Opinions and install info - Harbor Freight 12k Winch w/ 98-02 ARB Bumper 3413050 (4 Viewers)

[Mike NXP]

Quick notes on this thread
Started as a inquiry into ride quality with adding some more weight. Eventually it led to the install of a Habor Freight 12k badlands apex winch to a feet down style bumper. I find not many people have this feet down style and most are mounted feet forward. The bumper needs to be removed to mount your winch. The control box needs to be mounted to the bumper which involves some drilling but wasn't bad even for a rookie. Scroll on for the tales of this install


Background - I spend 100 percent of my off road traveling with my wife and dog , both who are great co-pilots but also useless in recovery/mechanical sceanrios. We spend a lot of time in very remote areas hours away from any services and nobody else around. We're not doing like extreme trails but I've put this truck through some serious s***...been stuck plenty of time so now I'm good at knowing when to stop the rig before it bottoms out and gets more stuck.... Nothing I can't shovel and maxtrax out of. However lately I find myself really wanting a winch on case of emergency.

The truck - so I'm already pretty heavy and that's the main reason I haven't committed yet. I don't really want to add a second battery either , although idk if that's required . I weighed in just a touch under 7000 lbs recently with the majority of the weight in the rear. Dobinsons springs and shocks in the rear but 100 percent stock up front . Torsion bars already adjusted and the rear sits a bit higher already as is......E rated tires .... Front and rear bumpers.... It handles OK but it sure feels like a heavy old truck so the less weight the better ....

So all that to ask can I really add more weight to this poor truck ? Does it require a second battery ? Has anyone ever mounted a winch up in the rear , stock spare tire area ? That would be awesome but I couldn't fabricate something like that.



PS - I've been thinking more about this recently as I plan a early season trip into the High Rock Canyon in Nevada . I suspect high waters and s***ty conditions. Anyone hit these trails before ?

 

[eatSleepWoof]

If you're concerned about weight and want more flexibility, you can add a front receiver hitch and mount the winch on a hitch-mount (plenty of commercial options for this). That way you can mount it front or back. You'd just need heavy guage wiring long enough to reach the rear. You don't need a second battery, but you obviously need to keep the truck running while winching.

If in doubt, you probably won't need one. I've had one, it saved my butt a few times, but I wouldn't add one to a daily driver. Off-road rig, sure.

 

[Trunk Monkey]

Food for thought, if you're primarily on single track like shown above, winch won't really help you as there's nothing to anchor off of really.

 

[Mike NXP]

If you're concerned about weight and want more flexibility, you can add a front receiver hitch and mount the winch on a hitch-mount (plenty of commercial options for this). That way you can mount it front or back. You'd just need heavy guage wiring long enough to reach the rear. You don't need a second battery, but you obviously need to keep the truck running while winching.

If in doubt, you probably won't need one. I've had one, it saved my butt a few times, but I wouldn't add one to a daily driver. Off-road rig, sure.

Yeah good point, chances are it would never be used maybe just paranoid after a few recent trails.

Food for thought, if you're primarily on single track like shown above, winch won't really help you as there's nothing to anchor off of really.

True. I'm on a wide variety of terrain but yeah alot of places just never have anything to hook in to.


I should prob stick with my gut and not add more weight...its heavy enough as is....I just need to know when to stop before burying the truck and getting stuck

 

[MountaineerLC]

A winch really isn’t that much more weight overall and it’s relatively cheap (depending on brand) insurance, IMO. Certainly the terrain where you wheel should be a consideration. Open country with no viable anchors vs heavily forested areas. I often wheel alone as well and prefer to have it and not need it vs the other way around.

A second battery is nice, but not a necessity, especially if you’re not winching regularly and only use it occasionally.

As for the suspension, the stock torsion bars can handle it. I’m running an ARB with HF Badland Apex winch and factory torsion bars. The rear is OME 2865’s. I’m currently sitting at 20 1/8” up front and 21 1/8” in the rear. I’ve considered OME torsion bars, but I don’t see the necessity. The factory bars are working fine for me and I’ve got no complaints with ride quality.

 

[Mike NXP]

A winch really isn’t that much more weight overall and it’s relatively cheap (depending on brand) insurance, IMO. Certainly the terrain where you wheel should be a consideration. Open country with no viable anchors vs heavily forested areas. I often wheel alone as well and prefer to have it and not need it vs the other way around.

A second battery is nice, but not a necessity, especially if you’re not winching regularly and only use it occasionally.

As for the suspension, the stock torsion bars can handle it. I’m running an ARB with HF Badland Apex winch and factory torsion bars. The rear is OME 2865’s. I’m currently sitting at 20 1/8” up front and 21 1/8” in the rear. I’ve considered OME torsion bars, but I don’t see the necessity. The factory bars are working fine for me and I’ve got complaints with ride quality.

Interesting, good to know. Does any wiring have to run in to the cab or does all of the control happen outside the vehicle ? I've got the ARB as well, does it need to come off for the install ? I'll have to crawl under and have a look once it warms up around here a bit and I stop being so lazy.

I suppose if the install isn't too bad I could always remove it and move on .

If they used to do it on a horse we should be good to go now a days lol , geez we're spoiled

 

[MechE30]

I vote winch, as I just installed mine on a DIY hidden mount. Weight isn’t bad with synthetic line (plus the safety of synthetic trumps!). There’s always an anchor option, you’ve got a great big anchor out back with the spare tire that you can bury in a hole with winch line attached. Also a bunch of ground anchor type rigging you could set up, see the army handbook if you’re curious.
Lastly, being the only vehicle out there I highly recommend an emergency comm device like a InReach. If you rig bogs down and then you get injured, is your wife or dog gonna get you to safety? Yes it’s not cheap, but the day you use it is the day you would pay 10x more than it’s cost you.

 

[MountaineerLC]

Interesting, good to know. Does any wiring have to run in to the cab or does all of the control happen outside the vehicle ? I've got the ARB as well, does it need to come off for the install ? I'll have to crawl under and have a look once it warms up around here a bit and I stop being so lazy.

I suppose if the install isn't too bad I could always remove it and move on .

If they used to do it on a horse we should be good to go now a days lol , geez we're spoiled View attachment 3579821

View attachment 3579824

No need to remove the bumper, you can install the winch from the bottom on the 03 + style deluxe bumper. I installed my Apex alone, but a helper would have made things easier.

Wiring is simple, just a positive and negative to the battery from the control box. You can get fancy and wire things into the cab, but certainly don’t have to.

 

[ga12r1]

Definitely Winch. I've probably used mine 100 times over the last 3 years and wouldn't run a trail without it. You will be fine with one battery and the weight isn't that much more overall.
Hard to beat this:

BADLAND APEX 12,000 lb. Winch with Synthetic Rope and Wireless Remote for $549.99

Buy the BADLAND APEX 12000 lb. Winch with Synthetic Rope and Wireless Remote (Item 56385) for $549.99 with coupon code 20094851, valid through March 24, 2024. See the coupon for details.Compare our…

go.harborfreight.com

 

[Wilsil]

I installed my winch, for which the ARB bar needed to be removed.
Easy to do, don't forget the isolation switch.
As I do rough off roading at times, going over rocks. it has saved me twice now.

Looking at your picture, I don't like the additional weight you have overhanging the rear with the jerry cans.
If yuo always use them, better look at adding a long range tank which sits under the car, lowering ceter of gravity as well.
Second lithium battery is always a must if you have a fridge/freezer in the rear.

 

[ScotyDosentKnow]

I vote winch. 99.9% of the time I go out to explore/wheel my wife and I go out alone and are the only truck. I have gotten myself and my wife unstuck several times without a winch but when my son was born it went from maybe a cold over nighter in the mountains or a hot afternoon stuck in the desert to having a baby or toddler possibly stuck in extreme weather conditions. Knock on wood I have haven't had to use it yet but glad I have it.

I have an ARB bumper and installed the winch with the bumper on, it was pretty easy to with with minimal assistance from my wife. I have a Smittybilt winch I got on sale from 4Wheelparts and it has a wireless winch controller which seems to work really well. Time will tell on the winch but a lot of people seem to have good lock with them.

 

[saucebox]

Winch can go in from the bottom (at least on the '03+ ARB bar), but be up to date on your pushups, and have someone to at least start the bolts.

The worst winch situation I've ever been in involved an LX going off an edge with a storm incoming. Not a tree in sight, so we had to bury a spare tire up the hill quite a ways and alternate winch pulls with hi-lift pulls to reset, and just skull-dragged the big ol' girl back to safety. Took us like 6 hours, and without the winch it could very well have been twice that (hi-lift winching absolutely sucks). Like a lot of the other posts, I'd absolutely add it, even at your weight. (Your truck is remarkably similarly-built to mine, down to the same bumpers, rack, etc...and just as heavy.)

Picture from before we hooked him up and fixed the problem—everyone trying to figure out what the plan was going to be. Mind your lines!

 

[suprarx7nut]

If you're ever in a situation where you can use a winch for recovery, it'll pay for itself a few times over.

IMO, if you travel off-road without another car on any regular basis a winch is a good idea. It drastically reduces your risk of being stranded away from help. It's a no-brainer for the hardcore folks like @ga12r1 who might as well be on payroll for a winch company doing durability testing, but also valuable for people that will rarely, if ever, use it. Off-road recovery is very expensive and trying to snatch vehicles free with tow straps and such is quite dangerous in comparison to a slow and steady winch.

 

[OEMGUY0720]

When I eventually put on my winch my 15yo daughter asked me what is it for? And I realized I hope I never use it because that only means I have exhausted all means to go through that line or that trail and there is no other option. The winch is there for extreme situations, for emergencies and I consider it my last card. Similar with the idea of a fire extinguisher, “it is better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.” So yes I vote for it especially if you travel alone in remote places often.

 

[Mark W]

I realized many years and many trails ago that in my world, a winch is a no brainer must have part of any rig that travels off road solo. Even before you factor in how the significance of being stuck a ways out is complicated by wife and child along. The "nothing to winch to anyway" argument is a false one because winch anchors can be carried in terrain that might not offer anchor points.

The concerns about a relatively small amount of weight on the front of the truck are far outweighed by the utility gained.

Personally I am absolutely not a fan of the concept of a receiver mounted winch to swap from end to end. that sort of mounting almost a;ways sticks out much to far no matter which end it is mounted on. You DON'T want to disconnect it from one end, lug it to the other and reconnect it while you are knee (thigh) deep in swamp muck, clambering over rain slickened rock, working with cold numbed fingers in freezing temps... or really anywhere but at home in the driveway.

A winch on the rear as well as the front is really nice every once in a while. But you usually *can* rig'route winch line to pull backwards when you need. I have one waiting to go under the rear of my primary '80, but I would not encourage you to worry about an additional winch too hard.

Mark...

 

[cbbr]

I wouldn't wheel without one. I have been stuck far too many times without any other trucks around to go off road without a winch.

Having grown up in a swamp and on a farm, I don't wait to be absolutely buried to pull line, if I stop making forward progress it's time for the winch. I have buried heavier trucks than my LC and had to pull them out which is a real PITA and dangerous.

Plus, it's a great tool for pulling other things (trees down the direction that you want them to fall, heavy loads across the yard with no fuss, trailers from behind to get them out of the yard when its wet....).

And if you are somewhere without a place to tie off, look into a pull pal. A decent anchor and winching before you are in an emergency saves a lot of wear on both the truck and the winch. I have an ARB and am putting a few dollars aside to buy a Warn 12K for my LC.

 

[GerLC100]

Winch as insurance! And to counterbalance the weight add a chain saw in the back and you can pull trees aside
Seriously: winch is for insurance, and not only for you.

On my van I also added a front hitch, so that I can take it off when daily driving.
I used my winch multiple times to help others, I used it to clear a road from a car accident (police and other drivers were happy after I pulled the car aside and traffic could go again). I used it to clear the path in the forests of Washington, I used it when I took down a tree in my driveway after a storm.

Wiring is super easy as others mentioned. I used Anderson quick connectors to have it unplugged (and not running the risk of battery drain) when not using. And then I let the car run, you briefly stop after 20s or so to make sure you don't kill your battery.
And if you like the stock look of your vehicle, you go for Trail Tailors hidden winch mount.

 

[Mike NXP]

I installed my winch, for which the ARB bar needed to be removed.
Easy to do, don't forget the isolation switch
Looking at your picture, I don't like the additional weight you have overhanging the rear with the jerry cans.

Thanks, for the reply. I think my style front bumper is a little bit different than the bar style that I think you have in your user photo. I'm hoping I can make it happen without removing the bumper based on a few other replies but worst case it'll have to come off.
>> I'll have to do my homework on whatever an isolation switch is and the install procedure

I agree with your remark about the tank hanging off the backside, I'm thinking of just relying on the tank on the roof and refilling when possible. The tank out back on the swing out holds about 4 gallons of water ~ approx 33lbs...... Add that with approx 9 gallons of fuel ( 2 jerrys filled almost all the way ) so another 55-60 lbs. I don't always run with extra fuel but I do always have the water tanks on the rear and roof

For what it's worth the rear end is pretty stiff with these coils and it doesn't seem to mind the weight. The bumper hinge is seemingly beefy enough to handle it as well. It serves a nice purpose as we cook and clean off the backside of the truck and that's like our sink......but yeah, maybe I should ditch it at some point to save the lbs.

The factory bars are working fine for me and I’ve got no complaints with ride quality.

Good to know for sure, thanks.

Lastly, being the only vehicle out there I highly recommend an emergency comm device like a InReach.

I agree 100% , I call it my Oh s*** button and I hope to never press it. However I could use it for basic communication to try and hook up with local recovery / off road groups for a tow as well before hitting the SOS .

Hard to beat this:

Ah yes the good old HF special. That will be the toughest decision of all if I decide to install , do I go with the ghetto option or the brand name. Tough to say at this point, I did a quick Google for Warn prices and got a bit scared.

I realized many years and many trails ago that in my world, a winch is a no brainer must have part of any rig that travels off road solo.

All good info, thanks. Yeah good point, if I were to go for something it wouldn't be the hitch mounted option. Mainly because I am fully loaded inside the cab already and yeah you're right the last thing you wanna do when stuck in mud is dig your way into the hitch and hook up some heavy winch.

Picture from before we hooked him up and fixed the problem—everyone trying to figure out what the plan was going to be. Mind your lines!

Good to know, thanks. I've got an 02 but I think it has a similar style mounting setup either way.

Wow crazy picture, glad you got the truck out safely......Isn't it something, once these truck get into that angle OR get burred up to the frame, they are just totally beached and useless. If anything other than all four tires aren't touching the ground, she aint moving too easily.

 

[GerLC100]

Winch can go in from the bottom (at least on the '03+ ARB bar), but be up to date on your pushups, and have someone to at least start the bolts.

The worst winch situation I've ever been in involved an LX going off an edge with a storm incoming. Not a tree in sight, so we had to bury a spare tire up the hill quite a ways and alternate winch pulls with hi-lift pulls to reset, and just skull-dragged the big ol' girl back to safety. Took us like 6 hours, and without the winch it could very well have been twice that (hi-lift winching absolutely sucks). Like a lot of the other posts, I'd absolutely add it, even at your weight. (Your truck is remarkably similarly-built to mine, down to the same bumpers, rack, etc...and just as heavy.)

Picture from before we hooked him up and fixed the problem—everyone trying to figure out what the plan was going to be. Mind your lines!

View attachment 3580008

Now I'm curious with how many winches and how you tied it up to eventually get it out there
Is there any thread for "winch stories"? :-D

 

[ga12r1]

Ah yes the good old HF special. That will be the toughest decision of all if I decide to install , do I go with the ghetto option or the brand name. Tough to say at this point, I did a quick Google for Warn prices and got a bit scared.

I would not call the Apex a ghetto option. I've been rigging those for years and they are solid. I would call it a smart option.