Winch installation and Warranty

[Jayphil]

Hi Everyone.

I'd like to get a winch installed as my first mod and was wondering how you fellow jeepers went about installing a winch while still maintaining your vehicle factory warranty?

I'm keen on getting a Warn winch.

Would love some advice and guidance.

Regards.

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[Jaydee_S]

Hi Everyone.

I'd like to get a winch installed as my first mod and was wondering how you fellow jeepers went about installing a winch while still maintaining your vehicle factory warranty?

I'm keen on getting a Warn winch.

Would love some advice and guidance.

Regards.

If you have the factory steel Rubicon front bar, it is super easy. I ordered the warn winch plate off amazon and had it delivered within a week. That bolts in simple enough (Note that there is 2 welded on nuts that are in the way when mounting the winch plate brackets.. they pop off super super easy with a breaker bar.. You could probably just use a normal wrench as well)

Installing the winch as well is straight forward, Ive never done it before and managed to do everything by myself with no issues at all. I did get a hand pulling the front bar off and putting it back on, but that was it. There is plenty of video guides on youtube how to install a winch plate and winch on youtube for the JL on the factory bar, so thats your best bet.

Though adding in my two cents as well on winch brand. I also initially wanted a warn winch, but settled for the smittybilt x20. Its half the price, lifetime warranty on mechanical / 5 year on electrical and performs extremely well from what i seen online. (never needed to use mine yet as a snatch strap has been quicker so far)

Also in terms of warranty, it should effect anything i wouldnt think (Providing its installed correctly) as they built the car ready to take a winch =)

 

[Jayphil]

I'll have to look into Smitty vs Warn. This is a gray area for me at the moment as I'm only used to traps and recovery points.

How did you go about mounting the licensed plate back on?

 

[Dkretden]

I'll have to look into Smitty vs Warn. This is a gray area for me at the moment as I'm only used to traps and recovery points.

How did you go about mounting the licensed plate back on?

As for the warranty, you will need to determine what “rules” apply in Australia. Here in the US, the addition of a winch will NOT void a vehicle warranty unless it can be shown that the winch actually is the cause of the problem. And, since the Jeep factory OEM steel bumper is specifically made to allow the addition of a winch, it’s a stretch to think that the addition of a winch, properly installed, would void anything.

as for front plates, companies make “flip up brackets” that the plate can mount to. When down the plate covers your line/hook. When up, the winch can be used......

 

[Jaydee_S]

I'll have to look into Smitty vs Warn. This is a gray area for me at the moment as I'm only used to traps and recovery points.

How did you go about mounting the licensed plate back on?

Yeah i was super keen on the warn winch.. I just couldnt justify the price for something i probably wont use all that often.

As for mounting the plate, I used heavy duty double sided tape and stuck it above the fairlead. The tape is super strong, we've been using it at work for years to stick plates to super cars as they obviously dont like holes being drilled into their bars and never had any issues. Its solid.

I did buy a flip up mount, but decided to leave it as is seeing as its working so well (even sticking direct to the metal on the bar) and trust me when i say, its not going to fall off at all anytime soon haha.

 

[Jayphil]

Thanks for the advice Jaydee_S.

That's a nice rig. What grillbar is that?

I think I'm gonna go with Warm for the wow factor too. My partner and I are leaning towards a Warn winch and considering the bumper is specific for winch installation, we arnt too concerned about it having spoken with our dealer and their service techs.

Going to make sure I have a place to out the plates in first before I commit

 

[Jaydee_S]

Thanks for the advice Jaydee_S.

That's a nice rig. What grillbar is that?

I think I'm gonna go with Warm for the wow factor too. My partner and I are leaning towards a Warn winch and considering the bumper is specific for winch installation, we arnt too concerned about it having spoken with our dealer and their service techs.

Going to make sure I have a place to out the plates in first before I commit

Cheers man, thats the warn low mount add on bar.

I do know if you want to install the warn zeon winch, It will be a super tight fit, Check youtube videos.. Not impossible to do, just apparently tight to get to a bolt or two.

The bumper isnt warn specific, you can run any winch of this style and there are many different winch plates that you can purchase. I just decided i wanted the warn winch plate. That said, the winches pretty much have all the same mounting holes, so it doesnt really matter what winch you want to chuck on there with any of the plates.

But yeah, you cant go wrong with the zeon winches, American built and apparently very good quality =)

as for the plate, I was the opposite.. install first, work that part out later.. the first day i just zip tied it to the bar, then put the tape in for temp measure which now has become the permanent method for me haha

 

[pguerreiro]

Yeah i was super keen on the warn winch.. I just couldnt justify the price for something i probably wont use all that often.

As for mounting the plate, I used heavy duty double sided tape and stuck it above the fairlead. The tape is super strong, we've been using it at work for years to stick plates to super cars as they obviously dont like holes being drilled into their bars and never had any issues. Its solid.

I did buy a flip up mount, but decided to leave it as is seeing as its working so well (even sticking direct to the metal on the bar) and trust me when i say, its not going to fall off at all anytime soon haha.

Thanks for the suggestion Jaydee, I will be installing my warn winch on the factory steel bar on Monday and I was getting nuts to where will I fit the license plate, I was considering the flip up, but not fully convinced... can you please share the reference of that heavy duty double side tape?

 

[Jayphil]

Thanks for the suggestion Jaydee, I will be installing my warn winch on the factory steel bar on Monday and I was getting nuts to where will I fit the license plate, I was considering the flip up, but not fully convinced... can you please share the reference of that heavy duty double side tape?

Yes please. I'm inclined to go this way too

 

[Jaydee_S]

Thanks for the suggestion Jaydee, I will be installing my warn winch on the factory steel bar on Monday and I was getting nuts to where will I fit the license plate, I was considering the flip up, but not fully convinced... can you please share the reference of that heavy duty double side tape?

yeah sure, We buy the stuff in bulk from one of our suppliers.

Though a good outdoor double sided tape is what you want. You can just grab something like this from bunnings which will work perfect.
https://www.bunnings.com.au/scotch-2-5cm-x-1-5m-extreme-double-sided-mounting-tape_p3961938

I literally only have about 2cm (maybe 2.5cm) tall of tape running the width of the bottom of the plate. I was going to make some custom metal reinforcement brackets behind it, but its seriously not needed at all. I do also have the advantage that the fairlead helps a tiny bit by wedging the plate into the bar with my winch hook setup. Even then, it'll be fine.

I mean, Ive used A LOT less tape to hold plates onto the front of Ferrari's, Lamborghini's, Mclarens, etc with no issues in over 5 years.

 

[rubileon]

... went about installing a winch while still maintaining your vehicle factory warranty?

.

The decision to honour warranty is not at the discretion of the dealer. They have to honour warranty unless they can prove that an issue was caused as a result of something that you did. E. g. can you plug in a phone charger to your 12v socket and have your vehicle's warranty denied if it blows a fuse? Obviously not. Don't let dealerships scare you.

The only time some mod should worry you is if it's illegal or possibly something on which insurance can be denied.

Modify your Jeeps, people!

 

[BikiniJL]

I'd rather spend my funds elsewhere than $1k+ on a winch. What's your thoughts on a Domin8r or anything else in that price range?

 

[Joey]

I'd rather spend my funds elsewhere than $1k+ on a winch. What's your thoughts on a Domin8r or anything else in that price range?

I went with smittybilt gen 3 12k(had warn hi mount didn't fit JL) slower speed only at 12000 pull but the power it draws(amps) is a lot less 375 amp 1.6m per minute vs 430 amp 1.85m per minute. Then look at warranty 12 months on dominator vs 5 years electric/life time mechanical for smitty. Plus Smitty has IP67 water rating dominator doesn't so the maintenance side to also think about. Warn is equivalent to smittybilt but paying for name. Comes down to what's more important personally, price vs maintenance vs Specs.

 

[BikiniJL]

I went with smittybilt gen 3 12k(had warn hi mount didn't fit JL) slower speed only at 12000 pull but the power it draws(amps) is a lot less 375 amp 1.6m per minute vs 430 amp 1.85m per minute. Then look at warranty 12 months on dominator vs 5 years electric/life time mechanical for smitty. Plus Smitty has IP67 water rating dominator doesn't so the maintenance side to also think about. Warn is equivalent to smittybilt but paying for name. Comes down to what's more important personally, price vs maintenance vs Specs.

I like that unit. Damn my CC is going to get a work out!

 

[Jaydee_S]

I installed the Smittybilt Gen2 X20 12k winch. Much better pricing than warn and i'd like to think higher quality and more reliable than the dominator winches.. but its something i dont plan on using all that much anyway, except for when friends get stuck in their hiluxes =)

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