Winchcraft: The Dark Art

[TacoXpo]

LMAO, yes it is tight in there between the radiator and the existing framework. The juice is worth the squeeze, Epstein might not feel that way if we were able to ask him again though



Yeah, I can say that it's one of those do it once things and you'll never have to worry about it again. Those pictures are from probably 7 or 8 years ago. My bumper was basically falling off coming home from Moab around 2013. To just fix it like the stock wasn't going to happen it needed to be much stronger, overbuilt is under rated. I may have added another 15 lbs or so to the front end but the only way my bumper is coming off of that truck is if the frame itself rips in half (which might actually happen ya never know )

Mine was torn off by a good friend, just before I said, "Let's bring your truck so that it pulls in a straight line and to TAKE IT SLOW!" He did neither.

 

[TacoXpo]

11 years ago today:

 

[TacoXpo]

And I have pretty much the exact thing on the inside.

 

[TacoXpo]

I had a friend with AllPoop sliders and they looked like pretzels!

 

[Silverback]

Quality is job #27.

 

[TacoXpo]

Quality is job #27.

Not on the list!

 

[PSU Taco85]

View attachment 40064

Allpoo marketing department response, “our sliders provide rocker panel protection while still preventing those bone jarring hits from being felt quite so bad as a passenger in the vehicle compared to the competition”

 

[TacoXpo]

Allpoo marketing department response, “our sliders provide rocker panel protection while still preventing those bone jarring hits from being felt quite so bad as a passenger in the vehicle compared to the competition”

Sliders with a crumble zone.

 

[Anathollo]

I didn't see another thread specific to winches. Is the WARN VR EVO series worth the extra money over the Smittybilt?

I'm strongly considering the Warn VR EVO 10-S, but that's a lot of money for something that I likely won't use very often. (The comparable Gen2 Smittybilt is about $200 less. The gen3 Smitty 9500 is $140 less.) That said, knowing that it isn't going to get used "often" I still want it to "work" when I need it. I figure a winch is a buy once cry once sort of purchase.

I've also read that the VR EVO is the Chinese made entry level winch from Warn. I really don't want to get it and find out that I should have bought a "real" warn. I want a synthetic cable for the weight saving, but for cost comparison, I could buy two of the steel cable smittybilt winches for less than the cost of the single Warn winch.

My shittybilt rusted into one piece of chinesium junk.

Get the Warn and don't look back.

 

[Anathollo]

I do, I knocked out the stock studs and drilled out the holes replaced with 1/2” grade 8 hardware. Added a 1/4” reinforcement plate to the front of the frame horns
View attachment 40034View attachment 40035

I made a backer for the frame horns out of 1/4 angle iron

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added an extra crossmember
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Drilled holes in the winch mount plate area of bumper for be new crossmember
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gussets in key areas
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Added another bracket behind the inside of the frame horn
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I used these same pics to beef up my mounts after they sheared off.

 

[CowboyTaco]

View attachment 40064

Dang. I've seen pics of the AllPro sliders after side impact (t-boned) and they were near perfect, so this is kind of surprising. As unacceptable as that is....it did it's job!

 

[TacoXpo]

I used these same pics to beef up my mounts after they sheared off.View attachment 40095View attachment 40096View attachment 40097View attachment 40098

Once again, Tacos were meant to be gardener trucks that haul one push mower and never designed to have a winch.

 

[CowboyTaco]

Let's talk snatch blocks for a moment.

Gear America has this 2 pack: https://www.amazon.com/GearAmerica-...qid=1638796543&sprefix=snatch,aps,182&sr=8-15

Then they also have this one (also available in 2 pack): https://www.amazon.com/GearAmerica-...qid=1638817172&sprefix=snatch,aps,182&sr=8-15

Is the second one overkill and the first one sufficient? Or is the first one going to fail and leave you aggravated that you didn't spend a little more to get the big boy?

 

[Silverback]

Are you going synthetic line? I'd get a synthetic soft shackle snatch ring. Watched a shitload of YouTube vids on them, ended up buying a few of them. Two smaller 4" in diameter and one larger 6.25" diameter one. Seems the bigger one is what you want. I do like that Gear America stuff. I got a pair of their heavy duty D-rings last year for the blue truck. Picked up a 7/8x30 snatch rope from them this year. American made, vet owned, gives 10% to St Jude.. good company in my book.

 

[TacoXpo]

I have a similar to the first and it always worked just fine. Personally never needed two. Is this for a 5-6k truck?

 

[Silverback]

This is the snatch ring that I got. https://www.amazon.com/Overland-Vehicle-Systems-19240004-Recovery/dp/B086PJ62XD

Using this soft shackle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GTSH34Y?psc=1&smid=AJ3T3IHU5XRWT

 

[TacoXpo]

This is the snatch ring that I got. https://www.amazon.com/Overland-Vehicle-Systems-19240004-Recovery/dp/B086PJ62XD

Using this soft shackle. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08GTSH34Y?psc=1&smid=AJ3T3IHU5XRWT

You softie.

 

[Silverback]

It happens when you get old... well hell.. you know!

 

[tx_shooter]

Let's talk snatch blocks for a moment.

Gear America has this 2 pack: https://www.amazon.com/GearAmerica-Synthetic-Capacity-Direction-Accessory/dp/B07NSFFW4R/ref=sr_1_15?crid=RVXIQE5Q161K&keywords=snatch+block&qid=1638796543&sprefix=snatch,aps,182&sr=8-15

Then they also have this one (also available in 2 pack): https://www.amazon.com/GearAmerica-Snatch-Pulley-Synthetic-Offroad/dp/B07RLV6HZB/ref=sr_1_15?crid=RVXIQE5Q161K&keywords=snatch+block&qid=1638817172&sprefix=snatch,aps,182&sr=8-15

Is the second one overkill and the first one sufficient? Or is the first one going to fail and leave you aggravated that you didn't spend a little more to get the big boy?

I keep one of the Gear America blocks in my 4Runner bag that stays in it at all times. The 2nd one stays in the trip gear when I expect to put myself where I might not should go.

In my experience I have loaned my gear out for trail recoveries more than I have used it for myself. So I try to have gear that is moderately universal.

 

[TacoXpo]

It happens when you get old... well hell.. you know!

I was a a property this weekend that had an extensive drip system. The agent told me that they switched to a drip system about 3 years ago. I said, "I switched to a drip system about 5 years ago!"