Mount my Warn M8000 upside down?

Hi all, great site, been searching and lurking for a while.

I am about to do something like this:



source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157604557867782/

Except, I want to mount the winch upside down so that it rolls on to the top of the drum -- this puts the fairlead 4.5" higher than in the picture above. I will then re-fit the stock bumper like this guy did.

It's not that I want to keep the stock look or hide the winch, I just like tha location, and don't want to give up too much approach angle (I am only lifted about 4" on 31s).

Tell me why I can't do this... I know that the clutch handle can be clocked around to be on the bottom (the new top) of the winch... any other reason the winch won't be happy upside down?

Thanks!

Well maybe start by calling Warn and asking them.

I asked my Ramsey and he said you should go for it.

Seriously, there is no reason you can't mount it upside down or standing on end. However, it won't spool for Sh*t mounted on end.

cheapfix said:

Hi all, great site, been searching and lurking for a while.

I am about to do something like this:

source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/sets/72157604557867782/

Except, I want to mount the winch upside down so that it rolls on to the top of the drum -- this puts the fairlead 4.5" higher than in the picture above. I will then re-fit the stock bumper like this guy did.

It's not that I want to keep the stock look or hide the winch, I just like tha location, and don't want to give up too much approach angle (I am only lifted about 4" on 31s).

Tell me why I can't do this... I know that the clutch handle can be clocked around to be on the bottom (the new top) of the winch... any other reason the winch won't be happy upside down?

Thanks!

Click to expand...

Post pics when you do it!
Billy

It'll be harder to keep the cable spooling neatly, since you won't be able to see it without climbing under the rig.

The power leads will now be on the bottom, I could see the rubber boots holding water.

And you probably don't want to clock the clutch all the way to the bottom-now-top: Won't that be right up against your mounting plate?

Robert

WrenchMonkey said:

It'll be harder to keep the cable spooling neatly, since you won't be able to see it without climbing under the rig.

The power leads will now be on the bottom, I could see the rubber boots holding water.

And you probably don't want to clock the clutch all the way to the bottom-now-top: Won't that be right up against your mounting plate?

Robert

Click to expand...

Good points -- I am thinking I will mount it "feet forward" on a plate or 2 pieces of angle, but with the motor on the driver's side... the clutch lever when clocked around to the new "top" will actually be on the old "back" and shouldn't interfere with the front feet forward mount.

Maybe I could fill the boots with dielectric grease to displace the water... I'll have to think about that.

Does anyone know if the motor can be "clocked" as well?

Although I hate to start really tearing apart a brand new winch.

Seeing it spool is a tough one. I had thought I would cut away a chunk on the top of the stock bumper so I could operate the clutch as see what was going on in there.

I may end up with a conventional "feet forward" mount, and just live with the loss of approach angle that the lower roller fairlead creates until I can justify sythetic rope and a hawse fairlead! Will post up when I do this build -- the winch is not doing me much good in my living room.

You can clock the motor but only 180 degrees since there are only 2 bolts holding it on.

Why do you have to use a roller fairlead? Just go with a quality aluminum unit, it will not hurt the cable.

If you want to keep your stock bumper and have a winch then go with the Detours Backbone.

xjtrailrider said:

You can clock the motor but only 180 degrees since there are only 2 bolts holding it on.

Why do you have to use a roller fairlead? Just go with a quality aluminum unit, it will not hurt the cable.

If you want to keep your stock bumper and have a winch then go with the Detours Backbone.

Click to expand...

I think he wants to hide the winch behind the bumper.

I would like to see the build pics also. are you starting with something to build off or from scratch?

Here's how Jeep did it.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24496&highlight=winch

karstic said:

Here's how Jeep did it.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=24496&highlight=winch

Click to expand...

A friend of mine has one of those "new in the box" he is holding on to it but is willing to sell it to me but I think that set-up is fugly.

karstic said:

are you starting with something to build off or from scratch?

Click to expand...

From scratch -- I have already had the bumper off, and all the bolts out of the steering box to make my own bolt hole template for the driver's side -- I'll start with some brackets using all the mounting holes, and I was considering using the swaybar mounts tied in with some angle at the bottom.

These brackets will extend out, be doubled for recovery points that will stick through the bumper, and will tied together with some angle accross the front (3x3x1/4") top and bottom. The winch feet and fairlead will mount to this angle, and I will cut a slot for the cable where the fairlead mounts.

After that, I will cut the front bumper up to fit back on. The stock pictures are neat -- I don't know if I will bother with filler pieces, but maybe... for me "fugly" doesn't matter -- the only straight panel left on my jeep is the hood. Any kind of cosmetic upgrades on these things is kind of in the "lipstick on a pig" category anyways

xjtrailrider said:

Why do you have to use a roller fairlead? Just go with a quality aluminum unit, it will not hurt the cable.

Click to expand...

It's not the cable I'm worried about -- what about when you have to make an angled pull -- the cable will chew up an aluminum fairlead pretty badly, won't it?

cheapfix said:

for me "fugly" doesn't matter -- the only straight panel left on my jeep is the hood. Any kind of cosmetic upgrades on these things is kind of in the "lipstick on a pig" category anyways

Click to expand...

Ok, we are talking about a trail rig, I thought this was going on a "dual purpose" rig. My trail rig is a ugly big blue Heep so I understand

xjtrailrider said:

Ok, we are talking about a trail rig, I thought this was going on a "dual purpose" rig. My trail rig is a ugly big blue Heep so I understand

Click to expand...

Nope. I just have no shame. I drive the thing around all the time. All 4 doors have the usual punched-in look, the hatch has some abrasion at the edges from trees, etc., the one rear quarter was a little wrinkled by a previous owner, the front fenders are OK actually, but both have been a bit bent and straightened. The paint is doing the clearcoat peel...

I don't intentionally beat on it, but I am not about to let myself be turned around on a trail by the occasional "scratch"...