WFO

I'm going to be finishing my winch mount tomorrow morning so I wanted to get some opinions on what im doing before I finish.

Heres the only pic I have that shows the winch mount as it is now.


Its only held on by a couple of bolts going through the stock crossmember up front. I picked up the winch (Warn 9.5Ti) from a buddy for $100. Just needed one $8 part. So last night I got the part and put it in. So now it works and I need to finish the mount.

All it is now is a piece of 8"x5" square with the top cut out sitting on top of the crossmember. My plan is to take a piece of 2.5" square tubing and cut the bottom out and that will go over the crossmember with the open end on the bottom. Then weld that to my existing mount. I will then bolt the 2.5" tubing to the crossmember with 2 or 3 3/4" bolts. My only concern is im only mounting it to the middle 18" of the crossmember and not directly to the frame. My front crossmember will not allow me to go all the way to the frame rails as it is.

Will this be enough? What do you guys suggest?

waterdog

should be just weld really good

dirtoyboy

Front range off road...check it out....

You really need this item or make something like it yourself....

http://frontrangeoffroadfab.com/nfos...d8453392d232e0

The front crossmember is .090....super weak...

You need to build a bumper that connects to the winch plate, crossmember and stock bumper locations....and possibly a couple more places (to be safe)

Look at Marlins bumper.....it has something like 6 or 8 mounting points to the truck (depending on model)

WFO

Thanks Dirtoyboy

My crossmember is a little different than that, I dont have those tabs on top.

Well I welded everything up yesterday. I think it turned out pretty good. Ill try to post some pics up later.

I am definatly going to tie it down to some more mounting points. One being the 2 bolts on either side just above the factory tow hooks. The other being the side bumper mounts, but that will be tied into the bumper.

I think if I were to do this over I would not have made my spring hanger/crossmember bolt on. That is keeping me from using those bolt holes.

WFO

Ok heres a pic. I know, my welds look crappy. Im using a stick welder.



I still need to drill for the 2 3/4" bolts to go through the crossmember. And I might end up adding a brace towards the front.

What do you all think?

89silverpu

Is your front spring hanger only being held on by 4 Bolts?

-MUDSLINGER-

that U bolt is going to fall off!

WFO

No, 8. Theres 4 more on the underside of the frame.


So.... how bout we stick to the question

unclejstoy

it's not that anyone want's 2 be a ass it's we don't want anyone 2 get hurt/dead enjoying a sport.
so you have bolts holding the spring crossmember 2 the truck crossmember ??? ( they should be welded 2 geather no gap )
U-bolts go under the tube. thats why they make flat and round u-bolts. please fix it befor you losses the axle

dirtoyboy

You do know the ubolts go under the axle tube right?

WFO

Yeah I know nobodys trying to be an ass. Im expecting to hear some crap over this. Im trying to make sure I have this right and what I need to do to make it right.

I appreciate everyone commenting on it.

The U bolts. I originaly had round U bolts on it but could not get them to line up right. The Ubolt on the inside was tilted towards the front at the top, nowhere close to being perpendicular to the spring plate. So I opted for the square Ubolts. How is everyone else using round ubolts there?

I had one bolt holding the winch mount to the crossmember (not planning on using this til its secure) It goes from the plate to the bottom of the xmember -vertical. Now I have 2 - 3/4" bolts running through the crossmember-horizontal. Im thinking I want to put another bolt or 2 vertical so im not relying on my welds as much.

What is the question with the 4 bolts you circled?

dirtoyboy

You need to fix that u-bolt right away....if you cant figure out how to put a u-bolt on then you should NOT be doing work like this....sorry, if I sound like an ass.....I just dont want you to die (which is imminent with the way they are set up)


When you apply the proper torque to the ubolts they will conform around the axle tube.

redpim1

OK man you really need to listen to DTB he is trying to save you and your rig from serious injury.. the bolted on hanger / winch mount should be welded and you need to go put the round u-bolts around the tube right now... do not I repeat do not operate that truck with the u-bolts that way. Stay alive dont be stupud and dont get near me on the road / trail if you dont fix that crap...

James Dean

I would suggest more trianglelation to your mount. There are multiple places to mount to.

customcruiser

I would push the hanger flush and weld the whole thing......
Autozone has the ubolts you need..... As you can see in dirtoyboy's pis
When tires turn it torques the axle front to back and the ubolts WILL pop off of that lip
then weld your winch mount to the hanger

WFO

Alright I will pull those Ubolts tonight and see if I can get my round ones to work again. Not sure why they were so far off when I tried before. When I tried the round ones before there was no way they were going to line up, applying proper tourqe or not.

I think im gonna ditch the whole front crossmember and spring mount. Cut out the factory crossmember and replace it with 1/4" wall tubing so I can build off that. Weld up the spring mount crossmember directly to that and continue the winch mount as planned.

Anything else?

unclejstoy

sounds good

customcruiser

Just use what you got, no point in cutting off the stock x-member and starting over with your leaf hanger....
I just cut mine off built a new hanger and its basically yours but mounted flush to stock x-member and for full widths.

bigarms23

looks good to me i have the am setup for the winch on my 85 except i made a wider spring hanger and than mounted the winch to that

44Runner

Yeah.....LEARN TO WELD!

Seriously, "because it was done with a stick welder" is NOT an excuse for a crappy looking weld. If you are welding on suspension components you need to know what you are doing and by the looks of things, you don't.

Also do you have pics of this cross member from the side. It looks like those 2 pieces of plate are the only things holding the cross member on. I hope that is not the case. First sharp impact and that thing folds over. Cut that plate off and weld the cross member to the bottom of the frame.

The u-bolts leave me speachless. I mean I don't even know what to say. I don't have words to express that level of OMG/WTF. How are you even able to think to yourself, yeah, this is a good idea?

I have many friends that live up there in your town and I'd appreciated it if you wouldn't kill them...

</tough love>