine.

Second picture shows the fair lead sticking thru the plastic.

Third picture shows a end view of the bar.

The bumper is well supported. I hung a High Lift Jack off it. The plastic below the bumper is supported mainly by the bumper. It is very rigid but the plastic did lose some mounting points on the lower part of the plastic. But I have had no problems with the plastic mounting.