Thread: Tigerz11 Grande 12000LB winch, D2 2003 TD5, ARB Bull bar, Installation Query

Mate,

I believe you can install a winch with the bar in place provided you can get access from underneath the vehicle and manage the cable installation. However you would probably need someone to assist as the winch is pretty heavy to handle and fit by yourself.

It would certainly be easier to remove the bar which should unbolt pretty simply and disconnect you fog lights ?

My other thought/comment is, have a think about where you want to locate the control box. In hindsight I would have preferred to located it tucked away in the engine bay rather than on the bar as it pretty bulky and ugly.

I have recently fitted one of these winches in an Opposite Lock bar on a D3, however had the work done at OL South Sydney.

Whilst I am yet to use the winch in anger, it has performed well when I have played around with it. However it is almost impossible to free spool the cable out by hand I need to actually run the winch to release cable not sure if that is a common thing with these winches ?

Good luck,

George

I installed my 12,000 lb winch into the ARB bar on my D2A on my own without removing the bar. It will just slot into place from underneath. Just looking at your photo I suspect you may need to remove your bash plate to do it but.

Thanks to you both. I will give it a try initially, more rewarding and I will know exactly how it is done.
Cheers

im not sure what the fit of a 12,000pnd winch is like, but i installed a 9,500 one by myself with the winch on. The 9500 was very heavy so im tipping the 12000 is a killer!

I used a trolley jack and a block of timber to lift the winch in place - made for a very easy fitment albeit a little bit of a juggle to hold the winch level while raising the jack. If you have another set of hands, definitely use them.

As for the wiring, remove the grill first. It makes it much much easier to run the cables- i did it the hard way - dont do it the hard way with the grill in, trust me its a PITA.

If you dont know how to remove the grill, find out. Im not sure if the D2a is the same as the pre-facelift model, but you need to pop off the indicators to access two hidden phillips head screws (i found this out later - hence the hard way) Then there are just the plastic screws in the top of the grille to remove. I think thats all?

Also, make sure before you go to fit it that the winch handle (lock / freespool) is going to line up in a spot that is accessible when the winch is fitted. I had to not only rotate the RH end of my winch 90 degrees, but grind down my handle so it would engage properly - it was fouling on the b/bar.

This pic show the handle before the modification (grinding) You can see that it hits the b/bar well before it locks into position.

Very good tips, very much appreciated.. I will be surely taking them on board for the install.

Originally Posted by Toppa

im not sure what the fit of a 12,000pnd winch is like, but i installed a 9,500 one by myself with the winch on. The 9500 was very heavy so im tipping the 12000 is a killer!......

The 12000lb winch I have was ~45kg in weight. Difficult enough to do with just one person, you do need 2.

Originally Posted by Toppa

make sure before you go to fit it that the winch handle (lock / freespool) is going to line up in a spot that is accessible when the winch is fitted.

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/65352124/201...2022.04.14.jpg

Great point.

I think the Tigerz11 website has a link to some "how to" videos about rotating the winch, best to work it our first than have to remove and do it again.

Good luck.

George

I have recently installed this winch into my D2. I rotated the free spooler lever so that it was accessible (on top). The only thing I had to do to bolt it in was shorten the two bolts that go through the hawse because they bottomed out into the winch. I made a new plate that bolts to the top middle access panel of the bar that gave me easy access to the free spool lever and also mounts the control box. It is not the most weather proof installation but I have it set up to make it easy to remove as only plan on having the winch mounted for trips/weekends. It takes me about half an hour to remove/install.