ARCHIVE WITS' END Hidden Hydraulic Winch Install
- Thread starter NLXTACY
- Start date
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I am not talking FUNCTIONS....strictly "weight" with a winch. 
Not at all. A hydraulic winch with synthetic line is far lighter than it's counter part with the same pull rating. And no need to duty cycle it. Nice job Joey
Bludozer
SILVER Star
Amazing work. I see you've half-assed it as usual 
Awesome build man thanks for sharing. Way more in depth than what I did! And as far as weight, who is qualifying their cruiser in an F1 race? Id rather have a beefy winch on my wheeling rig.Btw, the turbo on this truck doesn’t care about adding a few pounds
Attachments
mingles
GOLD Star
I cant believe I read through 47 posts and nobody has asked when it will be in stock? .
I want one! Any plans for it to be a product?
Nice work. A front receiver has SO many uses.
.I want one! Any plans for it to be a product?
Nice work. A front receiver has SO many uses.
You're right about just the mount being a seller. Being able to choose hydro or electric winch for such an application is capital.Btw, the turbo on this truck doesn’t care about adding a few pounds
Just what an 80 needs... An additional fluid circuit 
Cool project though and looks good.
Cool project though and looks good.
Pretty fcuking awesome Joey!
May as well back up a half-dozen steps and start designing non-OEM bumpers too!
please
May as well back up a half-dozen steps and start designing non-OEM bumpers too!
please
NLXTACY
Wits' End
- Thread starter
- #53
Making a bumper? Will never happen. Waaaaaay too many players and waaaaaay too many opinions on aesthetics. I’m trying to stick with designing for function within a niche of a niche of a niche where I have no competition. I don’t have deep pockets to exist with competition.
This project was done last year but with everything going on with home life and my wife's health, I just haven't had time to post here. I have this entire build on my site if it makes it easier to view. Posting here just so people can glean info as they need and to ask questions: Wits' End Hydraulic Winch Project - https://absolute-wits-end.com/wits-end-hydraulic-winch-project/
PART ONE: The Winch
Originally there was no plan to ever install a winch onto the Turbo Test Mule #3. That all changed when a customer (C.J.) offered me one and offered to drop it off at the start of his family trip. And so it sat until I could make time to do something with it. I had posted on Facebook to see if there was a ready made solution for a winch mount only. The response was lots of home brew setups. Some better than others. None tickled the pickle.
A few months later there was a lull in projects moving forward due to the shipping nightmares at the time. How to fill the gap? Ah, the hydraulic winch project could use some decisions made to get that marble moving forward.
I knew what I didn’t want; I didn’t need/want a big heavy steel bumper. That’s not what this build is about. The obvious answer was a hidden winch install behind the stock OEM bumper. There were a couple of these done on IH8MUD but I always felt they were all one-hit wonders. That isn’t how I move forward on new project developments. I like projects that solve problems, multiple problems, for extra cool points.
There are several reasons to go with hydraulic vs electric winch:
• Hydraulic winches have 100% duty cycle. They just don’t stop.
• Hydraulic winches don’t get excessively hot needing to cool down.
• Hydraulic winches will always work so long as the engine is on.
• Hydraulic winches work underwater without any issues.
• Hydraulic winches won’t kill your battery.
The winch in question is a Mile Marker 75 Series 10k hydraulic winch that is quite a few years old. The age of the winch wasn’t a hindrance to installing it but it should have caused the project to pause while it was rebuilt (more on that later). The winch itself was visually in very good shape although some of the components certainly looked their age. No matter, it was all going to be improved upon. The first step was just buy a winch mount, get it mounted and call it a day. The Mile Marker winch mount, it turns out, is damn near identical to the Harbor Freight Badlands winch mount. I wonder if Mile Marker knows that? Hmmm…
Needless to say, the mount wasn’t used because it wasn’t a great fit and it didn’t get the mounting base in center of the frame, vertically, like we wanted it.
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@NLXTACY Hoping and praying for your wife's health. Thanks for all you do and your support.
This is amazing Joey...amazing...it's so clean and functional. I love the Mile Marker. I was looking at the MM for a winch when I was going through Power Steering Hell and wondered if the 80 PS pump would be strong enough for the MM. Please do some testing and let us know. Yes, kits would be welcome. I just wish my stock bumper was straight enough to incorporate all of this precision. 
If you are considering kits, take a look at adding additional bolt holes to the mount plate to accommodate other models / brands. I realize this may be difficult to do unless you actually build them up, but it's only a suggestion.
My first thought was because you have a 10K winch, and if I were to do it, I would do a 12K just because. I have no idea if it would fit.
This is fantastic as usual! I am always amazed at what you are able to accomplish and build and not cut corners.
You have added some quality thought process into this, as usual.
When I first saw hydraulic, I was thinking your were adding a PTO to drive a hydraulic pump. I like this way much better!
what do you want to know?
Filled the hole
Hydraulic winch install Well some might remember that I bought a winch several months ago. It was a milemarker hydraulic 12k. Not having any experience installing or even reading on installing a hydraulic it took me some time to work out what I thought would be a good install. First the...
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