Installing a winch on my GX470 - hitch mounted - yes or no? (1 Viewer)

[danmm7]

Hi All,

Here is some background. 2005 Lexus GX470 in great condition with about 130k miles on it. Factory tow package installed.
I never offroad the truck, it spends 8 months of the year mostly parked in the garage with no hard driving or abuse. It's driven occasionally around town.

Since this is our winter/mountain vehicle, things change when we take it to the mountains where we have a cabin. It's pretty high at 6500 ft and we get a good amount of snow and cold weather. The truck has good snow tires and all, but on a few occasions, going through some un-plowed areas or even our long but relatively flat driveway, we got it stuck. The snow sometimes is just too deep and icy. Nothing can help much when all 4 tires are barely touching the iced surface. IN those very few occasions, i wished i had a winch to pull myself out of the deep snow, instead of waiting for someone else to pull me out.

So, to sum it up, i am thinking about adding a winch to the GX470 for the occasional need to pull myself out of deep snow. This will not be used for extreme off-road situations and it may get used 1-2 times a year or less.

Given the above, i have a few newbie questions:

1. I want to preserve the stock look as much as possible. Not interested in buying a new non-oem bumper. Other than using a rear hitch mounted winch mount and a winch....do i have any other affordable options? I am very handy, but i am not a welder.

2. If i go with a rear hitch mounted winch - are there any limitations/issues with this setup? Is this even a good idea?

3. I read some sizing recommendations and looks like i need a 9000lbs rated winch. Does this sound right for the GX and for my actual limited use?

4. I am trying to keep the cost reasonable, so what would be a good brand/model, entry level, but reliable winch? I see Harbor Freight sells their cheapo brand for $350-400 and then i also see some winches priced at $1800. I am really not looking to spend $1800 or even $1000 on a winch that i will use once a year, but i also don't want to buy something that will fail right when i need it.

5. Wiring - i am good with running wires around cars, but never wired a winch before. What do i need for this application? I read that the stock type battery & alternator may not be up to the task to feed a winch. Is this really an issue with the GX?? Will a 9k winch really stress and destroy the battery and alternator if the car is running while i am using it?

6. Anything else i need to be aware of?


Thank you in advance!

 

[JLee]

Are these situations something where you could get by with a set of Maxtrax or tire chains? If you only use a winch once a year, you're going to want to make sure the line is properly maintained/checked for damage and that the winch actually works before you need it.

BudBuilt does make a hidden winch mount: 03-09 Lexus Hidden Winch Mount

The Harbor Freight winches are generally well regarded for their price point, but if you can get by with other traction aids it'd be a lot less complicated (also, winches are heavy!).

 

[Merlin2111]

I was going to say to look into Maxtrax or an equivalent type product. I have never personally used them but just from watching countless youtube videos they seem to be the first step in getting out of a situation and usually they do a darn good job. No maintenance and less money seem like a good combo for your usage.

 

[jonshonda]

I would think a good shovel, maxtrax type product, good aggressive tires, and maybe a hi-lift jack would get you out of most sticky situations.

 

[danmm7]

Thanks guys for the responses and offering a good alternative.
I am having hard time finding Maxtrax platforms for less than $300/pair. This is not exactly cheap but i am sure there may be other alternatives, etc.
I am well aware that a winch will cost me more than $300 but i am also considering the fact that a Harbor Freight winch (priced at $350) may be easier to use if my wife is alone with the kids and gets stuck.
Not sure if she will be able to deal with the shovel, the Maxtrax platforms under the tires, access to them, etc, etc. I do see the value in the Maxtrax solution. It is a very clever, yet simple solution, but i am not sure if it will always work great if my truck is buried in 3ft of snow.

Last time i got stuck (last week), i really tried to clear the tires and put some wood boards and carpet mats under the spinning tires and it did not go very well. Maxtrax looks like it has the necessary "hooks" for the tires to grab it, but i still need to clear all the snow and get to the tires. I can do it. Not sure about my wife.

If i do decide to go with the winch.... what would be the minimum i would need? Is the hitch even a good option? Can i power it safely using the stock alternator and good quality battery? Any other considerations?

Thank you!

 

[JLee]

Thanks guys for the responses and offering a good alternative.
I am having hard time finding Maxtrax platforms for less than $300/pair. This is not exactly cheap but i am sure there may be other alternatives, etc.
I am well aware that a winch will cost me more than $300 but i am also considering the fact that a Harbor Freight winch (priced at $350) may be easier to use if my wife is alone with the kids and gets stuck.
Not sure if she will be able to deal with the shovel, the Maxtrax platforms under the tires, access to them, etc, etc. I do see the value in the Maxtrax solution. It is a very clever, yet simple solution, but i am not sure if it will always work great if my truck is buried in 3ft of snow.

Last time i got stuck (last week), i really tried to clear the tires and put some wood boards and carpet mats under the spinning tires and it did not go very well. Maxtrax looks like it has the necessary "hooks" for the tires to grab it, but i still need to clear all the snow and get to the tires. I can do it. Not sure about my wife.

If i do decide to go with the winch.... what would be the minimum i would need? Is the hitch even a good option? Can i power it safely using the stock alternator and good quality battery? Any other considerations?

Thank you!

Winches can be very dangerous without knowledge behind them - keep that in mind, and make sure anyone using it knows how.

 

[NMBruce]

You said "Nothing can help much when all 4 tires are barely touching the iced surface." I have tried to use MaxxTracs on ice and they suck, since there is nothing for the underside of the track is on ice, it will just shoot out from under the tires.

 

[JLee]

You said "Nothing can help much when all 4 tires are barely touching the iced surface." I have tried to use MaxxTracs on ice and they suck, since there is nothing for the underside of the track is on ice, it will just shoot out from under the tires.

Installing tire chains before getting into such a situation would be better than a winch, I think.

 

[pjskinner]

Bush Winches and Anchors | Vehicle recovery system

Just another option...

 

[GXO]

I agree with @JLee on this one. If you are in that thick with ice chains will pay off before a winch. A hidden winch in the front will be much more reliable (and easier) than one in the cab that you have to haul out, wire up, etc in the moment. You can jump out, grab, pull, and go. If you have chains you will reduce your need of the winch by 50-70%.

 

[SMD]

Hi All,

Here is some background. 2005 Lexus GX470 in great condition with about 130k miles on it. Factory tow package installed.
I never offroad the truck, it spends 8 months of the year mostly parked in the garage with no hard driving or abuse. It's driven occasionally around town.

Since this is our winter/mountain vehicle, things change when we take it to the mountains where we have a cabin. It's pretty high at 6500 ft and we get a good amount of snow and cold weather. The truck has good snow tires and all, but on a few occasions, going through some un-plowed areas or even our long but relatively flat driveway, we got it stuck. The snow sometimes is just too deep and icy. Nothing can help much when all 4 tires are barely touching the iced surface. IN those very few occasions, i wished i had a winch to pull myself out of the deep snow, instead of waiting for someone else to pull me out.

So, to sum it up, i am thinking about adding a winch to the GX470 for the occasional need to pull myself out of deep snow. This will not be used for extreme off-road situations and it may get used 1-2 times a year or less.

Given the above, i have a few newbie questions:

1. I want to preserve the stock look as much as possible. Not interested in buying a new non-oem bumper. Other than using a rear hitch mounted winch mount and a winch....do i have any other affordable options? I am very handy, but i am not a welder.

2. If i go with a rear hitch mounted winch - are there any limitations/issues with this setup? Is this even a good idea?

3. I read some sizing recommendations and looks like i need a 9000lbs rated winch. Does this sound right for the GX and for my actual limited use?

4. I am trying to keep the cost reasonable, so what would be a good brand/model, entry level, but reliable winch? I see Harbor Freight sells their cheapo brand for $350-400 and then i also see some winches priced at $1800. I am really not looking to spend $1800 or even $1000 on a winch that i will use once a year, but i also don't want to buy something that will fail right when i need it.

5. Wiring - i am good with running wires around cars, but never wired a winch before. What do i need for this application? I read that the stock type battery & alternator may not be up to the task to feed a winch. Is this really an issue with the GX?? Will a 9k winch really stress and destroy the battery and alternator if the car is running while i am using it?

6. Anything else i need to be aware of?


Thank you in advance!

Hi All,

Here is some background. 2005 Lexus GX470 in great condition with about 130k miles on it. Factory tow package installed.
I never offroad the truck, it spends 8 months of the year mostly parked in the garage with no hard driving or abuse. It's driven occasionally around town.

Since this is our winter/mountain vehicle, things change when we take it to the mountains where we have a cabin. It's pretty high at 6500 ft and we get a good amount of snow and cold weather. The truck has good snow tires and all, but on a few occasions, going through some un-plowed areas or even our long but relatively flat driveway, we got it stuck. The snow sometimes is just too deep and icy. Nothing can help much when all 4 tires are barely touching the iced surface. IN those very few occasions, i wished i had a winch to pull myself out of the deep snow, instead of waiting for someone else to pull me out.

So, to sum it up, i am thinking about adding a winch to the GX470 for the occasional need to pull myself out of deep snow. This will not be used for extreme off-road situations and it may get used 1-2 times a year or less.

Given the above, i have a few newbie questions:

1. I want to preserve the stock look as much as possible. Not interested in buying a new non-oem bumper. Other than using a rear hitch mounted winch mount and a winch....do i have any other affordable options? I am very handy, but i am not a welder.

2. If i go with a rear hitch mounted winch - are there any limitations/issues with this setup? Is this even a good idea?

3. I read some sizing recommendations and looks like i need a 9000lbs rated winch. Does this sound right for the GX and for my actual limited use?

4. I am trying to keep the cost reasonable, so what would be a good brand/model, entry level, but reliable winch? I see Harbor Freight sells their cheapo brand for $350-400 and then i also see some winches priced at $1800. I am really not looking to spend $1800 or even $1000 on a winch that i will use once a year, but i also don't want to buy something that will fail right when i need it.

5. Wiring - i am good with running wires around cars, but never wired a winch before. What do i need for this application? I read that the stock type battery & alternator may not be up to the task to feed a winch. Is this really an issue with the GX?? Will a 9k winch really stress and destroy the battery and alternator if the car is running while i am using it?

6. Anything else i need to be aware of?


Thank you in advance!

Hi. I just installed a 12000 pound winch behind my factory bumper on my 2006 GX470. I used a generic winch plate from Harbor Freight which cost me about $50. Let me state that I have average diy skills and less than average with metal. I had to drill six half inch holes in the winch plate and the factory metal frame bumper( under the plastic bumper). I also had to trim a thin section of the metal bumper so that the winch plate would lie flat and would also fit the entire winch easily. I also had to trim some of the plastic bumper for the fairlead, which was easy. I took my time and without any experience at this I was thrilled at the result. I kept the original look of the GX with the exception of the winch fairlead, which could be hidden by a license plate. I just mounted my front plate directly above the fairlead. I do have a wireless winch remote so that I don't have to struggle to connect behind the bumper. If you have some diy skills and plenty of time and patience you can do this, and you will have an incognito off road machine!

 

[SMD]

Oh, here's a picture of the Gx470.

 

[GXMac]

Very nice- do you have pictures of the holes you had to drill?

 

[SMD]

Very nice- do you have pictures of the holes you had to drill?

No. Unfortunately I didn't think about taking pictures during the process. I drilled two holes on each side to go through the center of the frame/bumper extensions (don't know the technical name). I also drilled two holes over the front metal bumper section. Keep in mind I did it myself and I think it's sturdy but I will truly find out when I am stuck. I did look into getting the bud built mounting plate which seems like a good design but it costs about $400 with shipping. That may be a good way to go too. I thought my 12000 lb winch might not fit that design. Drilling the holes was hard on a couple of my half inch drill bits.

 

[JLee]

What winch did you go with?

 

[SMD]

What winch did you go with?

Smittybilt X2O 12000 lb with synthetic line. It came with a wireless remote.

 

[SMD]

What winch did you go with?

I already had the winch from a previous vehicle so I wanted to reuse it.

 

[half k cruiser]

So since I didn't see it anywhere, what tires are you running ? No one will argue that this makes the single most difference for just about anything off road wise. A tire with the snowflake on the side is going to make a huge difference. I run duratrac's on my 94 and they hook up very well on ice and snow. Tire chains would be another good option.

If you do go with a winch, the wiring is easy and they will all come with instructions. As for the battery / alternator keeping up, don't worry about it. Unless you are running a 400 amp alternator, and dual batteries, you are going to draw the vast majority of your power from the battery. Even if your alternator could keep up, it wouldn't matter. The power comes from the battery first, and can only be recharged at a certain rate, despite what size alternator you run. This is why you pull, rest, pull, with an electric winch. The battery and winch motor must have time to recover under a hard load. For your use, a 8000lb - 9000lb unit should be more than enough. Since you asked for recommendations I would throw my chips in on a Warn M8000. It has more than enough power, lots of product support, extensive amounts of field use, and the price point is right on par with any of the Chinese made winches. If you have a Cabelas card you can use your points towards ordering one online.

 

[SMD]

Very nice- do you have pictures of the holes you had to drill?

Well actually, I don't want to disassemble the bumper again to take pictures, but I took one under the bumper. You can see the three bolts on one side, same thing on the other side. The black item is the winch plate. The frame parts are brown because I sprayed them with a rust inhibitor paint. Hope this helps.

 

[SMD]

Well actually, I don't want to disassemble the bumper again to take pictures, but I took one under the bumper. You can see the three bolts on one side, same thing on the other side. The black item is the winch plate. The frame parts are brown because I sprayed them with a rust inhibitor paint. Hope this helps.

Oh, sorry forgot the picture...here it is.