Thread: Understanding Winches on a D4

It was told about a system where you put a 2" receiver on the front of the car and the carry your winch in the back on a suitable portable cradle. That way you can use it on the front or rear.

I can't find any copies of the Land Rover factory winch mount either here or overseas. Discreet mounts yes but those front ones no.

Originally Posted by Strop

It was told about a system where you put a 2" receiver on the front of the car and the carry your winch in the back on a suitable portable cradle. That way you can use it on the front or rear.

I can't find any copies of the Land Rover factory winch mount either here or overseas. Discreet mounts yes but those front ones no.

There is a bit yes or no about the legality of the LR front mount winch, comes under "outside the perameters of the vehicle" something to do with pedestrian safety I think, so maybe stick with the Discreet winch until you know for sure it's legal, I have seen the winches that can be moved front to back that you talk about, but only in the UK.

Originally Posted by Strop

It was told about a system where you put a 2" receiver on the front of the car and the carry your winch in the back on a suitable portable cradle. That way you can use it on the front or rear.

I can't find any copies of the Land Rover factory winch mount either here or overseas. Discreet mounts yes but those front ones no.

A "portable" winch does appeal and it has the additional advantage that the winch does not permanently live out in the weather. They are heavy to move around and store though, and it would want to be securely stored as I wouldn't want it floating around in the cabin in a crash.

I've actually seen a couple of these in action. Really good idea, but the two units I've seen were Warn High Mount winches,,,, VERY heavy and rather awkward to maneuver. I was always going to make one out of one of the straight units, so much lighter. Like this you can winch from anywhere you want, front, back or sides. It also helps when the winding is taking place as it keeps the wind more even and doesn't bunch up in the middle or on a side of the spool.

The Runva 11xp Premium on ours is still working fine, I specifically chose this one for 3 reasons. Reviews by others including those from this forum, best warranty in the market and their confidence in the winch being waterproof and lastly they are well priced.

I've only fully submerged the winch and control box 3 times though and it's only about 8 months old.

Would have also considered Warn if it was in budget.

You still have to figure out how to do a receiver on the front which will require cutting just like the discreet winch. You will also need power front and rear - big cables.

The problem is how do you carry it around. Also too late to put it on when you are stuck in the mud. I know they might not be the best but some of those 4WD Superstore winches might be the go.

All the best

Laurie

If you are thinking of fitting a winch then why not fit a bull bar that is winch ready?
A bull bar mounted winch is probably the best option and you only have to have one animal strike and the bar will instantly more than pay for itself.
I would think that a bull bar would be most useful modification that you can add to a 4WD, Not only do they do a fantastic job of protecting the truck AND its passengers they make a great platform to mount your winch, spotties, light bar, ariels and whatever else you want.
You can always keep the original bumper to fit back on the truck when you sell it anyway.

You don't need to actually "mount" them on a bar, either front or rear. If the cradle is made right, it'll hook up via D Shackles and then out to tree or some other anchor point.

Example
Freestanding winch.jpg