Hidden Winch

[Lefty]

This little idea isn't for everyone, but it works well for me. i don't go off road, try to ford raging rivers, or climb over rocks. I do need to use a winch every once in a while, maybe once or twice every couple of years. The situation is always the same. I pull someone who is stuck in the snow, on more or less level ground. Or maybe even, I have to pull myself loose. A new off road bumper with a heavy duty winch would be overkill.

I chose to install a hidden winch instead. The one I chose was rated at 4,700 lbs, more than enough for my purposes. My Ranger reg cab weighs in at 3,000. I mounted it just behind the front valance, bolted a 4'' wide chunk of steel to the frame just in front of the radiator. I reinforced the valance just behind the fairlead. and bingo, everything came together.

Actually I've used it twice already. Works like a champ.

 

[superj]

I always had a light weight winch like that for my wrangler and never had a bit of trouble with it. People buy these 12k winches and that is over kill.

 

[Lefty]

Those big winches can be a blessing when you are far from the beaten path and no tow trucks can get there.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I tried, it would take a lot of radiator support surgery to get the winch to fit behind the bumper.

 

[Lefty]

For sure! A smaller hidden winch is not for heavy duty use.

If you need something that pulls 10,000 pounds or more, then by all means, make those radical modifications. Remove the valance. Weld on a new bumper. Do what you gotta do. Big boy winches are wonderful, especially if you go off road and look for trouble, miles from nowhere, where a tow truck would never even attempt a rescue.

Yesterday a friend had a wrecker deliver a broken down SAAB to my house. The driver couldn't back his truck into my driveway so he dropped it off just beyond. We could have just pushed it up the driveway, but he pavement was covered with snow and ice. We winched it into the garage instead. A 4,700 winch is perfect for this sort of work.

A snatch block can be used to double its capacity, of course. I got one. I bought it years and years ago when I had a jeep. I kept it when I bought another truck, and have never used it anyway. My needs are different. I'm that kind of guy.

 

[sgtsandman]

I always had a light weight winch like that for my wrangler and never had a bit of trouble with it. People buy these 12k winches and that is over kill.

Not really. If you are driving off road and someone gets stuck, you aren't just pulling the weight of the vehicle but fighting to raise it up out of the mud or ditch and often a straight line pull is not possible. A good rule of thumb is about 2.5 - 3 times the weight of the vehicle is needed. Since a 4X4 Ranger is about 3,300# empty a 12,000# isn't an unrealistic buffer and there are more options available. A 10,000# winch would be a better match and a 9,000# winch would be either just enough or a bit on the weak side depending on which side of the rule you are working with. Add in recovery and camping gear, the need for the 12,000# winch and the inadequacy of the lower rated winches start to become more apparent. Now if the Ranger is fully loaded on the trail (1,250#), even 12,000# may not be enough but falls in the 2.5 - 3 times weight range. Never mind driving off road that heavy being a poor plan.

 

[Lefty]

For sure! A smaller hidden winch is not for heavy duty use.

If you need something that pulls 10,000 pounds or more, then by all means, make those radical modifications. Remove the valance. Weld on a new bumper. Do what you gotta do. Big boy winches are wonderful, especially if you go off road and look for trouble, miles from nowhere, where a tow truck would never even attempt a rescue.

Yesterday a friend had a wrecker deliver a broken down SAAB to my house. The driver couldn't back his truck into my driveway so he dropped it off just beyond. We could have just pushed it up the driveway, but he pavement was covered with snow and ice. We winched it into the garage instead. A 4,700 winch is perfect for this sort of work.

A snatch block can be used to double its capacity, of course. I got one. I bought it years and years ago when I had a jeep. I kept it when I bought another truck, and have never used it anyway. My needs are different. I'm that kind of guy.

 

[RonD]

I have the best and cheapest hidden winch
I only go off-roading with others that have winches

But in fairness I usually have to do more "fixin" on their rigs than they do winching on mine, lol

 

[Lefty]

Yes. Once again, that big boy winch is perfect for big boy jobs.

I have personally never needed one, never gone off road, probably never will, never needed to haul another vehicle fully loaded with camping gear, never will.

A hidden winch is for smaller applications, not for the jobs you mentioned. 4,700 pounds is perfectly adequate for my purposes.

 

[sgtsandman]

Yes. Once again, that big boy winch is perfect for big boy jobs.

I have personally never needed one, never gone off road, probably never will, never needed to haul another vehicle fully loaded with camping gear, never will.

A hidden winch is for smaller applications, not for the jobs you mentioned. 4,700 pounds is perfectly adequate for my purposes.

On road, I agree. I have some questions on the durability of your fair lead setup but most on road work doesn't need a lot. Since I don't have a winch yet, I have shackles, dog bones, and recovery straps. Technically, you are better setup than I am as far as equipment goes.

 

[Lefty]

On road, I agree. I have some questions on the durability of your fair lead setup but most on road work doesn't need a lot. Since I don't have a winch yet, I have shackles, dog bones, and recovery straps. Technically, you are better setup than I am as far as equipment goes.

The fairlead is bolted to the valance, but those same two bolts are also fastened to the mounting bracket in order to support the fairlead and the valance. I had a plan B in mind, but didn't seem to need it.

BTW: This was once a Ranger Edge which did not come with tow loops. I've installed a couple I found at the Upull yard just in case I need more pulling power. So if I should ever need to yank real hard, harder than 4,700 lbs, i've got that option too.

 

[superj]

Not really. If you are driving off road and someone gets stuck, you aren't just pulling the weight of the vehicle but fighting to raise it up out of the mud or ditch and often a straight line pull is not possible. A good rule of thumb is about 2.5 - 3 times the weight of the vehicle is needed. Since a 4X4 Ranger is about 3,300# empty a 12,000# isn't an unrealistic buffer and there are more options available. A 10,000# winch would be a better match and a 9,000# winch would be either just enough or a bit on the weak side depending on which side of the rule you are working with. Add in recovery and camping gear, the need for the 12,000# winch and the inadequacy of the lower rated winches start to become more apparent. Now if the Ranger is fully loaded on the trail (1,250#), even 12,000# may not be enough but falls in the 2.5 - 3 times weight range. Never mind driving off road that heavy being a poor plan.

I understand all the stuff that is said about that but my dad always took us 4 wheeling in virginia when i was little and they only ever had a 3-4k with a hi lift and some snatch blocks, which is what i always kept in case i ever got in that kind of trouble. i never did because i never really did anything worth a winch. You don't really need one in sand so i got rid of it but even going off road in georgia with friends and red clay, we never needed anything heavy duty like that so that is why i feel the way i do.

Of course, others feel different from their experiences

 

[Ranger850]

This was once a Ranger Edge which did not come with tow loops.

I thought they were part of the Edge package. Mine has black ones.

 

[Lefty]

I thought they were part of the Edge package. Mine has black ones.

Sadly, not mine. I bought it used just a year ago. There were a lot of things missing

 

[Shran]

Probably will be fine as long as you keep its limits in mind.

I would just advise anyone reading that a winch rated for X/lbs needs a mount and mounting hardware rated accordingly. Additionally... every wrap of rope/cable that you add to the drum decreases the pull capacity. And cheap winches are notoriously overrated...

I have been in plenty of situations with my Ranger where it was so stuck that my 8k Smittybilt would not pull it out. I have a 12k winch on my car trailer, I tried to pull an Explorer onto it that had flat tires and was frozen to the ground... the winch had enough power to drag my 7000lb F250 and 2500lb car trailer backwards with the parking brake on and over the wheel chocks I had set up. You have to know what your equipment's limits are and it is very easy to exceed those in the blink of an eye with electric winches. I have just seen enough broken and damaged vehicles from winching that I am very cautious with them these days. Small cables, cheap parts, tiny grade 2 bolts, inadequate mounts... very good way to get hurt.