Winch

Let me say up front I import and sell winches and recovery gear. I am by no means an expert,

I can't see that one winch would be much different to another, especially if you are looking at the X9, or something. They are all the same basic size, shape and weight, so if one affects the airbags, they all would. The airbag sensors (i thought) were built into the front of the chasis, and rely on a rapid deceleration to deply. Wether a winch is there, or not, should not make a difference if the bull bar is compatible. Hell, if the Bull bar is air bag compatible, and has winch mounting points, then it wouldn't matter what winch went there, so long as the existing points are used.

Ask the supplier if he has some documentation from Warne about airbag compatibility. And make sure the documentation says only warne will work.

As an importer, i know which one of about 5 factories the warne X9 comes from....

Cheers,

Chump

not exactly the same truck but i have on ox hydraulic 10000lb winch on arb bar on 2002 patrol

Sounds like BULL. I have a 10,000lb in an 04 and a friend has just put a bar on an 05 with a Warn 9500lb!!

Leroy

If I remember all warns apart from the highmount have same mounting holes.

IMHO your better off with the Warn than a Lucky Woofs cheap chow replica. That would be the last piece of gear you want failing.

Blaze

I have just been through a similar, though not identical exercise.

Background:

I have a 1997 75 series Troopy which had a TJM Bar and warn 9000 winch (2.5hp) on it when I bought it in 2000.

In retrospect, that is the basically the biggest/heaviest 4WD when fully loaded (Roachies rig being the only exception) using the 'worlds smallest winch'.

Yes! I know snatch blocks and double/triple line pulls get around that.

So I thought - Hmmmm! I'll just have the 9000 winch upgraded to a 9500 spec with a 6hp motor on it, along with a few other tricks I wanted.

Discussion:

Winch 'tricky dicky expert' takes one look and advises that a 9500 will not fit in that TJM bar. Too big (long).

Bugger!

Frantic research turns up the latest ARB bar for the 75, 78, 79 series (same chassis rails) which will take just about any winch made.

Conclusion:

$1000 later I have the aforementioned ARB bar on the said vehcle, the winch upgraded how I wanted it, and if for some reason I want to later on change it to a Hi-mount 8000 or a hydraulic etc etc , there shouldn't be too much of an issue to mount same.

Also after much discussion with ARB, TJM and winch fitting specialists, it was abundantly clear that not just any old BBar will take any old winch.

Also there are different design rules re airbag compliant BBars that impact on how they are put together.

Recommendation:

Ring ARB Kilsyth (Aust HO) and they are more than helpful in supplying info re any of their products.

Hi Blaze,

Interestingly the guys that I know that service them and provided the assistance to me when I serviced mine don't consider the 9000 to be a "good winch".

It has a few faults - pressure grounded brush ring (possibly cause of Davoe's problem) and poorly placed breather/drain holes for Australian style mounting, lack of O ring seals where they were designed to have them come to mind.

I wouldn't enter a winch challenge with a 9000 - not even a not so serious contender.

It could be that ARB only gained compliance for airbags with that model fitted during the crunch test , I am only surmising. If so they are going to be reluctant in this litigous day and age to recommend an alternative.

If you are only likely to use it twice a year do you really need a power winch? A hand winch will provide more flexibility in it's use and for the rest of the year you won't have the extra 25-30kg hanging off the front wearing your front end out as it bounces up and down. Winches aren't (contrary to popular belief) an install and forget item either. They need regular servicing and maintenance particularly after river crossings and the like to be truly reliable, even without regular use. Most people who complain their winch let them down have never had them serviced. This can be a major job for those who can't DIY and often involves removal of the bull bar to get the winch out. Not an easy job at home. Luckily I have access to a gantry and I can do it competently, but it's still a most of day job that will be several hundred dollars (a year preferably) job each time it's done.

If you do decide you need it consider that an inferior alternative (and I realise they aren't all in that class) for half the price that fails on the day you need it is completely worthless and possibly dangerous to you and your family.

I could have bought a CDMA phone that might have worked just fine in 90% of the places that I go, but I spent 5 times more and bought a satphone. The day I really need it it will pay for itself tenfold.

Food for thought.

Dave

Morning Blaze.

How about telling us all the final ending to this saga.