Bullbar / Winch - Combination

Dirk,

As you can see from my rig Pic I have a GU I also tow a trailer off road. So far taxes and three children have conspired to keep me winchless, but trust me I have looked.

The decision I made was to fit an ARB bar which is in place and in that I want to mount a Warn HS9500. I have been advised that this is a little light for my rig but this is the reasoning behind my decision.

The HS9500 is much lighter than the 10,000 or 12,000 lb winch that has been recommended so it will put less strain on the suspension and have less effect on handling. The line speed for the HS is almost double the 10000 and more than double the 12. Most of the time you don't get bogged to the eyeballs and really just need a little help to get out, the 9500 will do that. When you are stuck to the eyeballs you can put a snatch block in and have the equivalent of 19000lb pull.

You lose heaps of time pulling line out and then winching the slack cable back onto the drum. With the high speed winch (HS9500) this time loss is halved.

So I think the HS9500 is the go it is lighter which makes it nice for the car to carry and in 99% of cases is quicker which should please SWMBO.

Now I know you will get other opinions but thats mine

Duncs

Dirk,

I have a TD100 and went the Toyota alloy bar and the X9 Superwinch mainly because of weight issues up front. They are probably not the best but were a compromise at the time for the standard setup and also covered under the warranty. I usually travel by myself with gear for one so I'm not usually heavily loaded. I have now modified the suspension and would probably go a steel bar and heavier winch if I was buying one now. Can't tell you which is the best though.

Did do 4 recoveries in a day on Stockton Beach on a day the sand was really soft. Three of those recovering myself using an 80 series as an anchor. The winch has been through plenty of mud and water and is still working well.

Gday Dirk

I'm not sure how you assess 'best'. But condsider the toyota steel winch bar. Apparently made for toyota by ARB but not as pretty. I got mine from Toyota for between 700 and 800 dollars.
If you are doing suspension anyway... the extra dollars for 12000 are probably not a big deal in the overall picture.
Have a read of the 4wd South Aus mag article on winches...

cheers
John
TD 100 with toyota steel and 12000lb ;-)

I've got a TJM bat and a Warn XP9500. it's pulled my patrol up slippery hills (not bogged no traction) and pulled a heavily laden 60 series out of a big bog and up a steep bank without any problem. I'd fit plasma rope too as it cuts down the weight considerably, has less recoil, easier to handle.

I went for a 12000lb Warn. Yep they're heavier, but I'd rather cop a weight penalty and have a bit more pulling capacity up my sleeve. I have a live axle 100, not IFS, so the weight over the front end is not as much as issue as it might be with IFS. Mine weighed 3.5 tonne, with half fuel and no passengers but well prepared, so at that weight, I'd rather something that is less likely to stall.

Snatch blocks will help smaller winches, but they also work the same on larger ones. A serious bogging in sand may even require a triple line pull, and in that situation, specially if there is a tide coming in, the extra pull of a larger winch might make the difference. It's just a matter of weighing up the potential situations you might find yourself (or more likely, someone else) in.

Andrew

Just pop into ARB and ask for a steel winch bar and a WARN HIMOUNT (8000lb) , dual batteries , and recovery gear . Shouldnt cost more than $6000 and you have the best .

If you are planning to get a Warn winch then ARB bull-bar would be the best
as they are designed to take Warn winches. Something like Warn 9500XP or
Warn 9500HS would be the best in terms of speed. If you are planning to do
any water crossing then I would recommend to get the winch waterproofed as well. Also there are new ARB shara bull-bar for 100 Series
on eBay at the moment so might be worth a look...

Dirk

I have just done a lot of research into winches, Ex Navy and I have a serious respect for winching that I sometimes find lacking. One of the best researched articules I have found on this is Recovery bible

I have also turned these figures into a easy to use tick box spread sheet I'm willing to share. The loads are a real eye opener and would lead you well in selection of winch and accessories WLL

Have fun

Jugs

If you really want to cover your butt, look at a 10k Warn, but I have heard issues with mounting them to 100's (thats how I got mine cheap!). Cant see how, as all have same mounts

For the bar, ARB/TJM are about the same in quality and cost (no price fixing cause its illegal) but every ECB Bar Ive ever seen are genuinely U G L Y!