Issues installing Warn Zeon winch on aftermarket bumper

[dragoneggs]

Just removed my factory bumper on my JLR and installed a RockHard4x4 aluminum Patriot mid width bumper. Easy install and looks great.

Ran into a problem with dropping in the Warn Zeon 8S winch. Won't fit. Talked to Chad at RockHard and they have been absolutely fantastic. They know they are now very tight and advised me to grind off about an 1/8in on the inside front frame rail ends. Got some grinding in and now waiting for the touchup paint to dry before reinstalling the bumper and trying to mount the winch again.

For those of you that are going RockHard Patriot with lowered winch plate, and want a Warn winch, you might want to save yourself a headache and get the cheaper VR EVO series as they are a little smaller.

Even when I can get the winch seated, the back of the winch will be pressing against the grill. Not ideal. Probably will need to put some kind of wear protection.

You can see I already scuffed up the winch end caps...

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[dragoneggs]

Okay some progress here. I did finally get the winch in place and loosely bolted. But unfortunately I had to loosen the bumper to frame bolts to slide it in. It is an extremely tight fit not only side to side but front to back.

I tightened up the four outside frame end bolts but the four inside fram bolts are now not accessible IMHO. I think I need a 19mm open end flex ratchet wrench. I don't even know if such an animal exists!

 

[Reactor111]

Clearance to the grill can be fixed with some spacers between the frame horn and the bumper. We made some with 1/4” plate.

 

[dapipp]

It can be done but there are a few things that may make it easier if you have help.

Since I also tow, and am tired of going low to hookup I made "holders" for my towing cables. These prevented me from dropping the winch in from the top.

I would attach your line to the winch before mounting it and I would attach the winch to the bumper before mounting.

It will take help getting it up in place but once it is balanced on the frame rails it is easier to manage. I found I was able to use smaller spacers between the rails and bumper than was provided. I will admit it was a challenge to get the bumper torqued on properly but it is doable.

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

I found the Rockhard 4x4 patriot bumper install instructions to seem less than useful with regards to installing the winch.

It took 5 phone conversations with Rockhard phone support before I clawed any useful information from them. The rep was exceptionally prompt with replying to the voice mails I left. He cheerfully called back after hours. I was impressed with that. He was remarkably enthusiastic in his attempts to answer questions, but not effective at answering them. He was too quick to answer before hearing the questions. The lack of rapport created an impasse. I was befuddled by statements that seemed inapplicable, and I was reluctant to point out the obvious for fear of turning the conversation sour. He seems like a super nice guy, but needs some coaching and development to take the service to a higher level.

The useful info could have been in the manual, but it was not, and it could have been answered with a single phone call, but it was not.

On the first phone call I asked if I needed to trim the rails, but was told no "it is just a tight fit", and on the fifth phone call it was finally confirmed that yes, most people have too trim the rails.

Prior to ordering the bumper I had found it ironic that Rockhard 4x4 promoted the use of the smaller sized imported line of Warn winches. They repeatedly advised me that the Made in USA Zeon series were overkill, and I kept saying I like the USA stuff... just like Rockhard products!

Now that I have learned to trim the frame rails to fit the Warn Zeon, I am left to wonder if Rockhard is somehow reluctant to advise you to trim the frame horns on the Jeep.

In any event, I would have greatly appreciated if they explicitly described how to easily fit a Warn Zeon into their recessed winch Patriot bumpers.

It was a real pain in the bumper when I tired to do it, until I figured out how easy it could have been if I had just done it right from the onset.

It was frustrating to think that in the age of easy communications Rockhard 4x4 has not updated the pdf install manual and or YouTube videos to provide helpful information so that each and every customer does not have to reinvent the solution.

Here's a link to what I found worked for me:

How to fit a warn Zeon between frame brackets.

 

[dragoneggs]

Okay got on the backsides of the bolts with winch installed. Had help from my SIL. He crawled under and was able to get ahold of the nuts while I used an impact driver from the front.

Now just have to hook up the electrical cables.

Looking at the pictures posted here I realized I may have forgotten to put washers under the bolt heads... crap!!! But there is no way I am taking this apart again to do so. I do have washers on the backside.

 

[Jim1964]

Thanks for sharing, I’ll be doing the same install soon.

I used their bumper on my JK previously and I don’t recall any fitment issues on that one.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thanks for sharing, I’ll be doing the same install soon.

I used their bumper on my JK previously and I don’t recall any fitment issues on that one.

From what I recall Chad at RockHard saying, the JL might be a little tighter. Don't know if the frame rail gussets on the inside if the frames are different but that was my big issue having to grind them down.

 

[dragoneggs]

And thinking about the washers... I think I do want to go back and install them on the clevis bolts for the tow bars. Want to paint them black first so they aren't so distracting to me. I will leave that for another day. Tired of wrestling with them and I won't be towing my JLR for awhile.

 

[GtX]

My x20 rubs my grill. I like it tight!

 

[Yellow Cake Kid]

Having received the phone support instruction to install the bumper first and the winch second, and having tried to follow the instructions, I ended up removing and reinstalling the bumper several times before the winch was fit in place.

The good news; removing the bumper mounting bolts seems easy enough. If you just want to add the washers it is easy to loosen all the bolts just enough to relieve the bind and then add one washer at a time.

FWIW, before I was done with the install I elected to use the additional spacers that are described in the instructional manual as

"PRO TIP: All winches, except for some imports, will use 8x long spacers between Jeep frame and nut. Some import winches have wires that come directly out of back of winch and would
normally hit grille. In this case, use short spacers plus long spacers to provide enough room to run wire between grille and bumper this may however cause winch to hit frame horns."

I had found that the Zeon hit the frame horns either way. Once I had trimmed the frame horns I was still concerned that with just the long spacers lowering the winch from the top was sure to scratch up the Jeep's grill , so I added the short spacers as well. I also felt that the extra spacing was useful for letting the wire drop under the grill with less likely hood that it would rub the paint off in short under.

I hope you enjoy your new bumper.

 

[dragoneggs]

Thank you all for your replies... especially those that have had the same experience. I'm super happy now after struggling for a few days (around my day job) to get this completed.

Got the synthetic rope and Factor 55 FlatLink shackle installed!

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