Front Receiver Winches

[funkymonkey1111]

Anyone have any experience in using these winch mounts that mount on a 2" receiver on the front or back of your rig? Seems like a great idea--Warn sells the set-up so I figure they know what they're doing--just wondering if there's a hidden down side to this.

Aside from the F/R versatility, seems like to would be great to be able to keep your winch off the vehicle, too.

 

[SpongeX]

A guy in my local Toyota club uses a setup like that for his crawler. Haven't actually seen it in use so I'm not sure how it works. I think I'd be concerned with side loading the cradle.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Downside: the winch/tray/cable can weigh 80+ pounds. When you don't have it installed in a receiver, you'll need to secure it inside the vehicle. This takes up valuable space. When you do need it, getting it out and into position might not be very easy. Leaving it installed can lead to smacking it in rocks.

 

[Morris Yarnell]

As Tom says, and I agree, they are heavy and as posted above there is an issue with side loading. Rescuing your or another vehicle is no plus if you destroy it or bend the frame or bumper from an off kilter pull.
More often than not a pull is not directly straight and seldom is one going to pull their own from the rear. Not many vehicles have rear mounted winches.
It is not easy to figure who is going to need the rescue if only one vehicle has a winch. Might be better to pull with a strap at times and not have a winch at all.
I've had my vehicle pulled up a shelf with a strap and it was much faster and easier than using a winch.

 

[SpongeX]

I can see the usefulness of being able to pull from either end of the vehicle but dual winches would be expensive and heavy. Perhaps if the bumpers were built with a removable cradle in mind it would be possible to move the winch without too much fuss.

 

[Morris Yarnell]

Custom bumpers for a vehicle can also get expensive. I think it is a great idea to have bumpers that can accommodate a winch either front or rear.
It might be possible on some vehicles to pass the winch cable under the vehicle for a rear pull, if it is a straight shot. Could get ugly real fast though.
I have seen pics of a vehicle with a pulley system for side and rear/front pulls with the winch mounted mid vehicle. It was an interesting approach.

 

[nuclearlemon]

shackles and winch extensions will usually work and a hell of a lot cheaper and lighter than two winches. i wouldn't trust a receiver winch with my fat bastard

 

[funkymonkey1111]

I can see the usefulness of being able to pull from either end of the vehicle but dual winches would be expensive and heavy. Perhaps if the bumpers were built with a removable cradle in mind it would be possible to move the winch without too much fuss.

the point is you have one winch but two mounts. you move it to whichever end needed in a tray (warn makes them for their winches). you just have to lug the winch out there and pin it in the receiver.

https://www.warn.com/truck/mounting-systems/multi_mount.shtml

Morris, the quotes i've seen for custom bumpers are certainly less than say, ARB bumpers

 

[funkymonkey1111]

shackles and winch extensions will usually work and a hell of a lot cheaper and lighter than two winches. i wouldn't trust a receiver winch with my fat bastard

i'm in no way defending one way or the other, but aren't heavy duty receivers (class IV) much thicker and stronger than the steel in a bumper?

 

[Morris Yarnell]

funky, (David)
Thanks for the link to Warn. Notice the guy in the pic is a young beefy athletic type and still seems to be struggling with that winch? ...OH, and I love that paragraph below the pic that shows a Warn front receiver adapter that fits "most" vehicles, when has that ever happened?
I know a guy that makes custom bumpers for pinzies and I am sure that they are probably less that ARB arrangements. There have to be people that will make a custom bumper for any vehicle. I had a custom winch plate made for my Mog by a welding company. I made a plywood mock up for the 12,000 lb winch and took it to them and $300 later I had a winch plate to bolt on to the OEM bumper. That design is now being sold by a company in CA that I gave the template to.
I have a friend in LA that has a rear winch on his pinz and done very cleverly, I might add. It is interesting that most recovery winches do not vary much in size, dependent on their weight pull, almost the same base plate hole pattern.
I don't think I would use anything less than 5/16 plate for winch plate design, probably use 1/4 inch. Much heavier than bumper steel. Most bumpers are more decorative than effective, and certainly not for mounting winches. Usually bolted to the frame rather than the bumper.

 

[SpongeX]

I was meaning a different method other than the receiver and cradle setup. More like a quick release type thing that could be more integrated to the bumper for strength. It doesn't really work well in my head but I'm not an engineer.

 

[funkymonkey1111]

Morris,

I did notice that guy does seem to be wrangling that winch up there onto the back of that suburban....
one think i saw as a significant downside of this setup would be if you're in a position you need to winch out, it may be pretty difficult or even impossible (as Tom alluded to above) to put the winch on given the position/angle of the vehicle.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i'm in no way defending one way or the other, but aren't heavy duty receivers (class IV) much thicker and stronger than the steel in a bumper?

than a stock bumper, yes, and than a well designed winch bumper, most likely, but now you've stuck a winch out a bit from the hitch on their little winch tray...i'm no mathematician, but i don't like the torque factor on any sort of side pull. also, consider the hitch pin, which most are plenty strong, but how do you determine you got a rated hitch pin vs something "made to work" from inferior steel and not tested for pull ratings. i'll take my beat up arb over that chance.

going off the last post, we've been situations where someone is stuck and can't get their back doors open to get their strap out. what do you do if your winch is in back?