Does Warn Zeon Platinum 12s fit in ARB winch bumper?

[Surfdc]

Wondering if anyone is running the Warn Zeon Platinum 12s with the control box perched on top of winch in the ARB deluxe winch bumper? Or does this winch control box not clear the grille and require relocating the control box.
Thanks in advance!

 

[LINUS]

I have a Zeon 10K loose under my desk right now (going on Tundra), and a ARB on my 80.

If you want measurements of the solenoid pack & the bumper opening, say the word.

Worst case scenario if you already own the winch is you get the solenoid relocation bridge & stash the solenoid wherever works for you, that's kinda my backup plan if the Demello bumper won't hold the Zeon as configured.

 

[Surfdc]

Thanks Linus that would be great. Need to know if the winch control box clears the grill, ideally don’t want to relocate it, but yes. Worst case scenario I relocate it. Haven’t bought it yet, I think it’s between the Zeon Platinum 12s or the m12000. Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

[LINUS]

The reason I went Zeon even if I need the bridge kit is the solenoid seems better shielded from mud/rain than my M12K I presently have in the ARB.

The Demello bumper is far less friendly for access, so why I chose the Zeon there.
Their design has holes to access the clutch arm, but nothing more.

The easy answer without taking pics is that yes - the Zeon will fit with the solenoid pack on the bridge, but the 2 angled pieces that cover each end spoolcaps/planetary gears may need a little grinder work.

Do you have an ARB so that me saying this makes sense, or do you need pics to help visualize the horizontal pieces with angles on either side the spool I'm talking about?

Also, you might want to 2x-check the Warn site to make sure my 10K Zeon is the same dimensions as a 12K, esp the Platinum vs standard as well - my 10K is standard & I'd just planned to plug in the wireless dongle when using it since you can buy it separately.

I'll get some measures tomorrow in the daylight for you.

 

[LINUS]

Doubleposted

 

[Surfdc]

Thanks again Linus. No ARB has not arrived yet. So pics of horizontal pieces would be great.
I checked the warn website and the Zeon Platinum 10s and 12s are the exact same size. A smudge shorter than the m12k.

 

[LINUS]

Cool, I'll snap a couple pics then, let you see a M12K in a ARB.
IIRC I kissed one of those angles with the grinder to help, but aside from that it is a bolt-up deal.

I installed the winch in the bumper, then both to 80 - IDK if a M12K fits in/out of a installed bumper, just in case that question was in mind. Maybe others here know/tried that way.

 

[DirtaddictLC80]

I installed the winch in the bumper, then both to 80 - IDK if a M12K fits in/out of a installed bumper, just in case that question was in mind. Maybe others here know/tried that way.

I installed a Warn M12K with my ARB bumper installed on the truck. It was a pain in the A$$ but doable.

 

[Surfdc]

Well this is very interesting, I just got off the phone with Warncustomer service, and he recommends that no one use an M 12,000 unless it can be bolted with six bolts,4 forward facing and 2 foot down! He said that only using 4 foot forward bolts is not strong enough and the m12,000 will twist and break anything it’s bolted to! Is anyone out there running the M12000 in an ARB bumper with six bolts?

 

[LINUS]

I added a bunch of shots of my pollen covered, dirty junk in my albums, it's got details of the angle/ triangle shaped taper area that opens to the winch spool.

The arms for the foglights I have are custom, the norm is little single bolt-hole tabs, but the width between my box tube arms & where the taper starts is both 14".

The solenoid pack for the Zeon will fit fine in the opening, provided you don't expect to add a light bar over it - IDK the height of it, but a bar light would probably need to be hung from under the bullbar hoop instead of on top that middle bar. Depends on whose brand light you want/stack height of it.

Also you can see my clutch arm & solenoid pack - both are accessible but you gotta know where stuff is as it was a tight fit to get those lights in on top of that M12K.

The Zeon entire bridge arm the solenoid pack rides on was only 10.5" bolt center - bolt center, so even with all the angles it'll nest between that 14" opening of the ARB. My 10.5" measure is on a Zeon10K-Synth model so IDK about provisions for either 12K span or Platinum since the Platinum had the wireless built-in where I still haven't bought that piece yet.

I'm using the feet forward, and filled all 6 holes of the horizontal for my M12K - I've had decent strain on it & used enough to wear out a wire rope before that synth conversion you see on there, no evidence of needing more hardware to keep it anchored. YMMV.

LMK if you need more, HTH!

 

[Surfdc]

Excellent those pics are super helpful. Thanks again

 

[george_tlc]

Well this is very interesting, I just got off the phone with Warncustomer service, and he recommends that no one use an M 12,000 unless it can be bolted with six bolts,4 forward facing and 2 foot down! He said that only using 4 foot forward bolts is not strong enough and the m12,000 will twist and break anything it’s bolted to! Is anyone out there running the M12000 in an ARB bumper with six bolts?

Really? So, bolted with 4 bolts to thick metal is not as good as 4 bolts to thin metal and 2 bolts to thin bottom plate?

The warn comment is about as scientific as my comment above

My m12000 has been in the arb in front of my 80 for 18+ years and hasn't ripped the arb to bits yet and it has been used to pull a few 80's (and my own) up & over stuff.

cheers,
george.

 

[Surfdc]

I know George, and is it that much stronger than all other 12k winches that only require 4 bolts?
The warn technican cept telling me the 12k is not even an option.
See the mounting instructions:

 

[LINUS]

^^^ Possibly the 6-bolt situation is for simple winch plates like that, where maybe you could rock the plate.

But at the same time, the bolts are only threaded into cast aluminum (I think) - so tough to say. Probably a lawyer thing.

At least encapsulated in a ARB bumper, between me wearing out 1 wire rope & George may have 2 to his name by now - seems 4 or 6 on the face works fine.

I even run a simple compound nearly every single pull just to get into deeper wraps on the spool, so if you go M-series or Zeon, at least between myself and George we have some 30+ yrs of useage in 4 bolts forward.

Whatever makes you most happy when mounting it I suppose

 

[Surfdc]

Well the answer to the title of this post is....no.
It does not fit.
Well not without 1” of spacer plates.
And longer bolts.
And the warn relocation kit for the control box.
I called warn to ask about this because it states right on their website that this winch does fit the ARB.
He also said that they never recommend using spacer plates or washers because the torque of the winch frame will break them. And it would void the warranty.

 

[musthave]

Which Warn winches WILL fit the 80 ARB without modification?

 

[Surfdc]

By my measurements:
M12
M8
9.5xp
Xd9
Vr8
Vr10 maybe
All others require spacers and control box relocation kit.

 

[jonheld]

Well this is very interesting, I just got off the phone with Warncustomer service, and he recommends that no one use an M 12,000 unless it can be bolted with six bolts,4 forward facing and 2 foot down! He said that only using 4 foot forward bolts is not strong enough and the m12,000 will twist and break anything it’s bolted to! Is anyone out there running the M12000 in an ARB bumper with six bolts?

You would have to weld a bottom plate on the ARB to add support for bottom bolts. The ARB bar was originally designed around the Warn M10K, which was discontinued and replaced by the M12K. There are many many M12Ks sitting in ARBs around the world, and there has been no reported issues that I know of. Mine has been on 2 different 80s over the years and still pulls like a naughty school boy.

 

[theQuaz]

By my measurements:
M12
M8
9.5xp
Xd9
Vr8
Vr10 maybe
All others require spacers and control box relocation kit.

Also M12-s (97720) per a half hour call I had with WARN today. You would need an offset hawse fairlead for this setup.