Winch bumper question

[Jimmy Two-Jacks]

Hi all, just wondering what sort of gauge steel most winch bumpers are constructed from to withstand the forces involved in winching. The reason I ask is I have brought myself a 13000lbs winch but would like to retain my military type heavy duty bumper and was wondering if it was possible to adapt the bumper for the winch to sit on top given reinforcements and perhaps a heavy duty tray mount. Has anyone done it?

It’s not me being mean it’s just I like the look of my bumper and would like to keep it.

Cheers

J

[Retroanaconda]

Mine is made from two different thicknesses. The main winch plate, the front edge of it, and the top parts to the side (ie. the bit the winch sits in and the pieces immediately to either side that bolt to the chassis) are all 6mm plate. The 'wings' outward of that are made of 3mm, as these see no winching forces.

[zardos]

Front bumper and rear cross member winch mount parts are all made from 10mm

[longlandy]

construct a tray and seperate chassis mount so the force is being spread but remember the landrover chassis is only out of light stuff, Ive done a similar thing on series landys

[Smego]

I agree with the 6mm. answer

[miketomcat]

I was told by a land rover engineer they would not fit any thing over 9000 lbs as the chassis isn't strong enough so make your own mind up. I made my disco bumper from 5mm with additional stiffening under the winch. The tomcat had a 6mm winch tray and 3mm tubes either side. I think you can buy a tray that bolts over the top of a standard bumper.

Mike

[TobyMellin]

This ones from Mailorder4x4.com, £70+vat

[western]

get the winch down & inbetween the chassis rails if possible, for a 13,000lb winch you'll most likely have to make a mount for it, not difficult to do & you could keep the existing bumper outer ends.

[rovernut]

get the winch down & inbetween the chassis rails if possible, for a 13,000lb winch you'll most likely have to make a mount for it, not difficult to do & you could keep the existing bumper outer ends.

I have a 13000 lb winch fitted on the 110 down between the rails as Western suggests.

I took advice from an expert winch instructor. Mounted above the chassis line does not spread the loading and results in most of the stress being a twisting motion in the bumper.

[jai_landrover]

I have made a few winch mounts and agree that they should be made of decent thickness steel. However mine have always been situated above the bumper but not sticking any furthur forward than the bumper face. I do go right back to the front xmember and the winch plate is mounted there via 3 tubed and welded m10 10.9 bolts aswell as the 4x bumper bolts which are also upgraged to 10.9's.

My last bumper was a tube design which had a hard life it was abused from day 1 not everyday but when it was used it took a pounding. no problems at all. I would bet money that the winch itself the cast alloy/monkey metal that its made out of would fail before 7 10.9's.

Material thickness is not the only consideration its how its made/design that makes it as strong as it is.

[jai_landrover]

I will be making a new one in the coming weeks because I want to go back to a standard bumper.

[Jimmy Two-Jacks]

I will be making a new one in the coming weeks because I want to go back to a standard bumper.

If you do build a new mount would you post some images of your set up to give me some ideas

Cheers

J

ps thanks all for the input good food for thought.

J

[Disco-Ron]

Here's mine.......... its made from 5mm plate, i had someone fold it 90deg for me.... then i cut a triangle from the bottom plate, and folded the front in......... then put decent welds, and very small gussets behind kind of next to the winch mount lugs.... if that makes sense..... the cut outs on either side are for the winch hook to locate into..... with my ep9 the winch clears the rad by about 25mm, and the plate goes over the top of the front crossmember, and there is a section of angle iron welded underneath which is bolted through the cross member aswell...... the original bumper bolts hold the tray on..... and as i'm using a HD D44 bumper, the fornt winch bolts go through that aswell........... i've managed to kink my rear toy point, which is an 8mm drop plate, however the winch plate has remained as i made it.... even with some abuse.... ok, so not exactly challenge type abuse, but some good hard pulls....