How about just unzip the side window, unlock the door, put the jeep in neutral and load it on a trailer. Then you have everything, and you did damage to absolutely nothing. Takes less time than unbolting anything.

 

who would you turn to for a tack weld? i would like to get a winch for my DD but I don't have welding equip.

 

Explain to wife this is reason to buy welder. Security!


Evan is happy now that he knows what he'll use as his argument to buy a welder.

 

any welding shop could do it for very miniumal charge I am sure

 

My winch plate is held on with 4 bolts with nuts. They go into the frame rails from the top, and they spin in the frame when you use a wrench on the exposed bolts. The only way to remove them, short of a torch or grinder, is to remove the entire front bumper and cans. With the ovalated nuts on the stock front bumper this is a time consuming job. No other security, including the pictured bolt lock, needed there IMHO. Aftermarket bumper solutions may need more help.

The winch to the plate is a concern. Slide underneath, and just like the OP said, 4 bolts and you are off. Welding a bolt or two to the plate will work, but it is a real pain to service the winch. My Ramsey, like my earlier Warn and HF winches, requires removal from the plate for disassembly for maintenance or repair.

I think the best solution is to use a longer plate to winch bolt. Thread a nut down the long bolt. Install it and use the nut to tighten the winch to the plate. Weld (not tack) the nut in the winch foot to the bolt. When you need to remove the winch, just back off the nut and use a cutoff wheel on your dremel to cut the bolt.

Using the appropriate grade of torx or allen bolts may be just as good.

 

My winch plate is bolted to the frame rails too, not even visible without removing the bumper first, and even then it takes some fiddling with special tools. The winch-to-plate bolts are blocked by the skid plate; yet one more piece that would have to be removed first. In the shop, with good light and the right tools, it's a 30 minute job to remove the winch. I can't picture doing this lying in the street, but next time maybe I'll use torx bolts (good idea, adaycj!); without the right wrench they're about impossible to remove.

 

as i said in the op i have the high rock bumper. the warn 9.5 ti winch has slots for the nut's i already got the alon bolts but i cant belive that they dont have more security type devices out their the one made by TUFFY is good but a good chisle and a wack would take the bolt head off maybe for some of you that live in a low populated / crime back woods deliverance area it would not be a big concern lol but thanks for the help and advice when i get it installed i'll post pictures

 

I have the Highrock set-up with Warn 9.5ti. Check it out in the show and tell section under "Blacked out Rubi". Once you install the bumper you will see why the winch needs to be mounted prior to putting the bumper on the Jeep, reason being...it is next to; if not impossible to get to the bolt heads once the bumper is installed since the bolts mount directly into the winch housing itself. I live in SoCal the car-theft capital of the world and have NO concern about my winch walking away....anyhow, install it then check back in you'll see what I mean.

 

Get a longer bolt. Drill a hole through the portion that sticks out past the nut, and add a padlock.

 

I can hear the banjos now..... sorry you live in such a crappy high crime place.

Seriously, the point is, that the hardware might be un-reachable anyway, and the front skid plate makes it even harder.