Harbor freight sells those universal winch mounts for $40 that I was going to buy and use to mount my winch (Warn XD9000i) to my stock JK bumper until I decided and found one that I really like. However, the stock bumper looks really weak. Has anyone bolted a winch to it- how did you do it? I don't want to weld the plate to the frame or drill holes in it, but it seems that may be the only way?

 

first off the harbor freight winch plate is prone to bending when under load.

second there are plate kits out there for the stock bumper that bolt up to the frame

im using the warn plate myself

this is the only photo i have uploaded at the time that even shows my winch

 

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...factory-bumper

 

I would be very careful using anything from Habor Freight that is load bearing. My two cents would be wait until you have the bumper you want. Most winch plates cost close the price of a new bumper.

 

You can get a cheap winch plate for like $75, steel winch bumpers cost $300-$1200

 

Rough Country RCX winch plate

Look my avatar

 

I've had a harbor freight winch plate on my TJ and I put it through some abuse and had no issues with it. Where I'm concerned is the actual mounting on the JK as the bumper seems really weak. It looks like the only option is to weld or drill into the frame.

 

To mount my M8000 I decided I didnt want an expensive plate so I went to the local steel supplier and got a piece of plate to mount between the frame rails, Cut it around the bumper mounts and although it is not pictured I cut it flush with the bumper so the palstic could fit back on. I was going to have the plate bent up instead of cutting it for a place to mount the fairlead but I opted to just pick up a piece of C channel and mounted it to the plate. Turned out well and cost me next to nothing.. just some drill bits and bolts.






This turned out well and it is very strong I winced myself outy of a mudhole where my bumpers were on the ground and my front tires were not lol

 

The Harbor Freight plate doesn't mount to the bumper, it mounts between the frame rails. You will probably have to trim it and/or drill new holes in the frame rails to make it work as the universal(cheap) one isn't set up for a JK specifically. That is the one I have and I haven't had any problems.