Diy Winch Install

[Shankem-Deep]

There's been a few times in my M1028 adventures where having a winch would have made life much easier. I always say it's better to have and not need than to need and not have. There's tons of options when buying a winch and it can be overwhelming choosing one. I've heard a good way to choose the size of your winch is to take your gross vehicle weight and double it. Enter the Badlands 12000lb winch. Sure it's a Harbor Freight special but it gets good reviews and the price can't be beat. I'm not going to knock it until I try it. I figured I'd make a thread about my installation and maybe save someone a few hours on their install if they choose to mount it the way I did. I wanted mine tucked up between the frame rails behind the bumper. I will mount the fairlead to the bumper itself.

 

[Shankem-Deep]

I bought the Badlands Universal Winch mounting plate when I bought my winch. After taking my bumper off and grill out I found two existing holes in the frame where the bumper bracket bolts up that I could use. That only left me with 2 holes to drill through the frame. Luckily 2 holes in the mounting plate lined up nicely with the holes in the frame. The mounting plate actually had 2 holes that would work as is and 1 smaller hole that was in the right spot but needed to be drilled out big enough for a 1/2-13 bolt to go through. All I had to do was drill that hole out and drill one more hole on the opposite side of the plate. I then cut both sides of the plate off just outside the mounting holes making it 27 inches wide. Next I had to cut some clearance angles on the front of the mounting plate so that it would slide in between the frame rails. I then mounted the plate through the existing holes in the frame and drilled the other 2 holes. Drilling the holes through the frame is a challenge since the frame isn't wide enough to fit a drill and drill bit. I borrowed an angled air drill from work and modified a 33/64 drill bit. (You could use a 9/16) I cut the drill bit as short as I could and then re-sharpened it. I also had to turn the shank down on the lathe so it would fit the 3/8 drill chuck. Once I got the hole drilled through the frame I bolted the plate up using Grade 8, 1/2-13 bolts.

 

[Shankem-Deep]

I then mounted my winch upside down with the engage/disengage handle on the driver's side. I monted it this way because I wanted to mount the control box for the winch where the slave cable hookup is. This would help keep the power cables to a minimum length. Next I removed the slave cable hookup. I was able to use one of the slave cable holes to mount the control box. The control box has curved steel straps designed to mount directly to the top of the winch. I took these straps off and straightened them out. I took a few measurements and then drilled holes for 1/4-20 bolts to go through the straps. I then mounted the contol box using the lower left slave cable hole and marked the spots to drill through the core support. I used Rivet Nuts in place of self-tapping screws. I also mounted the wireless remote control box just below the winch control box. I just used self tapping screws on this. Another benefit of mounting the control box where the slave cable was is the grill is already cut out and allows easy access if I need to plug in the corded winch control should the wireless fail.

 

[Shankem-Deep]

The factory wires were now too short to reach the control box so I bought 3 battery cables to replace them. Battery cables work great because they are the same gage as the factory wires and they come with Ring termimals already attatched to both ends.

 

[Shankem-Deep]

More info and pics to follow...

 

[Cucvnut]

Awesome man, I need to get around to do the same thing to my truck.

 

[48cj2a]

Nice work!

Look forward to how you mod the bumper.

 

[BikerBi11]

Me likes!!

 

[camogriz]

That is a nice and well thought out install.

 

[K9Vic]

Nice design, keep us updated.

Hopefully you used the coupon for $299 and a 20% off for the mount plate to maximize your savings. The BL 12K winch is great and I have two of them on my two CUCV trucks. I have used it to pull a M1009 in a mud pit and a Dodge RAM out of a ditch. If you look at it closely the BL is almost identical to the Smittybilt X20 models. They are likely made in the same China factory and each adds their own small changes.

 

[twomorestrokes]

I like that. A lot actually. Sure beats a winch hanging way out front. Anxious to see the front bumper work. Thanks for the ideas! When I'm out off road by myself I bypass a lot of fun stuff because I don't have a winch.

Mike

 

[Rambling Wreck]

Can this winch be configured for 24 volt installation? I've seen where some Warn winches can be wired for 12 or 24 volt installation.

Anybody looking for a big winch that isn't a fortune should also consider THIS one. I spoke with them on the phone last year and they said that they were going to offer a 24 volt model in the Fall (2012). Still waiting for that one to come out and actually just sent them an email requesting the status.

 

[Shankem-Deep]

Can this winch be configured for 24 volt installation? I've seen where some Warn winches can be wired for 12 or 24 volt installation.

Anybody looking for a big winch that isn't a fortune should also consider THIS one. I spoke with them on the phone last year and they said that they were going to offer a 24 volt model in the Fall (2012). Still waiting for that one to come out and actually just sent them an email requesting the status.

I'm not sure if it can be wired 24 volt without mods. I'm thinking 12 volts will take care of anything I'm willing to hook onto.

 

[GPrez]

This is on my list of things to do as well. I like what your doing. I look forward to seeing it finished up.

 

[2HIJOS2126]

Awesome work...

 

[Rambling Wreck]

I'm not sure if it can be wired 24 volt without mods. I'm thinking 12 volts will take care of anything I'm willing to hook onto.

Yeah, I understand. I want to run a winch off of my M35A3's 24v system, so that's why I ask. Also, the duty cycle for the winch is better at 24v.

 

[Cucvnut]

Warn makes the 24v hummer winches

 

[Rambling Wreck]

Warn makes the 24v hummer winches

I know. I'm not trying to pay Warn prices though.

 

[Jim Hunter]

Very nice clean install!

Jim

 

[Shankem-Deep]

I got a chance to finish up my winch this weekend. I wasn't able to attach the fairlead to the bumper like I had planned. With the winch mounted upside down the cable comes out the bottom of the winch spool. If I would have mounted the fairlead to the bumper the cable would have had to come up at an angle through the fairlead. I figured that would bend the rollers when I actually use the winch. I ended up making some brackets that mounted to the winch plate that lowered the fairlead down. Then I just cut an opening in the bumper to clear everything. I made a skid plate that bolts up to the cross member that goes between the frame under the engine, and bolts to the bottom of the fairlead. I used a piece of pipe cut in half as guard to keep brush and trail debris from damaging the engagment lever. I had to cut a clearance hole on the back of the skid plate because the cross member bows down in the middle. I capped it with a piece of angle iron.