Ok Ill try to explain best I can. I was talking to someone tonight about winch bumpers and what have you and I said I wanted something real clean..like the detourusa backbone system. He said that you can actually take a plate, mount the winch to that and then bolt the plate with the winch facing forward to the front of the XJ that pretty much all the holes are already there and then you just cut your front bumper to accommodate a fair lead. So anyone seen or heard of anything like this? Maybe even a kit or products needed. I know it sounds like stuff you could just pick up local and through together. Anyways just seeing if others have heard of this.
Thanks

 

I can see where you might be able to do this... If you were to cut the plate to match the base of the winch, you'd just have a winch sticking out in front of your grill... Unprotected...
Now if you were wanting to mount behind the bumper, I think it would be really close to the harmonic balancer, even if you cut the front clip out below the radiator enough to squeez it in there. But ultimately, you still don't have any protection from frontal impact on a steep or tall obstical... But, I'm a newb and might be totally mistaken... Take the big dawgs advice over mine.

 

Yea I do understand what you are getting at. The guy seems pretty knowledgeable and I think I have actually scene something like it on one of the forums I visit. I just now cannot find anything about it..thats just how it goes. O well.

 

kinda like this thread?

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthrea...ht=winchbumper

 

Yep that is pretty much the idea. Thanks for diggin that out.

 

There was a hidden winch that was available for the XJ/MJ from the stealership in the Mid-80's. The roller fairlead was right in the middle of the bumper where the liscense plate bracket was on the later models.

 

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=950987

This guy did the best I've seen done with this idea.

 

The guy you were talking to works for TnT. He's a good guy and is pretty knowledgable.

Looks like the guys on NAXJA did a good job but it looks like it took some good fabbing as well to make it look good and neither one used their old front bumper.

 

i kno this is a dead post but it is on some thing i been trying to research. hear is a link to a even better one the what was posted erallyer.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwade/s...7604557867782/
i think it was made by lazyxj on www.naxja.org

 

Interesting thread.....turns out I saw that option when I bought a new 85 Pioneer and passed on it. But never forgot about it. Scroll ahead 25 years or so....I bought a used 90 Pioneer XJ that did have the option (and was used only a couple times according to the original owner). The fairlead is iron and nonroller....but that looks like it can be easily changed or added over (haven't found the need yet, however). In this forum on another thread I gent can up with the factory literature photo of it....matches to mine. 6500# rating. I had a front rec. hitch mounted and with my recovery gear block and tackle cable I think I could loft the entire XJ. I have not found another XJ with one on it....and I have not found a after market outfit that sells one.....but I do believe there is enough heavy steel directly behind the flimsy front bumper to make a winch install very attractive project. Take a look at my album....

 

OK....my bad....I misspelled some words in my previous post......and, most important: the optional winch was rated at 6000# and has 150ft. of cable.