front axle cinch...ideas? (1 Viewer)

[woody]

Next on the never-ending list of rig tweaks is incorporating a method of winching/cinching down the front suspension for hillclimbs....

Unfortunately, this isn't as easy as it sounds when you have leaf springs, stock stuff, motors, drag links, etc all in the way....

I presently run a limit-chain in front....there is a 1" OD tube running from frame rail to frame rail, bent down in the center, located immediately below the harmonic balancer pulley....tab on the bottom of that directly above the front axle, with a tab there...chain allows about 2" of center drop before it's tight. (yes, this needs a strap and not a chain, but I'm still adjusting...)

With the positioning of the axle behind the under-rad crossmember, running a direct line from the winch to the axle isn't terribly realistic...pulls it too much forward versus upward...and with the rear shackles, that would make it worse. The 1" crosstube is too light to handle the cinch work (IMO) so that's out too...

is my "only" option a stronger crosstube and running over that? other thoughts? anyone done a front cinch with leaf's and got a pic?

Got a few other ideas, but looking at all options....

 

[Eskimo]

A friend of mine mounted his 8274 mid-ships, and ran the cable through some pullies.. If you had to share the winch with pulling duties, perhaps a short piece of rope (through a pulley) with a loop on the end that would allow for you to quickly hook up to it without tossing your hook up and over a crossmember near hot engine stuff? At the right length, this could also act as a limit strap of sorts (If you made sure the loop couldn't pull through)

You're gonna love this MS paint crap...

The red is a bracket the rope would pass through.

P.S. How do you like that center limit "strap"? For lack of a front wrap bar, I'm considering it myself...

 

[woody]

IMO, running the front and rear center limits are the s***....love them. No articulation issues, and major help on breakovers....actually "forces" the rig to change it's center and tip over things. That RTI pic I did a while back with the rear tire 60" in the air is with both limits installed, max 2" droop at either end.

Nice photowhore work...that's one of the ideas I have too....hhhhmmmm...not sure a true pulley is required, but it would work...bungee the upper-end of the rope to keep it clear of junk, and set it up so the end loop won't allow it thru the upper ring...

hhhmmmmm....ideas ideas.......

 

[wngrog]

I run a separate peice of amstel blue rope that is mounted to the rear of the truck.

It is under the front axle tube and the rear axle tube.

When I cinch down the winch, it sucks both ends down at the same time. It works great.

Even with the new 4 link, I plan on doing both ends at once or neither.

 

[LAME]

I did what you are thinking of doing right after Memorial weekend. I'll get pics when my rig shows back up at my house tomorrow.

This past weekend I just ran a limit chain, and like that as well.

It does suck when you are on a hill climb and have to use the winch for extraction. Trail bitches get crabby when they have to disconnect the winch from the axle.

Another thing that concerns me, is Rusert's lline broke at a wear point while winching a big waterfall in SE MN. I wounder if the same thing could develop from weaving the line through a bunch of stuff to pull the axle.

 

[woody]

I purchased 50' of tube webbing for sleeving the winch rope ($15)...don't recall the rating but it was sufficient for a cinch setup.

I've got 4 sleeves on the rope now to prevent wear...I think runnin the webbing thru then attaching to the winch might work...

next would be removing the stock hook to feed the line back thru....hhhhmmm

need to lay under the rig for a few hours and figger this out

 

[LAME]

I run a clevis.

Take a look at how much you can really cinch it up. I only could get it to suck down about 2" because of s*** in the way.

 

[HI^C]

More HP
More right foot
less metal to see around

Let the air out

BTW there was a thread not to long ago about how to get a rig in a garage door. SAME

WHY LIMIT?

 

[cruiseroutfit]

We use the front and rear winches (ont he axles) independently all the time, there are alot of situations for each...

This last season the rig has been sporting a cheap Harbor Freight winch on the rear end, alot of other competitors are using the same one, it has held up to a seasons worth of abuse thusfar...

Mabey you could rig the same thing on the front, the winches are small and lightweight...

 

[woody]

More HP
More right foot
less metal to see around

Let the air out

BTW there was a thread not to long ago about how to get a rig in a garage door. SAME

WHY LIMIT?

you don't get it.

 

[wngrog]

Woody,

Just run your front winch under both axles and back up like I did to test it. If you like the way it works, just get the small section of rope from Rockstomper ($25 with full sleeve and 2 eyelets) and do what I did.

If you just want to do the rear, run it over the front axle.

If you want to do the front only.....well, with leafs, good luck. High 5 has his running straight down like Eskimo's illustration and he sucks his down in the front, but it does not doo that much. Just keeps it from unloading.

 

[cruiserrg]

I think smaller winches with a strap instead of winch line and use as a limit strap and cinch. For cheap using you existing winch with leaders for cinching is probably the best. I personally would want independent control for climbs and descents, keep the vehicle angles better and weight where it should be. (Theory: cinched both ends going down a ledge would have the nose drop early as the axle weight pulls it down, uncinched front would allow the axle to come over slightly first before the nose...but what do I know I don't have my rig running yet).

 

[Rock Taxi]

I think Nolen cinching his rig down takes alot of the excitement out of wheeling with him.

Ed

 

[Texican]

In keeping with the character of the rest of your rig, let me suggest a pair of hand boat winchs, run the cable to each axle and just crank them down when you need to.
Just mount em to the front of the dash....
I think they are about $20 each at Wal Mart.

 

[Eskimo]

In keeping with the character of the rest of your rig, let me suggest a pair of hand boat winchs, run the cable to each axle and just crank them down when you need to.
Just mount em to the front of the dash....
I think they are about $20 each at Wal Mart.

bbwwaaahahahah :laughing:

Or some come-alongs mounted on the tranny tunnel?

 

[bustanutley]

That is too funny to even possibly try to express through text.

 

[LAME]

Here is my hacked together solution

 

[Texican]

Here is my hacked together solution

I don't recall seeing quite so much "booty fab" since Kemper left Texas..............

 

[LAME]

I don't recall seeing quite so much "booty fab" since Kemper left Texas..............

Just go check out any of your "build" threads

Only fabbing Shreg does is writing a check.

 

[gunmetalcruz]

mines been set up simular to lame's for about 2 years . I run the rope of the back of the spol and down under the stock crossmember. Then i have a tube going from motor mount plate to motor mount plate. The 9000 will suck it down to the bump stops fully compressed with no pulley. I run a steal locking caribiner or clevis works well to. I think their is to many times when you would not want the rear sucked down when going for a wall climb that i would keep them seperate. The only time you need a rear is to drop of ledges when your in front dig only with the rear park locks on, front atlas only. With links it important but with leafs it a non issue. The only thing i have done is to run a bungee to the biner- to the oil pan tube to keep the slack up when you have it loose. This helps with having slack hanging down and your rock getting cut when dragging the housing over rocks. The only thing that's tricky is I run the rope between the hydraliic lines, so you have to be damn sure of your routing.