Winch

[josh]

Who all has winches?

And whomever does, where are they mounted and what size are they? I would like to get one, and am wondering if the best place to put it is right where my fog lights are presently mounted on the bull bars. The fog lights should be lower anyhow.

Josh

[surferboy]

Hey Josh, mine came with a winch, it is mounted right on the bumper, its kinf of rough but it works, i plug in this remote control for it to the front of the winch to make it work, and its capacity is something like 1,365kg ..
i'll try e-mailing you the pics of my van when it was at the auction lot in japan, you can see were the winch is mounted on it... all i need is your e-mail adress so i can just forward my picture folder to you from my e-mail account...

[josh]

Thanks, I look forward to the pics, i sent you a PM.

Josh

[Thomas Porter]

My welder and 4WD techs say the winch should be mounted below the fog lamps on my Delica (just below the plastic covers on an L300). It requires some mods to the bull bar assembly for support, a cradle if you like, something with solid mounts to the the bar and chassis.
I will be taking out the crossmember below my plastic cover and welding in a reinforced L-shaped ledge to mount a 6,000lb Warn winch.
I debated going to the 8,000lb-er but it seemed a bit excessive.
The key to winches is whether or not you are using the unit for self recovery or simply for assisting or moving barriers (trees, etc.). A self-recovery winch should be able to handle twice the total gross weight of the vehicle. This power is necessary to free you from being sunk into a mud bog or similar hydraulic at near vertical inclines. The GVW of a Delica isn't that much really, but when it's loaded with gear and fuel it's a different story. I was shocked to find my truck loaded with more than 800 lbs of equipment on a recent outing. Ouch.
Get a qualified specialist to assess your needs and buy the most expensive, powerful winch you can.
If you're just buying it for looksyou need your head examined.
Most guys can get away with a jack-all and a good comealong. For the crazy bastards that would like to winch up a rock face, get the best you can.
Also, take a course in 4WD technique. Offroad clubs in the bigger centres will sometimes offer them.
Use a pulley to increasee winch power. Use a remote. Put a log or a heavy blanket on your cables while winching to buffer backlash if cables break.
Visit http://www.off-road.com/4x4web/faqs/winches.html or http://www.warn.com/corporate/images/90 ... eaders.pdf.
Cheers,
Thomas