Fabricating Brackets to Mount Winch Brushguard - Advice Please

I could use some help please. I've got finally secured a 9000lb winch and what I think is an older Warn Trans4mer brushguard, both used and within my practically non existant budget. Problem is that I'm either missing some of the mounting brackets for the brushguard or it was never designed for recovery, just looks.

I'm not planning on doing any heavy duty off roading or rock climbing, but if you're going to build something do it right is what I always say! I don't want it to be a poser. I've not done any fab work on my Jeep or much at all, but my uncle is a welder by trade and has all the equipment. If I can put together a plan, I'm sure the two of us can make it work. That's where I need advice.

From what I've read I need to tie the brushguard into the unibody rails. I'm thinking that what I should do is cut some steel plate to bolt alongside the unibody rails that eventually will come out and I can mount my brushguard to. How thick of plate should I use? How long should it be?

I guess to mount these rather long brackets to the rails I'll just drill all the way through the rails and put a bolt through the bracket on the outside of the rail and the nut goes on the inside of the rail. Seems like drilling holes in the rail will weaken it. Should I put a peice of plate on the other side of the rail too? What grade of bolt should I use? Should I use flat washers and/or lock washers? What about nylon lock nuts instead of just plain old steel nuts?

Do I need to put any type of cross member on the front of the unibody rails to tie them together in any sort of way? Seems like the brushguard will do that. I dunno. Pics of the brushguard are below, but for some reason I can't get the picks to show up.





Thanks ahead of time for your advice.

Is the winch going to be mounted to that brush guard or to the bumper?

In that brushguard as that's what it was designed for. It wraps around the stock bumper. I bought it used from a guy who bought it to strip the winch and lights off of. He said it took it off a 89 XJ. Sooo.... it was on a XJ with a winch, but needs good brackets for it to be right I think.

Make something like the JCR Off-Road bracket. Heck for that price, just buy a set. Use a front cross member tie in like the stock set up in the picture below. The bracket drawing may have a slight typo, some people say the 13.5" should be more like 12.875", but nobody has ever posted picture to prove the drawing won't work.

Use Grade 5 or even Grade 8 for all the nuts, bolts and washers. Use 1/4" steel. Make the bracket longer than needed and trim it back after you do a test fit. Have your Uncle beef up the brush guard/winch mount tray as he thinks it might need be. Weld the winch tray to the side uprights.

Bracket drawing - http://www.twisted-halo.com/digicam/xj/Bumper mount.pdf

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X2^^^

The JCR are very similar to how my Detours Backbone side plates are. I would tie them together with some sort of a crossmember though and then weld the brushguard to the frame mounts. If you make your own frame mounts you could make them longer and beef them up for some 3/4" D-rings.

I found this thread that has some interesting pics:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=962809

So, how does this work. You remove the bumper, put these plates along the outside of the unibody rail, reinstall the bumper mounting brackets and then I have this extra thing hanging below the bumper to attach the brushguard?

I like the idea of having something for some 3/4 Bow Rings. I think I'll do that.

I really appreciate everyone taking the time and effort to educate me on fab work.