Has anyone been able to successfully put this winch in a hidden winch configuration?
Hidden Winch
- Thread starter 1gr8FoSemty
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Not that one but the one I installed was a similar price and I am happy. See my thread for details.
Yet another "not that winch" post, but I installed a smittybilt x2o 12k on a hidden mount from @TRAIL TAILOR. I did relocate the control box under the hood right in front of the air filter box - the x2o also has a box that generally sits on top of the winch but doesn't have to.
If you need some photos of clearances and whatnot, let me know. I can grab some pictures when I get home this evening.
- Thread starter
- #6
If you don't mind, that would be helpful. I don't think the winch I want will fit.
Will do, got any place you're concerned with in particular?
- Thread starter
- #8
Height clearance to closest obstruction would be good.
Can you provide a link to said thread? Thanks
Do you have a metal cutting beaver? I like that aluminum mount you made but what made those tool marks like that?
I did a similar "not that winch" install, with the 10K X20 and Trail Tailor HWM, on an early model LX470, I was expecting to have to relocate the control box, but was able to squeeze it in there.
I did one too. Here's the thread with some pics.
Again, different winch and I have the remote control, which is great. I'm really happy with it. I have used it a few times to pull some relatively heavy trucks out of dumb places. I think it's great that no one knows it's there 'til I need it.
Again, different winch and I have the remote control, which is great. I'm really happy with it. I have used it a few times to pull some relatively heavy trucks out of dumb places. I think it's great that no one knows it's there 'til I need it.
Yes pleasesir if you can send more photos. I have am 06LX too and curious if it’s possible to raise the winch plate mount so my fairlead can end up here:
Dirt Baby LX - SoCal Explorer Log
Hello Mud. Last year I decided that I wanted to trade my trusty '01 GMC Jimmy in for a similar vintage 100 series truck for more adventures of the off road kind. Dirt Baby 1.0 was a trusty friend and we had many adventures together. Built a house, remodeled another and built countless...
forum.ih8mud.com
Of course I didn't get to the pictures until it was pretty late - here's what I've got.
Note the side clearance here - It should be greater than that, but I decided to tie the remained of my front bumper support into the winch plate just for funsies. If you follow the instructions provided by TrailTailor, you cut the support off flush with the frame rails. I punched new holes in the winch plate and trimmed the support to end up relatively close to the winch.
I would say that there just might be enough room above to keep the control box mounted on top, but you also may have to trim that center support bracket a little to get it to fit. I can try to grab some photos with a tape measure later - it was pretty late when I finally remember to go snap these!
Here's the mounted control box under the hood. Something to keep in mind is how to access the connection on the box. With the smittybilt box mounted on top of the winch, the button and connector would face forward, straight into the bumper cover. Would be a pain to access in that position. I ran these wires through the bumper and fender then through a cutout for something else into the engine bay. Be smarter than me and order flexible wires off the internet. I got a bunch from HD and there were stiff enough to be a real pain.
The original bracket/piece of aluminum was rescued from a recycling bin at a friend of mine's company. Besides the LX and tacoma, I'm also part of a chumpcar team, so he grabs any interesting pieces of metal or bracketry that we might find handy. I just trimmed it up using a grinder. No idea what made the original bracket, though, they might just have a metal cutting beaver!
I don't think it would be possible. If you raised the winch up high enough to put the fairlead there, you might interfere with that bumper cover center support in photo 1/2. Also, the way the two winch plates I've considered (ASFIR and TrailTailor) bolt onto the frame is from underneath, where the tow points are. You'd need to raise the plate up by the same amount as you want the fairlead up for it to work. I assume these plates are all flat because it allows for good spacing of the winch and the loads are easier to account for (IE straight sheer forces at the mount points, rather than offset vertically).
I kinda did a s***ty paint job on this photo to show the relationships between then frame rails, the plate, and the mount points for the fairlead.
Here you go!
Dirt Baby LX - SoCal Explorer Log
Hello Mud. Last year I decided that I wanted to trade my trusty '01 GMC Jimmy in for a similar vintage 100 series truck for more adventures of the off road kind. Dirt Baby 1.0 was a trusty friend and we had many adventures together. Built a house, remodeled another and built countless...
Actually 1MParker's thread has some really good photos of his installation as well. You can see just how much clearance is in there. I did the same as him and ordered a factor55 1.5" fairlead to get some better bumper flushness.
If you put your fairlead up there you will have to cut through the bumper all the way from left to right and you will have fairlead sticking out on either side.
The HF Apex control box is pretty huge. Though someone removed the internals from the case to make it smaller. With the wireless controller you don't really need to access it. Just leave it set to wireless mode and use the battery cutoff.
Another consideration is that the apex unit doesn't allow you to clock clutch lever. I'm not sure how those hidden winch units mount or how you're supposed to access the clutch but that could be a problem.
Another consideration is that the apex unit doesn't allow you to clock clutch lever. I'm not sure how those hidden winch units mount or how you're supposed to access the clutch but that could be a problem.
Do you think there is a shorter length fairlead enough to fit in the center?
Of course I didn't get to the pictures until it was pretty late - here's what I've got.
View attachment 2334329
View attachment 2334330
Note the side clearance here - It should be greater than that, but I decided to tie the remained of my front bumper support into the winch plate just for funsies. If you follow the instructions provided by TrailTailor, you cut the support off flush with the frame rails. I punched new holes in the winch plate and trimmed the support to end up relatively close to the winch.
View attachment 2334331
I would say that there just might be enough room above to keep the control box mounted on top, but you also may have to trim that center support bracket a little to get it to fit. I can try to grab some photos with a tape measure later - it was pretty late when I finally remember to go snap these!
Here's the mounted control box under the hood. Something to keep in mind is how to access the connection on the box. With the smittybilt box mounted on top of the winch, the button and connector would face forward, straight into the bumper cover. Would be a pain to access in that position. I ran these wires through the bumper and fender then through a cutout for something else into the engine bay. Be smarter than me and order flexible wires off the internet. I got a bunch from HD and there were stiff enough to be a real pain.
View attachment 2334337
The original bracket/piece of aluminum was rescued from a recycling bin at a friend of mine's company. Besides the LX and tacoma, I'm also part of a chumpcar team, so he grabs any interesting pieces of metal or bracketry that we might find handy. I just trimmed it up using a grinder. No idea what made the original bracket, though, they might just have a metal cutting beaver!
I don't think it would be possible. If you raised the winch up high enough to put the fairlead there, you might interfere with that bumper cover center support in photo 1/2. Also, the way the two winch plates I've considered (ASFIR and TrailTailor) bolt onto the frame is from underneath, where the tow points are. You'd need to raise the plate up by the same amount as you want the fairlead up for it to work. I assume these plates are all flat because it allows for good spacing of the winch and the loads are easier to account for (IE straight sheer forces at the mount points, rather than offset vertically).
I kinda did a s***ty paint job on this photo to show the relationships between then frame rails, the plate, and the mount points for the fairlead.
View attachment 2334338
I just saw this my connection too slow to load the image you attached. Oh well I guess the best and less complicated way really is just go for a steel bumper rather than the oe bumper + hidden winch for me. Thanks man for the illustration.
