Well I started with a TJ winch plate I got used from a buddy. Did some cutting and grinding and walah! I like the finished product. Turned out decent looking.

Bumper off


Crossmember cut off, winch platw mock up. (also drew in where i want to run some tubing later on)


Put some plate to help support the frame and some shackle hangers


Added some pipe in btwn the frame rails to help support it.



And finished up by setting it up on there



Hellas are just wired in to the stock harness. The plate is held on 4 1/2 grade 8 bolts and locknuts. Should be good to go. We'll see once it take it out and try to rip it off. Any ideas on where to mount the solenoid box?

 

Mount it on the frame behind one of those lights if you've got room.

I like how you got it all tucked up in there.

 

i like it, how much man hours did it take to get this far? What about the price of the metal.

 

Metal was free, Buddy is a 3rd generation sheet metal worker at a local fab shop. He just picked up droppings and cut what dimensions i wanted on the plasma. But the metal wouldnt cost you more than $30 or $40. I only used 6 pieces of 1/4" plate and the shackle hangers are sold for like $6 a piece I think and he had that piece of pipe in his shop. And it was prolly 6 or 7 man hours stretched across 2 or 3 weeks. I'm was in no rush as the truck doesnt have a motor right now anyways. Behind those lights is an option, will look at that tomorrow. I May just get longer cables made and run it under the hood by the battery tray. It's hardwired into the cab so if i absolutely needed access to the remote I could just pop the hood and plug it, then drop the hood.

BTW Thanks for the compliments!

 

Just as a recommendation, any time you weld rusting metal, take 2 minutes to sand down at least an inch around where you are welding (looks like you welded over the rusty parts on the tube). It'll make the welds much cleaner and stronger.

Otherwise looks great man. What type of winch is it? Also, was that done with a Stick Welder? Or you got a MIG machine?

 

Flux core. No gas. Good info on the welding around the rust. Thanks man! I cleaned the rust off after welding before I painted it, at least. lol
Thanks though and it's one of those cheap smittybuilts. XRC8. Got it a while back and it pulls fine, but if it ever gives me grief i'll go straight to a m8.