I think the closest I've seen is some guy that mounted it in the passenger side footwell. The build is on here somewhere

 

There is a company in europe that makes aftermarket complete Range Rover based and looking things that have a single winch mounted around the middle part of it. It then sends the cable out the back where it wraps around a snach block and then routes through a tube that runs along the frame rail and out the front. If you need to just winch in the front leave the hook in the back hooked to the bumper. If you just need to winch in the back leave the hook in the front hooked to the bumper. They also had a trick where they pulled both lines and were able to use it to walk the thing up and down some nasty stuff and some really off camber stuff. Was kinda cool but seems like a lot of work for a novility.

 

Google FOERS IBEX............

Lots of Euro winch comp rigs run that system, sometimes having 3 winches, with the mid one sometimes serving as a backup to the front or rear.

G

 

interesting idea, like to see more on this, some pictures would be nice. Don't think the weight distribution would matter that much, but the winch in the front can of some peoples rigs hurt approach angle or stick out too much, i like this idea, hidden mods are cool.

 

I have a perfect response to this, as my Brother In Law has a Landcruiser setup exactly this way...

He has an old FJ40 that has been turned into a truggy. The firewall back is all tube, and the Warn 8274 is mounted BEHIND the front seats in the middle of the truck. It has 2 "tractor style" snatch blocks, one just in front, and one at the passenger frame rail, that route the cable to the front where it exits out a small ATV Type Hawse fairlead. The cable is surrounded in 2" PVC Pipe to protect the occupants in case of cable failure. The area at the front bib where the winch used to sit houses a small toolbox with the recovery gear.

Having the winch back there greatly helps the front to back weight distribution, and it is a PITA to mount, but it works. I'll try to find a pic or two...

Here it is when we were painting it... Notice the small fairlead on the passenger side..

 

... Notice the small fairlead on the passenger side..

no, i don't notice it because i can't see the passenger side:shaking: It looks like a nice rig, but can't see anything regarding the winch.

 

Yes, we do this all the time here in New Zealand.

Two 8274 winches under the deck

Twin motor 8274, widened drum, in-drum freespool

Front view

Fairleads

Note the intermediate guides.

There are a few basic things that you need to do when you set up a rear mount winch. It doesn't matter what type of winch you use, electric, PTO or hydraulic these comments apply. I've only ever seen synthetic winch rope used on a rear mounted winch so these comments apply to synthetic winch rope.

The fairleads/guides can be flaired tube or plain tube with UHMPWE inserts like above. You can use a length of seamless tube to run the winch cable in. My winch is mounted right at the back of the chassis and has an S shaped length of tube to move the rope to the chassis rail. Another mate of mine uses a reasonably straight length of pipe that passes throught the cab diagonally under the passengers seat, through the engine bay to the front of the truck.

Make sure the last guide before the winch is at least 800mm to 1m from the winch and in line with the cente of the winch drum. This will ensure the rope feeds on evenly.

 

Here's another one, two Toyota high mount winches with air rams on the freespools

Closer picture

Front view after the boys practically destroyed the truck on the last stage of the 2010 Manukau Winch Challenge. This truck uses stainless steel tubes to run the winch ropes in. The tubes are flaired to form the fairlead.

40series with a rear mounted hydraulic winch. This one uses a roller fairlead off a Toyota Surf (4Runner) winch. Note the missing steering rod, smashed off on a big rock.

Not a Toyota. Aluminium fairlead.

 

View attachment 590312
Front view after the boys practically destroyed the truck on the last stage of the 2010 Manukau Winch Challenge. This truck uses stainless steel tubes to run the winch ropes in. The tubes are flaired to form the fairlead.

View attachment 590311
40series with a rear mounted hydraulic winch. This one uses a roller fairlead off a Toyota Surf (4Runner) winch. Note the missing steering rod, smashed off on a big rock.

This was also mentioned in an issue of 4wd Toyota Owner I believe, in a story about expo driving in Malaysia: why do you mount the extra winch hook eye so high as in the second picture on the spring, and what are the forks with extra line for in the first picture?

The magazine article made mention of most of the vehicles having high winch hook holders like that as well but didnt say why, is it just to make it easier to get at if your stuck in the mud?

 

Well I guess this isn't toyota specific anymore, even though it's the application I needed. Thanks guys for the great feed back. This will make my build easier for sure.

 

"I see" said the blind man.

 

Few more links on this subject:
Foers winch system (mid mount)
An interesting idea for center-mounting a winch
winch level wind on a deuce?

 

I think if you mounted the winch under the passenger seat and routed forward along the frame the driver could easily engage or dis engage the free spool.a proper enclosure would be important and clean winding would be tricky, but it would help approach angle for sure.

 

I put the winch in front of the passenger seat in my yota build to improve the front approach. I used larger oval tube to route and protect the rope from heat/debris. It wasn't seamless so I kept it straight and make fairleads with much smaller openings so the rope would never touch the sides.

if you do tubes don't forget drain holes!

 

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=461772&highlight=stock+mod+daily+driver

 

Twin Motor 8274

The twin motor 8274 uses Flamin Fabrication's twin motor adaptor. The one in the picture above also uses the 6hp motors off a Warn XP9000. It also has an extended drum that will hold 70m of 10mm plasma rope. It also has an in drum free spool, hence the custom aluminium end plate.

Here's some footage of it in action from before we shifted the second 8274 to the back.

YouTube - RWC09 Rotorua Winch Challenge Track Setting

Footage of the winch challenge our club runs. This shows why hooks are stowed high.

YouTube - 2008 Rotorua Winch Challenge

Footage of spring system in use.

YouTube - Manukau Winch Challenge 2009 Stage Three Day Two

 

I saw this set explained years ago on the Alaska 4x4 site and plan on using it on my rig. Plans are to set it up so as to use the winch with a set of Gin poles off the back for those times when something needs lifting

 

I am in the process of this too. I got a Warn 12000 hydraulic winch that I mounted above my rear axle, plan on running the cable to the rear, through a snatch block, then down the frame to the front. It should be fairly fast, I will be running it off an 18gpm gear pump.