Winch mounting

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Moose2367
Member
Posts: 110
How have you guys got you winches mounted in your bullbars?
I see there is a cutout in the crossmember, which looks like it is for the rope/cable to go through, but there is no mounting holes for the actual winch, or is there supposed to be a cradle of sorts?
Just asking as i'm going to make or get made a new winch bar and might have to get it made a bit further out to suit the winch. I am mounting a Runva 15000lbs hydraulic when i put the cummins in.

Cheers
April 5, 2012 at 8:55 PM Flag Quote & Reply

Peter & Sandra James Oka 374
Member
Posts: 412
There is a frame that bolts up under the radiator duct, mounts to the two crossmembers.
There are a few, like us that have the winch mounted in a seperate cradle which has a Hayman Reese type square tube so that it could be used front or rear Means that you can winch backwards which invariably is the easiest way to go.
I just modified a Hayman Reese towbar from the wreckers to mount to the front mounts on the crossmembers. We carry it in the "boot" which has the added advantage of keeping it and the Dynamica rope out of the weather. The rope also makes it easily liftable by one person. No reason why you couldn't have the same setup with a hydraulic winch, just plugging hoses in rather than electrical connections, tractors do it every day.
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Oka 374 LT Van

April 6, 2012 at 7:16 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Moose2367
Member
Posts: 110
Thanks for that, thought there must've been a cradle of sorts.
I have one of those winch mounts for the hitch also, i was thinking of doing exactly like you said with the hydraulic dry disconnect fitting like on bobcats etc, would probably need a solenoid to change where the fluid flows to, front or back though.
The only thing i'm not keen on with those is storing it. I am leaning towards getting a hydraulic for the front and an electric for the back, either a cheaper chineses one or fix one i already have, although it's only 9500lbs.
I picked it, and a high mount warn cheap and was planning on re-building and selling them to pay for another decent one.
Anyone have pics of the cradle between the crossmembers?
April 6, 2012 at 8:51 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Rick Whitworth
Member
Posts: 74
Moose,
Diagram of Winch from XT parts manual here
www.oka4wd.com/apps/photos/photo?photoid=152965664
not sure if LT is the same
Rick
April 6, 2012 at 10:52 AM Flag Quote & Reply

Peter & Sandra James Oka 374
Member
Posts: 412
No sorry and I don't really want to pull the splashpan opff the front as the auto trans coolers are mounted on it now.
Basically I just got a 75 series toyota towbar from the wreckers, shortened it to fit between the front springs so that the end of the hitch tube is level with the front of the bumper bar cutout, the bits that were cutoff the ends then were used as part of the braces run back to the rearmost crossmember.
Just welded heavy tabs to the top of the towbar tube to pick up the captive nuts in the crossmembers.
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Oka 374 LT Van

April 6, 2012 at 10:55 AM