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Winch Recommendation - Lightweight

JC604

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Hi everyone,

I have a rather stock JLUR. Do mostly light to moderate trails. I don't anticipate using it often, it is more of an insurance in case I get into trouble.

Main concern is light weight and reliability. Cost is not a big concern.

Please Recommend, thanks!
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Hi everyone,

I have a rather stock JLUR. Do mostly light to moderate trails. I don't anticipate using it often, it is more of an insurance in case I get into trouble.

Main concern is light weight and reliability. Cost is not a big concern.

Please Recommend, thanks!
 

Tread4Lo

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The Warn 9.0C is about the smallest lightest reliable there is.

You can do a build up, if you are so inclined. I went with a Warn M8000. It is an older model, you can find them all day long from $250 to $650, depending on condition and what it needs. The ones that need stuff are good, fit it with new control box and synthetic rope. All in all these are around 60# when finished. Great reliability with the older Warn internals and newer electronics.
 

Abend

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If weight savings is your goal, consider changing out your front bumper, regardless of which winch you choose. The Rock Hard 4x4 mid-width aluminum bumper is about 50lbs less than the factory steel bumper. And that's before you add the heavy steel winch plate you'd need with the factory bumper, which is another 40lbs. Net, if you have factory steel bumpers, you can add a winch with synthetic line and only be about 10-20lbs heavier than stock.
 

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Rockhard4x4 also has a winch plate that mounts on the JL plastic bumper. Just installed it with a Badlands ZXR 12000 winch. Looks nice.
 

Zandcwhite

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If weight savings is your goal, consider changing out your front bumper, regardless of which winch you choose. The Rock Hard 4x4 mid-width aluminum bumper is about 50lbs less than the factory steel bumper. And that's before you add the heavy steel winch plate you'd need with the factory bumper, which is another 40lbs. Net, if you have factory steel bumpers, you can add a winch with synthetic line and only be about 10-20lbs heavier than stock.
There is 0 chance that the Rock Hard bumper weighs 28lbs. The factory steel bumper weighs 78lbs with end caps, 63 lbs with them removed. A steel winch plate weighs 10 lbs not 40, check shipping weight on virtually any site. End caps removed, with a winch plate added, the factory bumper is 73lbs. I can’t find the weight of the rock hard specifically, but rampage 4x4 stubby aluminum bumper weighs 65 lbs. Aluminum bumpers have to be made out of thicker material due to the lower strength, the weight savings becomes marginal to non-existent. The only way you‘re adding a winch and only gaining 10-20lbs over stock would be a winch plate and no bumper. Most 8-9k lb winches weigh around 50-60lbs with synthetic line or 80-85lbs with steel cable. The warn rc winches are their lightest available, but the 50’ winch line will often be too short.
 

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Main concern is light weight
Just for fun I do have some weights in here of some parts...

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...mper-install-w-smittybilt-x20-gen-comp.60778/

The Rugged Ridge winch - I forget the model is was... If I remember- 55lbs with synth rope installed.

I only went with Smittbilt based on reputation.

Anyways you will see in my thread you can get a full width, steel bumper with winch plate for 60lbs.

I don't know enough about Rubicons to know what bumper you actually have or what you need to fit a winch.

Regardless, RR winch was the lightest weight one I could find...

Good luck!
 

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There is 0 chance that the Rock Hard bumper weighs 28lbs. . The factory steel bumper weighs 78lbs with end caps, 63 lbs with them removed. A steel winch plate weighs 10 lbs not 40, check shipping weight on virtually any site.
Not 28, but my mid-width bumper weighs in at about 34lbs and it has an integrated winch mounting plate. The full-width version is 37. The Rock Hard bumpers seriously are that light. That bumper also has an integrated skid plate, so you're removing the front steel skid plate too, not just the bumper. I was using the Warn 101255 winch plate as my example winch plate, since that's a pretty common choice. Quadratec's site lists it as being 41lbs and Amazon says it's 39.
 
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Zandcwhite

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Not 28, but my mid-width bumper weighs in at about 34lbs and it has an integrated winch mounting plate. The full-width version is 37. The Rock Hard bumpers seriously are that light. And I did check the shipping weight on a Warn 101255 winch plate. Quadratec's site lists it as being 41lbs and Amazon says it's 39.
Is the integrated winch plate steel? That is crazy light either way, but I'm not about to drop $1,000 to save 39lbs. That being said, my engine skid is aluminum and I would consider the rock hard bumper if I had the factory plastic one.
 

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Is the integrated winch plate steel? That is crazy light either way, but I'm not about to drop $1,000 to save 39lbs. That being said, my engine skid is aluminum and I would consider the rock hard bumper if I had the factory plastic one.
Nope, it's aluminum. They give you some large steel bar stock pieces (glorified washers) with appropriate holes in them to take the force of the mounting hardware so you don't deform the aluminum, but the plate itself is all aluminum. The price tag is sky high, but I was trying not to lose much clearance in the front when I added my winch. Coming from plastic bumpers, my net weight gain was basically just the weight of the winch.
 

Zandcwhite

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Nope, it's aluminum. They give you some large steel bar stock pieces (glorified washers) with appropriate holes in them to take the force of the mounting hardware so you don't deform the aluminum, but the plate itself is all aluminum. The price tag is sky high, but I was trying not to lose much clearance in the front when I added my winch. Coming from plastic bumpers, my net weight gain was basically just the weight of the winch.
My "winch" only weighs 28lbs, including mounting hardware. It's much more labor intensive though.

20201128_131851.jpg
 

Whaler27

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There is 0 chance that the Rock Hard bumper weighs 28lbs. The factory steel bumper weighs 78lbs with end caps, 63 lbs with them removed. A steel winch plate weighs 10 lbs not 40 <<snip>>
According to Warn, their steel winch plate kit for the JL/JT steel bumper weighs 39.2 pounds. (Part No. 101255)
 
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JC604

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My "winch" only weighs 28lbs, including mounting hardware. It's much more labor intensive though.

Jeep Wrangler JL Winch Recommendation - Lightweight 20201128_131851
Can a Hi Lift really be used in place of a winch in a jam? Very interested to hear your experiences.
 
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JC604

JC604

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Just for fun I do have some weights in here of some parts...

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...mper-install-w-smittybilt-x20-gen-comp.60778/

The Rugged Ridge winch - I forget the model is was... If I remember- 55lbs with synth rope installed.

I only went with Smittbilt based on reputation.

Anyways you will see in my thread you can get a full width, steel bumper with winch plate for 60lbs.

I don't know enough about Rubicons to know what bumper you actually have or what you need to fit a winch.

Regardless, RR winch was the lightest weight one I could find...

Good luck!
That is a seriously light front bumper! I currently have the OEM steel bumper and don't plan to spend $$$ for another one any time soon. With even a light winch plate the combination is over 100lb
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