I know we've discussed this before here (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255158&highlight=rear+winch) (now with a lot of dead pics) and more recently, here (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=255158&highlight=rear+winch).

I may be coming upon a second winch soon (as I'm hoping to dump my ZJ), and was thinking a rear winch might be nice. I'm NOT interested in a "multi-mount" or whatever...nor am I interested in losing my tailgate/mounting within the bed as in the "TJ with portals" thread.

Anyone make or modify a bumper for your YJ (or CJ/TJ) that doesn't:
1) totally kill your departure
2) hinder your tailgate

(I know its a tiny margin of space there...but its an M8000, and I'd probably mount the solenoid remotely). I realize I may lose the spare tire carrier...or have to mount it WAY high.

TIA,
josh

If I were going to do it, I would loose the rear tailgate, build a spare tire carrier to mount parallel to the top of the bed and fab a plate to mount it in the rear of the bed. Seems easiest to me. You could even go with a drop down tailgate and open it every time you wanted to use the winch...or mount the fairlead to the tailgate and just use a shackle instead of a hook so you could take it off to feed it through the gate to open it. Thats about all I have for now.

I think you'd get the best results fabbing it yourself. A bumper/tire carrier combo, with the winch mounting at or just above the rear crossmember, and just below the bottom of the tailgate, close up to the body, using an aluminum hawse (they come in 3/4" thick) close to the winch and synthetic winch rope would limit the hurt on your departure angle. Have the swing-away tire carrier swing just over the top of the winch. A winch that size should only be 6"-6.5" wide/tall, so it should fit in there below the tailgate, and mostly (but probably not entirely) above the rear crossmember, but a 1"-2" body lift would help. I know some people are against those, but it would help in this case.

Good luck
Pete

I think you'd get the best results fabbing it yourself. A bumper/tire carrier combo, with the winch mounting at or just above the rear crossmember, and just below the bottom of the tailgate, close up to the body, using an aluminum hawse (they come in 3/4" thick) close to the winch and synthetic winch rope would limit the hurt on your departure angle. Have the swing-away tire carrier swing just over the top of the winch. A winch that size should only be 6"-6.5" wide/tall, so it should fit in there below the tailgate, and mostly (but probably not entirely) above the rear crossmember, but a 1"-2" body lift would help. I know some people are against those, but it would help in this case.

Good luck
Pete


This is the design I was kind of thinking of...but I have almost no fab skills.
I'm gonna do a 1" BL anyways at some point soon, so I may take some measurements. Adapting a front bumper (ie. cutting up one) may be easier for me than total fab.


I do like the idea of mounting it in the bed (with the plate as a spreader between framerails) and putting the FL on the door and just using a D-ring too. Hadn't thought about that.

I don't know that I'd mount the fairlead directly to the tailgate, without any additional braces. :shaking: Winch mount plates are typically 1/4" Steel, and I would think 8000 pounds of winch would quickly mangle the tailgate if you need it to do any kind of serious side pull on that fairlead.

As always though, your mileage may vary. :smokin:

Good luck
Pete

3/8" plate has held up well in my experience. I also agree the gate should be re-inforced, but kinda figured that went without saying.

I know some people mount air tanks under the floor in front of the gas tank. It might be possible to mount the winch upside down and run the cable over the gas tank (body lift helps here) and mount the fairlead on the bumper. Of course, the mount would have to go to the frame...

Not sure how you'd access the engage/disengage lever. I'm not as concerned about seeing the drum, I expect the cable to wrap pretty even due to the long distance to the fairlead.

http://forum.neow.net/index.php?showtopic=29496&hl=aussie

3/8" plate has held up well in my experience. I also agree the gate should be re-inforced, but kinda figured that went without saying.

It does go without saying. ;) On both the mounting plate (ie. NOT to the tub itself) and the tailgate.

I have NO idea how you could make it work mounted in front of the gas tank on anything put the most perfect of straight pulls. I'm missing something.

-josh :beer:

http://forum.neow.net/index.php?showtopic=29496&hl=aussie

Cool in concept...but not for my jeep. ;)

:beer:

The plate would have to attach to the frame, and then to the bottom of the tub (or so) with proper reinforcements. With the fairlead being at worst flush with the end of the body, you could do an almost straight sideways pull.

I willhave to look, but I saw a sweeettt fab up for a rear mounted winch on a cherokee...if I can find it, I will post it, but it looked liek an extensionof the gas tank skid once teh addition skid was made to cover it.. very smooth..used teh frame rails as mounts with abar under it, very simple to mount..