Bebop Man
Member
I got a good deal on a Rough Country 12000lb winch, and I mounted it yesterday.
Picked up a winch cover, too.
With the way I designed my bumper, I had to notch the grill just a little bit for the wires from the solenoid to exit properly. I wish the came out at a 90* downwards rather than straight out the back. And it I was to do it over, I'd make my frame mounts about an inch longer, plus I'd put my mounting plate tight to the front, rather than flush along the back. Something to keep in mind for version 2.0
The rack I had before was nice, but it made working in the back tough, and anytime you had to get into the back, you had to open up the swing arms. Plus having it just hang out there always made me a little nervous:
So I trimmed off the cooler rack right where I welded it to the swing arm. I'll keep it, and attach some legs and a couple of braces. Then I can bolt it into place above the spare when I need it for trips, and leave it off for daily driving.
In place of the cooler rack, I mounted two jerry can holders:
I mounted a pair of QuickFist tool clamps to the roof rack, and I can now stick on a shovel and axe as needed
Now that I have almost all the external stuff done, I can now focus on the axles and suspension. I'm thinking about Detroit lockers front and rear, 4.11 gears, and 35" tires. A 4 inch lift and some trimming on the wheel wells should accommodate that nicely.
Picked up a winch cover, too.
With the way I designed my bumper, I had to notch the grill just a little bit for the wires from the solenoid to exit properly. I wish the came out at a 90* downwards rather than straight out the back. And it I was to do it over, I'd make my frame mounts about an inch longer, plus I'd put my mounting plate tight to the front, rather than flush along the back. Something to keep in mind for version 2.0
The rack I had before was nice, but it made working in the back tough, and anytime you had to get into the back, you had to open up the swing arms. Plus having it just hang out there always made me a little nervous:
So I trimmed off the cooler rack right where I welded it to the swing arm. I'll keep it, and attach some legs and a couple of braces. Then I can bolt it into place above the spare when I need it for trips, and leave it off for daily driving.
In place of the cooler rack, I mounted two jerry can holders:
I found an e-bay surplus store that was selling these locking straps for $20 a pair. Jerry cans have a tendency to walk away, so I thought they'd be a cheap investment. You can even angle the straps so they cover the lid and lock it into place.Jerry cans and holders from my local farm and ranch supply store.
I mounted a pair of QuickFist tool clamps to the roof rack, and I can now stick on a shovel and axe as needed
Now that I have almost all the external stuff done, I can now focus on the axles and suspension. I'm thinking about Detroit lockers front and rear, 4.11 gears, and 35" tires. A 4 inch lift and some trimming on the wheel wells should accommodate that nicely.
