Rear facing winch

[graymudder]

Happy New Year ! Joy and Mud to all for 2020.

I have a Superwinch 9500 which I would like to mount in the rear. Did anyone install a winch in the rear and what challenges did you have to overcome.

Thanks

 

[Rusty Marlin]

There are a few who have done this, here is one:

Rear Winch 80 Series

Yesterday I received a request for information regarding the rear winch setup I have on my 80. I did the install almost 2 years ago now and did not take photos back then. Things are a little rough in these recent photos… so is my memory, but I’ll do my best to describe what I did and answer any...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[nukegoat]

I put a 2500lb atv winch on my frame rail to compress the rear suspension so I can sneak into the garage. See page 4 of marshmallow's build thread

 

[ToyotaTechnical]

I would consider a winch basket. Unpopular opinion, but very useful. Used on a lot of mil vehicles. Allows for front and rear placement as long as you have a front and rear hitch receiver. Also allows for movement from front to back, and to other vehicles as long as they have proper wiring. Eliminates the weight of an extra winch as well.

 

[Funner]

I would consider a winch basket. Unpopular opinion, but very useful. Used on a lot of mil vehicles. Allows for front and rear placement as long as you have a front and rear hitch receiver. Also allows for movement from front to back, and to other vehicles as long as they have proper wiring. Eliminates the weight of an extra winch as well.

Kinda kills approach or depart angles unless you store it inside the truck.

 

[maxamillion2345]

I have one. Biggest thing is probably that you need some heavy gauge cable... I’m running 3/0 welding cable so when the cable rubs through the insulation and grounds out on the frame it will melt down the battery and with any luck burn down the whole rig. Other than that its just mounting. Mine sits behind my uhh crossmember and I cut a hole through that and sleeved in a piece of 2x8 or 10 or something rectangular tubing and the cable runs through that then fairlead mounts to the outside.

The mount itself is pretty simple and just ties into 4 - 12mm holes on the bottoms of the frame rails and a couple tabs that tie it into the uhhh crossmember which I drilled and tapped

I have a disconnect I need to wire in actually... hmm.

oh also its a lot of weight all the way in the rear... been wanting synthetic line but I want a lot of things so...

 

[maxamillion2345]

 

[IdahoDoug]

What about instead, using the front winch by running the cable under the truck to the rear, using some guides and then a pulley mounted in the rear? Would lose 15 feet of reach, but seems worthy of consideration.

 

[ToyotaTechnical]

Kinda kills approach or depart angles unless you store it inside the truck.

Exactly. Store it inside. Allows you to move the weight around. And remove it from the vehicle when you have no chance of needing it.

 

[Cruzerman]

Exactly. Store it inside. Allows you to move the weight around. And remove it from the vehicle when you have no chance of needing it.

While these things sound like a reasonable idea, in practice they suck. Try lugging a winch and cradle around once you are stuck in the mud or in a nasty spot. And the list goes on as to why they just don't work well.

 

[Cruzerman]

I saw this rear bumper in the classified section that appears to have a rear facing winch mount:

For Sale - Norther California - Expedition Rear Bumper for 80-Series - $1400

Recently acquired but decided to go in different direction. - tim.korn.99 model bumper with fairlead for rear winch mount - controversial link here >> Rear bumper design/build - Tire carrier - Jerry can holder $1400 firm

forum.ih8mud.com

Also, I had a friend who had a PTO winch in the rear of his 40 series. Electric in the front, PTO in the rear. I'm not sure if this is a possibility for the 80 series though, but I thought I would throw this out.

 

[ToyotaTechnical]

While these things sound like a reasonable idea, in practice they suck. Try lugging a winch and cradle around once you are stuck in the mud or in a nasty spot. And the list goes on as to why they just don't work well.

To each his own. Just another option...

 

[4x4labs]

The Best Rear Bumper Out There!

IMHO So I had this idea for what I wanted for my rear bumper. The most departure angle Rear winch Intergraded receiver hitch for towing Recover points Removable tire carrier Removable ladder Removable gas/water tank mountOne of my biggest goals was the rear winch, but I didn’t want to give up...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[YMT]

I second the winch basket/multi-mount system. I put them on a few of my work trucks and got significant use on both front and rear. Being removable, they were stored in the bed (Warn Zeon 10k w/ synthetic line) and deployed when needed, so approach and departure angles were not affected.

Some points for thought though:
-The winch and multi-mount is about 95 lbs.
-Manageable by one person on solid ground, but sucks when stuck in mud.
-Quick connect are a must. Warn sells kits to wire to the rear for reasonable price. The also carry front disconnects, so you know they match. Not the cheapest option, but in my mind, you don't skimp on a winch
-wireless controllers are very handy in rear-mounted configuration. Not required, but highly recommend.
-you need a hitch in the front. Depending on how you design it, it can be a slimmer profile than a beefy winch bumper.
-a mount inside the vehicle is almost an absolute- I used a plate with a hitch tube on top (for an RV) bolted to the floor to keep it stable inside. 95 lbs bouncing inside is a disaster waiting to happen

-everything is removable if you sell it or get another cruiser.

 

[Funner]

What about instead, using the front winch by running the cable under the truck to the rear, using some guides and then a pulley mounted in the rear? Would lose 15 feet of reach, but seems worthy of consideration.

I had to do this once, but without the forethought of being ready for this deployment. Ruined my fairlead, bent the bottom lip of my bumper, ruined my cable, but I got out.

 

[Bambusiero]

What about instead, using the front winch by running the cable under the truck to the rear, using some guides and then a pulley mounted in the rear? Would lose 15 feet of reach, but seems worthy of consideration.

There's a technique for reverse winching (around the vehicle, not underneath).
It takes 3 pulleys and 3 anchor points (one in front), which might or might not not be available.
Search on youtube to see it in action.

 

[Funner]

There's a technique for reverse winching (around the vehicle, not underneath).
It takes 3 pulleys and 3 anchor points (one in front), which might or might not not be available.
Search on youtube to see it in action.

If you are wheeling in the forest, this may be possible. I live in a desert, a single anchor point is frequently a luxury.

 

[Corbet]

I’ve considered this too. If I ever do it I think I’d mount a 2nd battery in the rear to power it as running a low AMP charging circuit to the rear would be both easier and safer than a full current.

 

[ChaseTruck]

We tried that winch-yourself-backwards technique with my truck just for fun the other day. It does work, but it really doesn't seem practical. We used a vehicle to provide the attachment points needed in the rear (and that brought the luxury of having a optimized geometry with minimal angles), but what are the chances that you'll find those attachment points in the proper configuration if you're stuck out there?

 

[Railwelder93]

I’ve considered this too. If I ever do it I think I’d mount a 2nd battery in the rear to power it as running a low AMP charging circuit to the rear would be both easier and safer than a full current.

This would be the most ideal way to do it in IMO. I second this.