so here we go...
I bought a ENGO 10000lb winch and got it last week I have a Rugged Ridge XHD bumper on my jeep just waiting for a winch to complete it. so i mount the solenoid box on top and go to put the winch in..simple.. NOT so simple the wires are tight in the grill so tight that the back of the winch is off the mounting plate in the back by 1/2 inch now im pissed and start recalculating how this is going to work


.. i will make plates to put on the front of the frame and mover the bumper out !/4inch... not so easy anyone that has aXHD bumper knows that the nuts that are welded on the inside top for the hoop knows that the sit right up against the lip on the top of the frame rails so now i have to cut them off... after getting this all done and moving the bumper forward i put the winch back in and it is still tight but it fit. I didnt like it cuz there was no way i would ever get the grill off without taking the winch off...

...i will take the solenoid box off the top and put it somewhere else that will give me the room i need to get the grill off and mount my light bar back under the hoop.. but where do i put it. ahhh under the drivers seat i can run the wires down the frame and come in thru the drain hole under the drives seat... nope dont like that idea so under the hood i go try it on the fuse box too high hood wont shut.. how about here


so i go home and think about it all night which i think about my jeep all the time anyway i think someone called it JDD thanks for that write up MTG... anyway i think i will mount it on the OBA plate and use the screw on the front of the ESP brake deal... perfect.. nope it wont work how about the fender i can mount it to the fender BINGO... back to the shop n the morning excited cuz i'm about to do something awesome to my jeep..

here is the bracket we came up with its heavy gauge sheet metal and a peice of flat stock we wielded together after alot of measuring and cutting and recutting


too be continued

 

ok so now we paint it flat black of course and start mounting it in... bolt the solenoid box to it and bolt it in run wires thru the side of the radiator down the side of the radiator zip tie across the bottom of the grill bracket.... and out the front.. I hide th wires as much as possible cuz there is one thing i hate to see on a jeep is the winch wires thru the front of the grill oh and a stock spare on a big jeep lol anyway... here is the finished product thanks for reading

 

Make sure you get a cover for the winch rope to protect from sun damage.I like the re-mount of the winch controls

 

JK-1 Looks Good- nice job well done

 

im looking at this winch as well but i have a different bumper, but i do like the idea of putting it inside the engine bay. only one question i have. when you go to hook up the winch do you have to open up the hood to hook it up. sorry if its a dumb question but would like to do this if i would have to thanks

 

It doesn't look like the OP extended his control cables, so he'd have to open his hood to get ad them. Extending them isn't that hard though... and if you're going to do it, I'd just run them back into the cab.

 

You have 3 options here
1. Yes open the hood to plug it in
2. While your wiring it you can take the plug off the side of the box and extend the wires insid the cab and mount it in the plastic under the speaker on the driverrs side( this is what I'm doing next)
3. Pay the $30 for the remote.. I'm Also doing this..
Good luck

 

Oh alrite ya that would be pretty nice to jus have the controller in the cab with you.

 

i thought that too but what if im winching someone else then you will want the controller out front that is why im looking at the remote

 

That is exactly what I did a year ago. My JCR bumper did not have the clearance to fit the solenoid box on it.
I guess I should have shared so as to avoid problems for others... Anywho great minds think alike and good job..