CUCV Winch?

[K9Vic]

If you have a 25% coupon for Harbor Freight today only 01/01/2011 you can get the 12,000lb winch for $299 after discount. The winch is on sale for $399 and with the 25% off makes it $100 less and a heck of a deal. Even if you use the 20% off you can find in easily that would still be a good deal at $319. I have read some good reviews on the current 12K winch and I have the older style 8K winch and that works well. I am going to replace my 8K with the 12K and put my old 8K on the M1009 I am rebuilding. It looks like a Smittybilt winch, but I do not know if Smittybilt is made in China. Anyways thought I would pass this along to anyone looking for a good winch.

 

[brazengoat06]

How are you all wiring up your winches? New to the winch game and wanted some opinions. Thanks.

 

[Skinny]

It seems like anything except the real high end stuff is all made in China and the same components. Even the Warn VR's look like lower end clones. Not saying that is bad, a $300 Smittybilt winch is pretty BA for what it is. I'd rather have one than not.

The suck part is trying to take advantage of the CUCV 24v system. After searching high and low, the most inexpensive 24v winch is Mile Marker's integrated 9,500 or 12,000 pound. I personally would rather have a 24v than a 12v on a CUCV. Makes no sense to have that extra battery and alternator just hanging out for no reason other than starting.

On a side note, anyone have first hand experience with a Warn front mounted receiver hitch? It seems like other than taking an integrated winch and mounting it foot forward, the only way to get an integrated winch on the front end of a CUCV is do make a dedicated external mount/bumper or use a portable cradle. I like the cradle idea because I can put it on the front or back. Obviously any kind of side load scares me with something like that especially on the front because the mount only has 4 bolts with lots of leverage. Anyone use this type of setup? My M1031 is a heavy girl

 

[Lebowski]

This guy has a nice front winch mount that lets you use the factory bumper if you with some slight mods. I plan to use it on my CUCV with a 12k Warn.
http://www.totallynakedauto.com/ .
Don't worry, the site is legit. He's also got it on CK5.com if any of you are members there. Lots of pics of two different front winch mounts he offers. Both could be used with the factory bumper with some modifications, and you can keep it looking close to a stock CUCV.

 

[Mainsail]

Would it be possible to fab up a winch mount that can hang off one of the front or rear shackles and plug in to the 24V slave outlet on the grille, or would it be too heavy to lift?

I want a winch but I don’t want it mounted on the truck for the 99% of the time that it’s on pavement. I’d like to be able to heft it into the back of the truck when I go off road, and hang it on the shackle if I need it.

EDIT to add: I don't think I need a 12K# winch for the kind of stuff I do. No deep mud here. Maybe an 8K# with a whiffle-tree.

 

[K9Vic]

Would it be possible to fab up a winch mount that can hang off one of the front or rear shackles and plug in to the 24V slave outlet on the grille, or would it be too heavy to lift?

I want a winch but I don’t want it mounted on the truck for the 99% of the time that it’s on pavement. I’d like to be able to heft it into the back of the truck when I go off road, and hang it on the shackle if I need it.

EDIT to add: I don't think I need a 12K# winch for the kind of stuff I do. No deep mud here. Maybe an 8K# with a whiffle-tree.

Did you search first? This has been covered many times in other posts.
http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?45839-Quick-and-Easy-Winch-Mount

 

[Mainsail]

That's not at all what I want.

I want a winch mounted in a cradle with two hooks- one in front and one behind the winch. Then I can use the hook behind to hang the winch on one of the four shackles. Then when I’m done winching I can remove the winch and put it in the back of the truck, or in the garage.

 

[85CUCVtom]

So you want to mount or hang (in this case) the winch to the shackles themselves?

 

[Mainsail]

So you want to mount or hang (in this case) the winch to the shackles themselves?

Yes. I have no experience with winches so I don't know how heavy they are.

I have some tow hooks with keepers already- took them off my jeep.

 

[K9Vic]

Let me try this again, did you click on the link and read through it?

The front and rear shackles are not the same distance apart. So one cannot use a removable winch on the front and rear without two separate 2" receiver tubes. The front shackles are on the outside of the frame and the rear are on the inside of the frame. So our removable winch mounts are only designed to work on the front. I nor the others have not tried to adapt an additional mount for the rear.

Winch is removable is minutes, but is very heavy.



1" pins hold the winch mount in place.




This is my removable work platform that I put on the front shackles to work on the engine, the idea came from the winch mount.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Best bet would be to have a front and rear receiver and use a receiver mount for the winch. Why you would want to hook it to the shackles escapes me.

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

 

[Mainsail]

Let me try this again, did you click on the link and read through it?

The front and rear shackles are not the same distance apart. So one cannot use a removable winch on the front and rear without two separate 2" receiver tubes. The front shackles are on the outside of the frame and the rear are on the inside of the frame. So our removable winch mounts are only designed to work on the front. I nor the others have not tried to adapt an additional mount for the rear.

Winch is removable is minutes, but is very heavy.



1" pins hold the winch mount in place.




This is my removable work platform that I put on the front shackles to work on the engine, the idea came from the winch mount.

No no no.

I’m talking about the shackle, the swingy thing that clanks around when you go over bumps. Not talking about the square tube to which the shackles are mounted.

 

[Mainsail]

Best bet would be to have a front and rear receiver and use a receiver mount for the winch. Why you would want to hook it to the shackles escapes me.

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

Because they're already there? Front and rear receivers make the project expensive, and I lose interest.

 

[MakersTeleMark]

Because they're already there? Front and rear receivers make the project expensive, and I lose interest.

And a winch is cheap?

 

[85CUCVtom]

Yes. I have no experience with winches so I don't know how heavy they are.

I have some tow hooks with keepers already- took them off my jeep.

Winches are heavy, average weight comes in around 75-100 pounds minus the mount. That's a lot of weight swinging from the shackles.

I appreciate the out of the box thinking with your mount idea but I think its more trouble than its worth and could potentially be dangerous.

Using something just because its already there isn't always the best way. Go with a standard mount or the 2" reciever on the front and rear. Its more investment up front but its proven and it works.

 

[Skinny]

Out of the box thinking and winch recovery do not go hand in hand. Another major downside to your plan is when you need to use a block. You will need one of those shackles for the winch cable. Plus what happens when you are done with the pull? The winch will need to be removed. Pretty frustrating if you get stuck 10' up the trail.

 

[richingalveston]

They make recovery winches that have a hook on one side that can be used by connecting to a shackle but most of these are limited to 2000 to 5000lbs. They are intended as a secondary winch to be used with your primary winch. If you roll the truck, you use your primary to pull you out and the secondary to roll you over. I do not believe they make one in the 9k to 12k range that would be needed if it were used as a primary winch. Many fire departments have them in their recovery tools.

 

[Smokingman]

It may not be ideal,but was made from parts I already had.I have used it for a little over two years now pulling logs and a few cars out of ditches.It works well enough for me.I also have a rear standard hitch mount.

 

[MILrestorer]

The photos posted by TNROBOCOP of the CUCV winch mounts look similar to something Warn might have produced for GM trucks of that era.

 

[olly hondro]

Picked up the rear-most body mounts to the frame. The instances on the trail where I can no longer advance, it is best to back up and try a different line. I know that where I came from was good.