Thread: does the lower front grill need cutting to fit a winch

Originally Posted by Tombie

If they are used a lot they are less likely to suffer. In dry environments even less.

The XD9k is a solid winch.

But like Model T Fords... Time has moved on and there are stronger better built units for far less coin.

Like Engel, a National Luna is a superior product IMO.... But it's the new player by comparison.

Tombie,

The old XD9000i was professionally serviced last year and all electrical parts in it were still fine - maybe the QC was better back in the old days (15 to 20 years ago)...

I'm over west, so a lot less humidity and actual rain for that, but I'll definitely keep an eye on my current one.

Agree 100% with you on the National Luna though! I have the split 50l one... If its good enough for the UNHCR to carry medical supplies in Africa, it certainly good enough for my requirements!

Cheers,

Lou

Originally Posted by Tombie

Grill cut only necessary for M12000 Warn and above

Hmm - can someone with a Puma Defender and ARB Deluxe bar please do me a favour and check the distance between the top winch mount bolts straight back to the grille?

I'm seeing 160mm, which isn't enough to get any winch in without cutting the bottom section of the grille that is angled back at 45 degrees. I haven't drilled and bolted the bar chassis mount brackets in place yet, so I guess I can can likely get 10-20mm extra by pulling it out further, but even that doesn't seem to leave enough room...

That's pretty much what I measured- 160mm.
The winch is round(ish) in its side profile, and what I've found is that my warn XDC-S fits fine, as the grille tapers away with the curve of the winch drum.
You gain a bucketload of space when you remove the grille (6 screws). Then you can slide the winch up from underneath the bar, then drop the grille back in from above.
The clearance issue may arise from the clutch engagement lever, but in most models this can be clocked to give it suitable access.

If you are buying a brand name winch, then you can often dig up the dimensions, and make a cardboard template of the side profile to suit, so you can see it 'IRL'

Thanks - can I assume the free spool lever on the XDC-s sits low enough to be lower than the grille? Is it a squeezw to get in and engage / disengage it?

The 9.5xp-s, XDC-s and XD9000-s all seem to have similar sizing so if one fits any of them will fit.

The Zeon 10-S on the other hand looks too "tall" to slot in without surgery, even with the control pack removed

You've got buckleys chance of fitting the solenoid box on a factory style warn bracket, as it hangs off the rear of the winch drum support bars.

I'll get some pics of how mine sits and post them up this afternoon.

As per my previous post last month, I fitted Warn 9.5 XP to the deluxe bar. I installed the winch from underneath. I removed the grill by taking out the 6 screws as others have suggested and fitted up the winch and as there was clearance at the rear top tie rod no cutting was required. I just re-fitted the grill. Unless ARB have changed the bar or Land Rover have changed the mounting position, the Warn winch should fit. I think you can get all the winch dimensions from the Warn site from memory.


The free spool lever must be rotated from standard to clear the bar and allow enough room to rotate it from free to lock position. I had to adjust the lever position again to fit it to the older style winch bar I currently have as well.


The control box fitted to bracket which was supplied with the ARB winch fitting kit which had either an angled or flat mounting plate so the control box fitted on top of the bar. You could easily make a bracket as I did with my 2013 Defender when I transferred the 9.5 XP to the older style winch bar which was fitted to this Defender when I bought it.

So the above pics are with the clutch lever at the 3 O'clock position, if you were to look at the end of the winch.
I will probably try to clock it to either the 1 o'clock position or the 12 o'clock position when I have it off next.

In it's current state, it's manageable, but a tight squeeze.

Thanks all.

Agreed, once the grille comes of there is miles of space to install stuff, and that certainly saves pulling the front bar off!

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

You've got buckleys chance of fitting the solenoid box on a factory style warn bracket, as it hangs off the rear of the winch drum support bars.

Some installs have the box angled upwards to fit, but I'm not a fan of having the solenoid box sitting in that position as it's just another thing cluttering up / obstructing the radiator airflow.

I rang ARB to double check the information they gave me earlier, and the very helpful fellow said the Zeons don't fit new, but do fit the older Defenders. As the Zeon doesn't seem that better than say a 9.5xps or XDC-s, at least I don't have to anguish about the decision to chop up my grille