Alright, I'm just doing a little brainstorming here but...

Who might be interested in a winch mount that would sit behind your OEM Cherokee bumper? The mount would require that you clearance the OEM cross-member and clock your winch motor down so that the free spool **** would be more accessible. It would also only work with non integrated winches like the Smittybilt XRC-8, Warn M8000, etc...

The fairlead of your choice would mount to the face of your OEM bumper.

Is this something you'd put on your XJ?

Just a thought. Let me know.

~Andy

 

I think it's a good idea. Once you get it how it needs to be you could pop them out pretty quick. I think a few people here would be interested in them, maybe not a ton (look at boost happys recovery d ring thread) but still enough interest assuming you make a price point too.

 

It'd depend on what manufacturing would cost. I think I could keep the price very reasonable in the way that I think I could design it.

That's something else that'd be cool to add in in the future. D-ring tabs. Not thinking that far ahead at the moment.

 

Beat the detours price and have the ability to make them quick enough and that's a little side money

 

I'm pretty sure that wouldn't be a problem at all.

 

could a person build their own bumper around it in the future?

 

I don't see why not. The front face of the mount would be about flush with the grille. It'll have at least 6 mounting holes per side incorporating the steering box bolts as standard.

 

I like the idea. I wouldn't personally want one, yet. My DD has a stock bumper and won't need a winch, my wheeler will be getting a full bumper built.

I think you'd have to integrate some d-rings or something if your winch mount is taking up the space for somekind of recovery. Of course they would be adding a winch. Lol.

 

Tow hook compatibility would depend on how the tow hooks mounted. This mount would use the same holes as 90% of the full bumpers on the market now. I think the winch hook would serve as a front tow hook rather well. Though, I can see why you'd want clevis mounts up front. I just haven't figure out how to do that and keep the price where I want it to be.

I'm just thinking that for someone with a small rig that doesn't want some huge park bench winch bumper and wants to maintain a clean stock look this would be the ticket.

I really wanted something like that for my DD Jeep until I bought the Detours Backbone.

 

I seen your doodle in the "random pic" thread.

I see what you mean, I was envisioning something different, and more complicated lol.

This would basically be like a new "bumper" behind the stock bumper. Almost a new crossmember I guess.

Would the fairlead do ok bolted to the stock bumper? I don't know a whole lot about winches, how much stress is put on the fairlead?

Just trying to help brainstorm.

 

No problem. That's what I want.

I'm thinking I'd make a bracket that would bolt to the front face of the winch mount and then at the same time bolt against the back of the OEM bumper. the fairlead would bolt thru the stock bumper and into this bracket. This would hopefully prevent caving the bumper in on a hard side pull or over winching the hook.

 

Any guestimate of a price point yet? Looking at detours $298 plus shipping, so at least $340ish for the detours. That's pricey.

 

I like the idea. Its too late for me to put this idea on mine but I could see it selling.

 

It'll be way less than that. I may have no way around shipping since it'll be all one piece and bulky. It'll me a smaller package than Detours ships out but I don't know that'll effect shipping that much.

Honestly, I have no idea on the price other than I would like to keep it under $200. It's all going to depend on what it costs me to manufacture in bulk. if it goes much over $200 I don't think it'll sell or be worth producing.

Plus, if this ball does start rolling I'll have to figure out where I'll sell it at. Maybe get a vendor name and sell here, FB, other forums... idk?

I thought about this literally 2 hours before I started this thread. The picture you saw was of a 5 minute drawing I did to get it out of my head and on some paper.

That's the other thing... most folks either already have full size winch bumpers or want a full sized winch bumper. The majority of those people want the added protection from the big boy bumper. I don't know that there will be a huge market for adding a winch while retaining the factory bumper. Either way, I don't know if I could maintain a huge demand anyway. I'm a one man show.

 

I think it would be a fantastic thing. I would want the D-ring tabs though. I had a Logan's bumper on my 91 and it was a good bumper, but looked pretty stupid until I got the winch. It did save my front end once though. I guess you could beef up the stock bumper though with some plating on the inside.