I mounted my Asfir hidden winch mount and installed an Engo 10k winch. I thought I would share my experience in hopes of offering guidance to others who are considering this.
Short version: it works if you're willing to trim the stock skid plates and get creative with the bumper cover.
First, I bought the mount several years ago from a 4x4 shop that went out of business. I think they were a US Asfir distributor and they had this mount listed on their facebook clearance section. I paid around $200 shipped for it and considered it worth the risk. At the time, I wasn't sure if it would fit. I gave it a quick try, but it sat in my basement with a carryover winch for a few years.
There are no installation directions so I followed various ARB and TJM instructions to figure out the removal of the stock bumper. The installation of the winch mount was fairly self explanatory from there. The mount bolts to the frame rails with 4 bolts on each side after you remove the end caps. There are separate Asfir brackets on the ends that offer additional bracing. This part was fairly simple.
The stock skid plates would not bolt back up to the front mounts. The Asfir mount had holes for the skids, but they didn't align and not even close. The contour/slope of the rear of the winch mount didn't follow the stock configuration. I racked my brain for a few hours and days, ultimately deciding to cut a few inches off the front of the skid plates all the way across the front. It's not pretty, but I didn't see a better option. The front of the skids are chopped off at the center mount of the crossmember.
I rotated the clutch and bolted the winch to the mount. I used longer wires for the box so I could move it up behind the grill, mounted to a piece of metal.
Cutting holes for the fairlead was fairly simple with some careful measuring and eye-balling. A second set of hands and eyes were a big help.
Getting the bumper cover back on was another curveball. Again, the contour of the lower mount didn't follow the bumper cover. There was contact on the front of the mount and it caused the lower center section of the bumper cover to bulge and deform. It didn't look great and it also caused several of the bolts to not be aligned (bumper cover and splash guards). After I got all of the bolts back in that I could, I used my floor jack and a 2x4 to bend the bumper cover into a more appropriate shape. I left it overnight a couple of times and I used zip ties to hold some of the spots. You can't tell unless you crawl under.
Finally, I trimmed holes in the engine cover (name?) so I could reach my arm down to the clutch and control box.
I wonder if my mount is an older version, or a non-US spec, or something else. I'm happy to trade a few zip ties for a winch, but it's not ideal.
Good luck to the others.
