Putting a winch in the bed

[XchaosX]

I picked up a military warn 18000 winch with my new deuce with a drop side bed. I want to attach it to the front of my bed to haul stuff up with, mainly logs and for rear recover. Has anyone done this? Would putting a steel plate on the other side be enough for bracing or would I need run some bracing down to the frame or a cross member?

 

[SrIrie]

Start with I want one
To completely use all 18000 pound yes sum sort of frame to the frame is needed I would sink it darn near flush/corner in the floor of the front of the bead wind the cable/rope over the top so it barley sticks out and good fairlead pull anything including yourself.

I have chained a 8000 to my bead rail temporally to pull a truck on and it didn't bend and stay bent but you could see the bead rail move. that was only an old truck with stuck brakes and the 8274 didn't even slow down. 18000 taco bead or pull bead off without a frame.

 

[XchaosX]

I got the heavy duty fairlead and snatch block with it. I plan on attaching as far forward as I can to have as much room as I can in the bed. I plan on putting a small crane lift or arm on the back of the bed. That I can a attach the snatch block to and haul the logs right up with the winch.

 

[firefox]

Just a thought here. Mount the winch below the bed to frame struts just to the rear of the end of the bed nearest the cab. Then have the cable come straight up at the
end of the bed for maybe 2 feet to a sheave mounted on a frame bolted to the bed.
This way you have the cable going directly to the load without rubbing on the tail end
of the bed. Assumes you have some sort of ramp up to the edge of the bed.
Bruce

 

[clinto]

Just a thought here. Mount the winch below the bed to frame struts just to the rear of the end of the bed nearest the cab. Then have the cable come straight up at the
end of the bed for maybe 2 feet to a sheave mounted on a frame bolted to the bed.
This way you have the cable going directly to the load without rubbing on the tail end
of the bed. Assumes you have some sort of ramp up to the edge of the bed.
Bruce

I was going to say the same thing, but if he plans to pull something up into the bed, this method won't work.


If this is a off-roading/recovery type winch, then do what firefox said and if you're really clever, you can add a fairlead to the rear of the bed (to the right of the trailer plug connector).

But if you're thinking about pulling stuff up into the bed, you'll need to find a way to mount it to the frame. The beds aren't as strong as you might think. They bend pretty easy.

 

[rmgill]

The other thing is how the beds are attached. I could see a heavy pull pulling the bed up and off the truck.

Why not mount the winch to the frame, between frame members and add a fairlead to the rear of the truck AND one in the bed? That way you can have a rear facing winch off of the frame OR re-rig it to run up to the bed for pulling things into the bed.

 

[emr]

A guy a few years ago was selling the stuff of a bridge truck, they have a cool cage with a winch set up in it in the back, I sent the info to buy it saying i wanted to use the unit to house an electric winch and cut the bed of my deuce so it would sit in there real nice, All of a sudden he said good idea and didnt sell it, The bracing you need only depends on how much you are going to strain it, but fyi the bridge trucks are directly to the frame, any winch should always go to the frame,

 

[XchaosX]

I like the idea of two fairleads, one in the bed and one out the back. The one out of the back I can use for recovery and hauling and the one in the bed to haul things up into the bed with. The fairlead in the bed, should I mount it right to the bottom of the bed or against the front wall? Could I mount the winch right to a cross member or should I make a mount for it to tie into the frame?

 

[skinnyR1]

I would like to mount a small 3000 lb winch to the front of my bed. I want to mount it as high as possible, so that I can pull stuff up into the bed. I won't be using it to recover the truck, to any capacity.

If I mount it to the top of the bed rail, in the middle, underneath the window, how much bracing do you think is necessary? I was going to make some sort of frame or mount, that would brace to the rear lip of the top of the bed. Basically, mount a two inch receiver to the front top middle of the bed, below the window.

Again, just a 3000lb winch to drag stuff into the bed.

 

[gimpyrobb]

I ran across this one day in my websurfing. Maybe it will help.

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=11933

 

[Another Ahab]

Hang Ten

I ran across this one day in my websurfing. Maybe it will help.

Nice find.

Surfing is fun, ain't it!?

 

[skinnyR1]

I guess it isn't too complicated to fab up something with angle iron to support it. I don't think a 3K winch is going to put much pressure up there anyhow.

I'm just thinking about it. The access panel in the middle of the bed at the cab. I see it on some trucks but not all. Mine has it. What is it there for? Can I cover it up when I fabricate the winch mount, or is it there for an important reason?

 

[gimpyrobb]

I think it might be for access to the cab mounts, not sure really. I have never seen anyone need to get in there.

Why don't you take it off and see if it offers access to anything. Maybe parking brakes adjustment?

 

[skinnyR1]

I will. Im just sitting here on my lunch break day dreaming. I happened to notice that access panel in other pics, and the way ill mount the winch, it will be covered up. Off hand, I dont think covering it will effect anything.

 

[gimpyrobb]

Me either, my truck has no access. Maybe its for PMCS on the transfer case pto...

 

[skinnyR1]

I picked up a champion 3K winch for $80 today. I have a 12" wide x 6 foot long piece of C channel that I am going to attach to the front most portion of the bed. On top of that, I am going to bolt a standard hitch receiver. This way I can mount and unmount the winch as needed. The winch is going to run off of a 12V battery, that is fed from a vanner equalizer.

 

[ralph3162]

I mounted 2500lb RTV winch in my bed up front under window no braces or anything works great for loading my Spare 11.00 x 20 tires and the like. I'm to old for lifting things anymore.

 

[skinnyR1]

View attachment 531879I mounted 2500lb RTV winch in my bed up front under window no braces or anything works great for loading my Spare 11.00 x 20 tires and the like. I'm to old for lifting things anymore.

How do you use it to drag stuff into the bed, being mounted so low? Do you just drag the cable over the lip of the bed, or to you have some type of gantry system that the cable rides on in order to lift vertically?

 

[Another Ahab]

Archimedes: He Knew

I mounted 2500lb RTV winch in my bed up front under window no braces or anything works great for loading my Spare 11.00 x 20 tires and the like. I'm to old for lifting things anymore.

 

[ralph3162]

I just pull up over lip of the bed. Tires are not but 2 or 300 lbs. but I am thinking about a cherry picker arm in the back corner incase I ever have to load anything really heavy or odd shaped, but so far I just use it for loading and unloading spare tires.