Last edited on Mon Jan 1st, 2018 07:24 pm by Tsquare

Last edited on Mon Jan 1st, 2018 08:11 pm by RiggerWings

RiggerWings wrote: I don't want to have to cut anything is my issue. I'd rather get one that fits between the tow hooks. I may have to look into getting one fabed for me, like yours Jimmy. That's exactly what I want. 

I could get numerous uses out of it, a winch was just one thought. I have seen cradles specifically meant for winches that can be hitch mounted. They already have fairleads as well. Hopefully I can find a hitch that will work.

I'll have to see if I have the front crossmember on my frame. I guess some of the hitches wont work if that crossmember is installed. Looks like theres no issue in the pics above though. 

I guess the last thing I need to know (besides the first post) is that if the normal Curt front hitch is what people are using, and just flipping it upside down?


I didn't cut anything on the truck, just the hitch. In fact, I was even able to use existing holes in the frame for the mounting bolts.  All of the cutting/grinding was done with a 15$ harbor freight grinder. It took me the better part of an afternoon to cut up the hitch, figure out how I wanted to make it fit, and get it welded back together. If you're handy but don't have a welder, you could do all the design/cutting/mock-up yourself and then just have a shop weld it up for you. 



My winch and cradle are both Badlands products and came from harbor freight. I've also got their wireless remote. 



If you've got front tow hooks, you've got that same front cross member. On a non-bodylifted truck, there's enough room to tuck the receiver under that cross member and have it come out in the bumper cutout. 



The hitch I used was meant for a mid 90s econoline van. I went with this hitch because it was free to me and the receiver tube is in the same plane and the main body of the hitch (some hitches have a built in step to them where the receiver tube is below the main hitch body. Either style could be made to work, I just found one style to be easier)


If you're going the custom route, I wouldn't buy a new hitch. I'd look for a used class III meant for a full sized vehicle. This gives you a beefy platform you can cut down to size.   



This might be a better pic

Last edited on Mon Jan 1st, 2018 10:29 pm by Jimmyspy

If we may..

We haven't yet found or secured anyone making a specific front mounted hitch-receiver but that may look as though that's a niche part to consider. I'll have to get involved more with that thought process later.

Should you look or need an option for the other items to assist you with however:

Engo is a great "best for your dollar" winch that performs very well without having to go 'Big Name'. We can offer Warn too but not everyone wants a $500-800 winch. Here is a rather good article on the Engo and its competitors from FourWheeler Magazine which may provide some insight as well in your considerations.

Massive Multi-Winch Shootout






ENGO Industries has a winch for every need. With over 30 years of specialized experience, we know what it means to create a quality product that gets the job done. Our winches have world class features, innovative designs and the best warranty on the market. Whether you need hydraulic winches, electric winches, truck winches, ATV winches, or winch mounts, we've got you covered. By keeping you – the customer – at the heart of our business, we've developed a reputation for providing the right winch at the right price... The new ENGO SR Series winches provide all the best features you would want in a winch. Using state of the art Series Wound Motors, efficient 3-Stage planetary gear train, automatic load-holding brake, rugged hand remote, freespooling, power In and Out, stainless steel fasteners and a standard 4 Way Galvanized Roller Fairlead. The new SR Series offers the perfect balance of speed and power giving you the performance you need for your recovery applications. ENGO is proud to provide the SR Series winches for Jeep and Truck applications with a limited lifetime warranty on mechanical components with a 1-Year warranty on electrical components. ENGO has a SR Series recovery winch to handle every job imaginable and offers the best all around performance and value of any winch available.





To compliment that setup and make it easier than buying a welder at this point and fabbing up an adjustable winch plate with a built in fairlead mount, ENGO offers a receiver winch mount plate.








Offering easy connect/disconnect via Anderson plugs we also have a 90" front battery cable setup meant for the ENGO units and the Battery end of things as well as a rear mounting 24' ft kit too.


And we do carry Factor 55 fairleads should you want to dress that up a bit more and or change out to a synthetic line which is great for weight savings but in hotter climates seeing full sun all day, there are some trade offs to consider honestly.


If we can help further or if you'd like pricing quotes let us know if we can be more of help...

Last edited on Tue Jan 2nd, 2018 04:52 am by 12° North Industries

We've been updating a bit of gear for the 2012-2017 Ford Ranger T6 for international use & sales. One of the products we came across while adding product information in was a winch component I thought you may take an interest in. It uses the stock bumper of course and although I don't think it fully fits your needs for being able to go from the front to back of the vehicle with a cradle option. It certainly may lend a fabrication concept for your needs.


Although the T6 model comes in at the 2011 year, I havent been able to compare the US and AU versions enough to say this would even fit properly or without heavy modifications. The good news is, I'm told it should fit the newer 2018+ US variant, which is good.




Some CAD type drawings.






But I thought it would be worth sharing for conceptual purposes of your own or future views from others.

Last edited on Thu Jan 11th, 2018 05:23 pm by 12° North Industries