Thread: hidden winch on D3/4 with standard bumper and NO roo-bar

What’s with that thin cable

Well, after dithering on this for a few years, I've finally got this sorted. Not without a much more painful saga that I would have liked though.

I was really struggling to find the time to do the job myself so entrusted installation of the mount and winch to my normally excellent indy.

I still think they're excellent but I was probably overly optimistic, bordering on delusional to think that they would do this as neatly as I would have liked.

Prospeed winch mount, Bushranger Revo 10s winch and the same BlueSea remote isolator used by Scott.

So many things went wrong.

1. The Prospeed kit included a number plate mount which I wasn't expecting and didn't notice was in there, so despite me telling them specifically that I'd moved the number plate to the upper bumper to clear the lower for the installation, they installed the Prospeed number plate mount to the fairlead, cut a larger slot out of the bumper bar and then removed the number plate form the upper bumper where I'd specifically relocated it and put it on the mount plate. See ugly hole picture below.

2. Rather than mount the winch control box on the driver's side mounting area / plate, they decided there wasn't enough room there and cable tied !!!!! the control box into the winch mount next to the winch! See dodgy cable tied control box pic below. Imagine how long that wouldn't last on a corrugated road.

3. They ran the earth to the -ve of my second battery rather than to an earth stud. Winch cable size about double the size of battery earth cable. In the process of this also detaching (and not reconnecting) my Traxide isolator and battery monitors. Hmm

So I ended up removing the bumper, relocating the control box and cabling, repairing the hole - plastic welding - in the bumper and painting it, remounting the number plate to the top bumper and repairing all of my disconnected / broken cables... plus mounting the winch earth to the earth studs (I bridged the 2 studs with a plate) passenger side where aux battery lives.

Luckily I'd asked them to leave the switch installation in the cabin to me. I can only imagine the butchery I may have seen there. I also added a Factor55 FlatSplicer which I think looks pretty good.

Some photos of the before and after below. Still not as nice as I would have liked it but it could be worse - well, it was actually.

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Got any pics of the isolator??

Hi Tombie, I’ll have to take one of it mounted - I made a bracket for it that is attached to my auxiliary battery tray. This is the isolator: Blue Sea Systems Ml-Rbs Remote Battery Switch With Manual Control – 12V Dc 500A | Outback Equipment

Originally Posted by Tombie

Got any pics of the isolator??

Originally Posted by l00kin4

Hi Tombie, I’ll have to take one of it mounted - I made a bracket for it that is attached to my auxiliary battery tray. This is the isolator: Blue Sea Systems Ml-Rbs Remote Battery Switch With Manual Control – 12V Dc 500A | Outback Equipment

That would be great. Thanks.

I have 2 of those sitting here (1 already in the 90) and one waiting to go in my D4. Just not sure where I can fit it given my current underbonnet set up, so your pics may inspire.

A couple of photos Tombie. I had a bracket in this position already with a switch and outlet for my compressor. Since I've installed a switch for the compressor in the headlight switch binnacle I removed that and made a bracket just for the air outlet and this isolator. It's snug but fits well in this spot.

Originally Posted by Tombie

That would be great. Thanks.

I have 2 of those sitting here (1 already in the 90) and one waiting to go in my D4. Just not sure where I can fit it given my current underbonnet set up, so your pics may inspire.

IMG_0196.jpgIMG_0195.jpg

Thanks. My challenge continues! That area is already well consumed on my set-up

My current corner!




I’ll take another look and see if I can squeeze it in there somewhere.