Brainstorm: best way to mount a winch with an intercooler?

My first thought is asking which front bumpers will clear the front frame "horns", as that's where the intercooler is mounted between. However, a lot of bumpers I've seen use that area for the winch mount. And I don't necessarily need a full front bumper.

Function over form here. Removal/modularity/impermanence is totally an option.

 

Thinking out of the box here... what about extending the front of the frame to clear both. I have 96 4X4 and a 98 2 wd and the frame horns on the front are different, the 98 uses a crush box that has a through bolt to extend the front bumper maybe 3 inches and the bumper has bolts that come in through the sides. Maybe your 99 has the same thing. The issue that I can see is if you go this route how far should you extend it before it looks stupid. There are plate front bumper kits that look, well, like plate front bumpers, some people like the look, others hate the look.

There are a couple of advantages with a plate bumper, it is a built in step stool for working on the engine and it is a conveient place to mounts lights and a flat spot to put beverage on.

 

Can't beat a hood hammock! Lol

No I appreciate the outside the box thinking. So are there plate bumpers that have the built in extension, or are you proposing bringing out mounts 3" and making my own?

 

Have you seen this? Pretty slick.

 

I have used the flatland "kit" on my tacomas and the basic bumper and its mounts are part of the kit. You need fabrication skills/materials and time, lots of time to get it to fit right. There are other manufacturers out there but I am a do it yourself type of guy... I can do my own welding and fab work.

 

I couldn't get enough room to make an air to air work, water to air packages easier with respect to installing a heat exchanger. Some people lay air to air intercoolers flat above the skidplate... but I don't think airflow is great.

 

Would there be any space to relocate the intercooler and run a top or side mounted option to free up the frame rails?
TMIC with a hood scoop? It would look a bit unusual but would free up winch mounting options.

 

Ya that's exactly what I'm trying to work around lol. That's where the intercooler is

 

If you swapped front fascias to the the 01-04 grille you can fit an intercooler in the front grill if you gut a bit of its plastic structure.

 

That does look promising.
So the bottom bar goes in front of the frame horns?

 

I think I'd have to downsize the intercooler then too. I think it's around 12" tall

 

oh yeah for sure, I figured that was a given though since there's no physical way to do what you're attempting and have a winch just based on space avail. You can fit an excellently sized heat exchanger (greater thermal potential for the space compared to air to air) in that space though

 

There's not that much room between the engine and the hood, but I suppose dual sides are possible. Would still need a custom bumper to make it not look weird, so I'd probably have to put in the CAD work myself

 

The airflow for side mounts wouldn't be great in the engine bay though.
Inside of the fenders could be cool, but I can't picture how to route air to make that practical.

 

I am leaning towards welding a front class 3 receiver hitch across a steel crossmember attached to the front of the frame horns, then getting one of these so I can move from front to rear on demand. My truck will have a goatee