Winch without winch bar??

i would say yes but i know nothing - ive seen heaps of bars forsale without the winches so i kinda think if you can take it off then you could put them on....

what does SWMBO - something to do with the better half???!!!LOL

Laura B

Trevor M,
What does your bar look like?
Is it a full bumper replacement alloy bar?

I have a smartbar (yeah, I know) and it was touted as winch compatible. This means it has as opening for the winch to pass through. The winch and fairlead are actually attached to a adapter plate (about $120) bolted to the chassis rails. Unfortunately the plate they sent me doesn't fit a 9500XT Warn (which I have) although it fits Warn 9000 & 10000. I'm still trying to sort this out with smartbar.
The point being the same plate should work in your case as it does not involve the bar, providing you have an opening to operate through.

Picture worth a 1000 words maybe:

img src="http://domain.com/image_path"!MPG:4!

Have a look at some Yankie sites. Most don't use a bullbar or even know what one is.

doing a "google" on the subject and came across Roachies post # 12644 on a similar vein.

Would be interested on comments as to the outcome?

Mate

You can make anything fit to anything.

Some steel, and angle grinder and a welder will do for starters. If you don't have that find a friend or business who is willing to help. As long as the winch bracket is mounted to the chassis and not the bar then everything will be fine.

Good luck.

Cheers

Trevor
Check this one out
MULTI MOUNT (PORTABLE ELECTRIC WINCH)

This features an XD9000i in a special portable frame, that has fitment into the tow hitch (rear) or bull bar and chassis (front). This enables the unit to be used at either end of the vehicle. Electric plus wired to front and rear allow easy power connection. The solenoids and electrical controls are contained in the winch housing.
portable

Mounted winch in my 4800 2002 GU Patrol on flat bar across chassis rails, such that it fits inside the original standard plastic bumper, some minor trimming was needed full article was on Patrol sites. (Patrol4wd)

used non-rooler type hawser and synthetic rope to make it all fit.

Won't use bullbar here , for weight and air flow reasons - in fact entire winch
installation added only 30kg.

Robin Miller

Trevor,

If it helps at all, I used to sell winches, and I have a few of the cradles left that fit between the chasis rails. If you picture a C-Section piece of steel, with room for rollers on one side, and the winch sitting inside the C-Section you'd have it in one.

If you are in Sydney, let me know - I could fix you up with one for about $40 or so.

Cheers,

Chump

Hi Trevor

don't get on here much as this site amongst all I go to in conjunction with server
times out such that only get access about every odd day.

There are pictures in photo's folder on the main patrol site
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Patrol4WD

photo album 49 , technical & tips GU winch bracket

included some text below - can always email direct if can be of further help

Robin Miller

--------------------------------------------------------

Subject: GU3 Winch Mount Bracket

GU3 WINCH MOUNT BRACKET

This note describes a winch mounting bracket developed by myself in
conjunction with Brawn winches for my GU4800 to fit within a standard
plastic bumper bar.

Is has application to most GU's but in particular to those with the
low radiator and chassis cross member that protects it.

RELATED POSTS
Message 22426 "Removing GU Bumper"
Message 22429 "An occasional use winch system"

This winch mounting system had to be low in weight and not interfere
with the air-bag system in the car ,as well as fit within a standard
bumper with little modification.

A significant feature in making this practical was the decision to
use plasma rope which allowed the use of an aluminum hawse. This
takes up less room than the traditional roller fairlead hawse.
It allowed a standard size winch to be placed on a flat bar that sits
across the top of the chassis rails.
Pictures have been uploaded that show the winch bracket mounted
without the bumper and also the finished system in the car.

These are in photo's under technical\GU Winch bracket

The main part of the bracket is a flat plate 700 X 150 X 6mm .
Holes for the 4 12mm chassis rail bolts are drilled 675mm apart at a
distance of 25 an 80mm from one edge "the front edge". The standard
winch bolt pattern of 4 holes in a 254X114mm rectangle were drilled
with front row of holes 18mm from the front edge of the plate.
I.E. front of winch mounts slightly forward of the front chassis rail
bolt holes.

The bracket (plate) as above was installed and tested and as expected
in showed significant twist under load.
Brawn (Colin Pond) had the idea to weld in vertical triangular plates
to brace it.
These were welded just near the winch mount holes and extended down
to the cross member that protects the deep radiator on the 4800 and
new 4.2 diesel Patrols.
The triangular bracing sections had small flanges welded to them and
8mm bolts were put through these and into holes drilled straight
through the radiator cross member beam.
These plates ran parallel to the length of the car and provide huge
resistance to twisting forces without impending air flow to the
radiator.
Indeed they had the incidental effect of significantly improving the
radiator protection.

On say 3 litre GUs this would not be possible and it would be
necessary to come up with an alternative, by using say thicker 8mm
plate initially and putting a fold in the back of the plate to create
an "angled section".

To complete the bracket a slotted flat piece of 6mm steel was welded
to the front edge of to hold the hawse.

Very little modification was required to the plastic bumper to
accommodate the new winch.
Just the two recessed vertical struts were removed with a stanley
knife.

In fact the job was done with the number plate that heavily protrudes
into the bumper to remain in place. I found it hard to see the winch
rope take up though and later mounted the number plate a bit higher
and cut off the plastic number plate moulding.(as per photo's)

This project was done with use of specific winches in mind which
allowed for reasonable access to the up/down winch clutch release.

I have the low end Brawn HR9000 winch - it would be harder to get at
the clutch in some other types but on their high end waterproof
winches Brawn can fit an "Air actuated solenoid" if clutch access was
a problem.

Apparently this winch mount system could be easily adapted to those
very common aftermarket "non winch" type bull bars with the vertical
metal stripes.

It took a lot of stuffing around to get this job done but it has come
up very well.

In the end the bracket only weighed 8kg and the combined winch/bracket
with hawse, hook and 20meters of 8mm plasma rope only weighed 29.1kg
The cables and controller added another 4kg but this is mainly
mounted over the fuse box next to the battery.

I will do a separate post on actual winch once It has been properly
put thru its paces.

While only about 30kg was added in front of the front wheels the cars
handling noticeably changed and it had a definite "floating feeling"
caused by the increased weight over the front wheels. I did not like
this and exchanged the stock Nissan front shocks for some old Ironman
units from my previous GQ.
These have increased damping and made the car feel almost back to
normal.

Robin Miller