Hey Guys, and Girls.     

Anyone have any winch mounting advice?   

I am mounting one on my 4 door Tracker... Is there anywhere i could mount it that's strong enough, without custom fabbing something?   Cutting the bumper is fine.


Thanks in advance.

you're going to need to custom mount that winch. I've always mounted my winches on a receiver hitch mount. Build the same size mount on the back and you won't need to carry all the extra weight in the front. Another advantage is that you can take it off.

You need to make sure that this is mounted strong enough to take the pull. We built one and ended up putting the skin back on the bumper...the only sign was the 2" pipe sticking out....his wife never knew it was there.

Another advantage if you do like me....We got together and three of us bought one winch and then another and then finally a third...same winches, same set-up on the zukes so if you mess one up then you can take the other. They all have a key to my shed and they can get the gear anytime. I've still got to build the hook up on my 413K but my old zuke had a receiver on both ends and if we were going to wheel hard then I brought both.

you're going to need to custom mount that winch. I've always mounted my winches on a receiver hitch mount. Build the same size mount on the back and you won't need to carry all the extra weight in the front. Another advantage is that you can take it off.

You need to make sure that this is mounted strong enough to take the pull. We built one and ended up putting the skin back on the bumper...the only sign was the 2" pipe sticking out....his wife never knew it was there.

Another advantage if you do like me....We got together and three of us bought one winch and then another and then finally a third...same winches, same set-up on the zukes so if you mess one up then you can take the other. They all have a key to my shed and they can get the gear anytime. I've still got to build the hook up on my 413K but my old zuke had a receiver on both ends and if we were going to wheel hard then I brought both.

agree its got to be mounted to something or in a way that can support the weight of the rig the winchi is trying to pull.  I know a guy who was winching up a hill and some of his bumper that he made began to give.  Bad welds....

if you are not "experienced" you should stay away from welding important things...now saying that I only got my experience from getting experience....I'm self taught.

When I first started I would tack everything in place and get the local welder to do the final welds...this was on the important stuff. After some time he saw that I had some knowledge so he hired me to do some welding for him. I did over 400 hours of wleding in the first winter. This guy was real fussy....he made me grind the ones the were ugly. In the first winter I probably had to grind about 300 welds....in the next winter I might have grinded 10, and that was me being fussy.

I spent 100 hours working on one excavator bucket.....40 hours sitting in the bucket and welding.

Best thing to do is go to the local scrap and buy some crap and weld, weld and weld.

Good advice Zukimoo.   


So basicly there is no way to mount a winch to a tracker without some sort of new welded bumper?   I was hoping to keep the stock bumper look, just have the winch come through.

if there is room under you might be able to get away with some heavy brackets.

Good advice Zukimoo.   


So basicly there is no way to mount a winch to a tracker without some sort of new welded bumper?   I was hoping to keep the stock bumper look, just have the winch come through.

takes some fabbing, but this sort of thing could work?

Wow, that looks very well constructed.  very professional.

Maybe someone has some advice on a rear winch mount?   could i just buy a good solid hitch system, then weld my winch to a custom hitch?     I'm not pulling out of hell,  just maybe some light mud or snow  

Not sure if a rear hitch would even be practical for getting me out.