Receiver Winch

I added a receiver hitch/winch today:

It has been well documented by LivianInt, BJMoose and others. Thanks guys for all the help. You made this a really easy install with your write-ups.

http://www.tacomaterritory.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72923

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/129351-cbi-offroad-hidden-front-hitch-install.html

http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/2nd-gen-tacomas/144184-bjmoose-installs-receiver-winch.html

I wanted to share how I mounted the winch power plug.

Warn sent me an extra control unit mounting bracket with the multimount kit, which if you drill 2 more holes in it, makes a perfect mount for getting the plug behind the lower grill. Just use a couple of metal screws and mount it securely to the top of the receiver hitch crossbar. See pics.

CBI is an awesome company to do business with and this is a simple install. Anybody contemplating it, should go for it!

 

Looks good!

 

doesn't waggle around enough to contact the "bumper" does it? under load?

Was thinking this is the "only" way to go for a tacoma. Winch bumper requires new front suspension. I wouldn't even think about taking a pickup truck trail riding but doesn't mean you can't get stuck or need to pull down a barn, make a hoist or something.

 

I waggles a bit, like anything in a receiver, but is about 1-2 inches away from the bumper, which seems about right to me. I am not sure how much side load you would have to put it under for it to contact the bumper.

I hope that having front and rear options means I can avoid side pulls. I mainly wheel on North Padre Island, so its all sand and never a place to tie off to. I plan to get a Pull-Pal and hopefully never do a hard side pull. Until then it would have to be burying a deadman.

If I envisioned the truck as a hard core trail rig, then I could agree with the winch bumper and suspension upgrade, but even then I sure like the ability to put the winch on the front or rear and you can't do that with most winch bumpers.

I figure if the truck evolves into something else later on, I have only spent about $600 on the front receiver and multimount which I can probably recoup if I decide to go with a winch bumper. Still losing the ability to put it on the rear would suck.

This is a quick and easy way to get a winch on the truck, hands down. There will be naysayers, but when it comes right down to it, the multimount, front receiver, and rear bumper are a hell of a lot stronger than the frame ends of the truck in my opinion.

I have heard about people putting 2 receivers to carry the winch, but it seems like if you were that worried about it, you could add some brackets and bolt the winch carrier down to the bumper when you needed to do a hard side pull.

Heck maybe someday I will have someone fab me a custom front bumper designed for easy on off of the winch! That would rock!

When the winch isn't installed it could have rod holder or something instead.

Hmmm...

 

Looks good!

To stop the "waggles" I drilled a hole in the side & welded a "1/2 nut in it. So I can tighten up the bolt to stop the "waggles".

 

Here is how to make a splashproof housing for your Warn receiver winch solenoid. The solenoid is needed so that the large cables from the battery are not continuously carrying current to the front and back of the vehicle. You want these to be well protected, insulated, and to have a short run of cable from battery to solenoid. Here is what I came up with. Basically a Cantex Junction Box from Home Depot that I shaved 3/4 of an inch off to clear the battery. Cut a large hole in the bottom for the cables. You must then drill 5 holes in the back to mount everything securely with 5/16 bolts. Pretty simple, but worth the added protection and piece of mind.

 

Looks good

 

Great idea, but not sure I am removing my bumper again right away.

 

Ah was able to just drill and tap the receiver. No waggles. Thanks again for the suggestion, FastLayne.