Winch install thread
 

So as most of you know I got an amazing deal on a winch, so heres and install how to kinda thing.


Heres the winch I have
12,000 lb. Electric Winch with Automatic Brake

A small list of what I used and kinda what you will need

lots of thick steel (I used a 31in long by 8in wide pice of 1/4 thick steel plate)

Drill, Drill bits, BFH(Big f*%#ing Hammer), hammer, Welder, grinder, Socket set, Wrenches, hack saw and or sawzall, AT LEAST A 650 CCA BATTERY thats in good shape, Peferably a ad244 alt or high amp alt and lots and lots of time for trimming everything and making it look nice.


SOOOOO lets start by removing the front grill

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch15.jpg

And the bumper and skid plate

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a.../winch13-1.jpg

The winch
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch16.jpg

The winch was about 2in to big to fit between the frame horns so I had to trim them.

I have a 31 in long buy 8in wide chunck of 1/4 in thich steel plate which the winch is bolted to.

With the tow hooks removed elarge the holes to accept a 3/4in grade 8 bolt

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...302/winch8.jpg

I have 2 bolts per side right now and there is going to end up being 3 per side when i get the skid plate re mounted.

So depending on how trimmed your bumper is this next part will very.


As you can see you will need to cut some serious chunks out of your bumper and grill

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch10.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch-1.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...302/winch5.jpg

and unfortunatly I dont have any pics of it but you will also have to trim the back side of the bumper so it will fit like stock with the winch in place.

the winch wired up to my new as of 2 weeks ago optima yellow top

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...302/winch9.jpg

all mounted

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/winch3-1.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/winch6-1.jpg
http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/winch2-1.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...2/winch7-1.jpg

Im sure that I forgot some stuff and im sorry I didnt take more pics but I did this over the course of a day and forgot. Any questions just ask

Looks good, I'm jelous.

Skid plate and tow hooks back on

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch17.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch18.jpg

http://i889.photobucket.com/albums/a...02/winch19.jpg

looks good. One of these i will get some pics of mine up. I also used 1/4in steel. Mine is ontop of the frame rails though. I had to cut of the bumper mounts and get rid of the air bag sensors. lol The bumper mounts didnt matter cause i built a steel bumper.

Looks great! If you can't get yourself unstuck with that thing, you were probably doing something you shouldn't have lol.

Pretty much lol. I wanted the 9000lb winch but I couldnt pass up the deal I got on this one.

lol the next mod I was gonna get for the blazer before it died.... nice work thou, tell us how it holds up

Looks good, but you might want to redo the fairlead mount. From what i can see on the pics it`s just welded to the plate? If so, please add some gussets, it`ll fail if you pull a bit sideways...

Yeah I need to do that one of these days, its just been cold and rainy the last 3 days

Looks good! Any plans to cover the front of the winch on the outside of the fairlead mount?