Winch solutions

[GrayGhostDog]

Dodge have been integrating a winch in the Power Wagon for years you would think Ford would be able to figure this out. BTW the newer Power Wagons have all the tech that the Bronco has including a camera they call surround view camera so maybe not a 360 camera but close.

Ford can have a winch integrated into their HD truck... even the Ranger has an available winch-ready bumper from Ford Performance(ARB). It has nothing to do with RAM being capable of integrating a winch on the Power Wagon or any other vehicle. The issue has to do with both design aesthetic and available technology choices on the Bronco. It's been debated about quite a bit in these forums whether there is real estate to mount a winch behind the bumper.... short answer is it's not going to be easy... not without some creative modifications. It has ACC module, front parking sensors, intercooler, intercooler shutters, and possibly an oil cooler taking up much needed space. The Ford Performance-Warn Winch kit and the sneak peek of the Warn winch-ready bumper will obstruct the front camera view if your Bronco has the 360 cameras.

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[swooshdave]

Look like correcting the winch mounting will have to wait for the Bronco II.

 

[North7]

Dodge have been integrating a winch in the Power Wagon for years you would think Ford would be able to figure this out. BTW the newer Power Wagons have all the tech that the Bronco has including a camera they call surround view camera so maybe not a 360 camera but close.

Did you notice the size of the Ram bumper is as large as the Bronco griil?

I don't see an intercooler or ACC sensor being blocked by the Ram bumper.

Your comparing apples and oranges.

 

[North7]

I have a question, I never even contemplated the Ford Factory winch solution because I already have a winch.

I also didn't really want the modular bumper because I want to keep my fog lights.

So my question is....

1) can the winch shelf be purchased on its own?

2) does it mount to the frame or does it mount to the bumper? Meaning, could it be mounted to the non-modular, standard bumper.

When there was that short period where Ford had a capable bumper on the website, that I actually was going to get because it seemed like a hybrid between the two.

1) Through the parts department.

2) It mounts to the frame horns and modular bumper. Capable bumper unknown until they release it.

 

[Rednek]

I'm just hoping aftermarket will have a front hidden hitch soon to put my receiver mounted smittybilt xr on

 

[da_jokker]

1) Through the parts department.

2) It mounts to the frame horns and modular bumper. Capable bumper unknown until they release it.

That's what I meant.. the plate mounts to the frame....are those mount points "accessible" with the standard bumper I wonder (maybe with some mods)

If the HD bumper also came with rear steel that would be at least something. But to pay that much and still have to buy the shelf (which is ugly) is crazy. I'd rather buy the shelf, put my winch on it, and attach it to the Bronco even though I have the standard bumper.

You provided a good pic.. I'll have to look closer at the standard to see what would be in the way.

 

[BadlandsBill]

BTW,
Smittybilt (cheap) Manufactured in China with China parts.
Warn Assembled in US with China parts
Ramsey (expensive)manufactured in US with all US manufactured parts that are readily available.
I have a Ramsey 12K on my F-250 and Ramsey 5K on my Samurai - excellent winches.

 

[josedirte]

Intercooler relocation.
Radar relocation.
Parking sensor relocation.

All things not in your picture.

Install a camera (maybe wireless) on winch housing.

 

[LSU Jonno]

Probably not... relocating the camera most likely requires for the front camera to be mounted at the same height as on the grill due to how it is programmed and "stitched" together with the other camera views... placing the camera forward from original location may throw off the programmed depth. I do not think relocating the front camera is the answer to this issue.

There isn't going to be a perfect solution. A camera relocate to the winch plate, bar, or solenoid is actually what I plan on doing. It can't break the 360 view, because it's already broken. It fixes the front camera view, while, probably distorting the 360 view in a way that may or may not be appealing. But the 360 view is down on my list of issues. I want a functioning front camera so that I can see upcoming obstacles. I can work around a distorted 360 view. Heck, that's probably a view I'll never use. I think the split screen tire view, and front camera views are the more useful views.

 

[BigSteveO]

Did you notice the size of the Ram bumper is as large as the Bronco griil?

I don't see an intercooler or ACC sensor being blocked by the Ram bumper.

Your comparing apples and oranges.

It's not about apples and oranges. Ram had the winch included in their thought process Ford did not, It was a after thought. Hell if they had it in the plans they could have gone with a hybrid camera and radar system like Tesla. Subaru has a full camera safety system with no radar in the grill or bumper. There are solutions out there but it makes it much harder when it is an after thought. We'll see what they change "if anything" for MY22. Sorry for the negative tone but being patient is getting harder everyday. Then you find out you can't install a winch without losing your front camera and cruse control. They thought of everything for this truck but to leave out a way to intergrade the winch, sorry unacceptable for a $45000 to $65000 truck. Ford needs to figure it out that's why they get payed the big bucks. With all that said I'm not budging on my reservation (-;

 

[GrayGhostDog]

There isn't going to be a perfect solution. A camera relocate to the winch plate, bar, or solenoid is actually what I plan on doing. It can't break the 360 view, because it's already broken. It fixes the front camera view, while, probably distorting the 360 view in a way that may or may not be appealing. But the 360 view is down on my list of issues. I want a functioning front camera so that I can see upcoming obstacles. I can work around a distorted 360 view. Heck, that's probably a view I'll never use. I think the split screen tire view, and front camera views are the more useful views.

I never implied that there was going to be a perfect solution to the installed winch-360 camera issue. The 360 camera view is not broken... it only becomes an issue for some if they would like to incorporate a winch to their rig and their rigs have the 360 front camera, ACC, and front parking sensors. It's not just about the front camera obstruction. I, and maybe a few others, would like to know what may or may not work with the OEM winch solution and/or future aftermarket winch-ready bumpers. For some a winch is very important and may want to know if installation is still possible although their rigs have these additional features.

360 view, ACC, and front parking sensors are good-2-go... winch installation is no problem for those that do not have certain features, such as 360 front cam, ACC, and front sensors...

Now, you do make a valid point about the 360 camera views... the split screen tire view and the front camera view could have been prioritized, allowing the front camera to be mounted higher on the front grill to view over a mounted winch. Heck! For all we know is that there could be a solution ready in the near future that could be done via an over-the-air or service department update for prospective winch customers that have 360 front cam, ACC, and front sensors.

 

[RhodeIslandRed]

I think it's pretty sad that Ford did not design the grill and bumper around a winch. It seems like a major oversight.

However, I'm more interested in your take on a winch being an essential tool. In my 50+ years of off-roading in BC with my Dad (and later myself) we've been in two situations where a winch was necessary, and the first time, it would have been much better to have the winch on the rear as pulling forward was not ideal. In the other situation, while a winch would have helped, I managed to recover with some shovelling and traction boards.

So I'm curious what kind of situations you're getting into where a winch has saved you?

Not to be a jackass, but if you're often getting into a situation where you need a winch, isn't that more a statement about bad judgement, than the necessity of a winch?

Now if you're doing trails where winching over some obstacles is a known necessity before you even depart, that's another story... but if you don't have a winch, you just don't do those trails... right?

"Not to be a jackass, but"? It seems like your disclaimer might not have stuck. Someone having a different perspective or approach than you doesn't mean they have bad judgement.

Curious about what kind of situations require a winch? Snow and mud. If you haven't needed a winch in your long experience, that sounds like a statement about your choices. That doesn't mean you're wrong; and a different approach doesn't mean someone else is wrong.

I use a winch a lot and it is not necessarily related to bad judgement on my part, which I definitely exhibit at times. I have used a winch to pull other rigs out of situations that were not extractible otherwise (in mud, snow and soft sand). I have used a winch to pull other cars and trucks back onto a mountain pass road when they have lost traction down into a culvert. I have used a winch to right a rolled rig that I came upon (and they drove away). I have also used a winch for some crazy horse shit around my yard.

If you have a winch and never need it, that's not a huge problem. If you don't have a winch and you find yourself in need of it, you might be happy that some other rig has one.

Getting almost stuck is fun. Getting really stuck is not. A winch can change those thresholds.

 

[jsharpe]

That's what I meant.. the plate mounts to the frame....are those mount points "accessible" with the standard bumper I wonder (maybe with some mods)

If the HD bumper also came with rear steel that would be at least something. But to pay that much and still have to buy the shelf (which is ugly) is crazy. I'd rather buy the shelf, put my winch on it, and attach it to the Bronco even though I have the standard bumper.

You provided a good pic.. I'll have to look closer at the standard to see what would be in the way.

Found a spy photo of Ford's camera relocation kit. It's likely going to be a late availability item though.

 

[GrayGhostDog]

It's not about apples and oranges. Ram had the winch included in their thought process Ford did not, It was a after thought. Hell if they had it in the plans they could have gone with a hybrid camera and radar system like Tesla. Subaru has a full camera safety system with no radar in the grill or bumper. There are solutions out there but it makes it much harder when it is an after thought. We'll see what they change "if anything" for MY22. Sorry for the negative tone but being patient is getting harder everyday. Then you find out you can't install a winch without losing your front camera and cruse control. They thought of everything for this truck but to leave out a way to intergrade the winch, sorry unacceptable for a $45000 to $65000 truck. Ford needs to figure it out that's why they get payed the big bucks. With all that said I'm not budging on my reservation (-;

It is quite a bit about apples and oranges... it's also a little bit about what came first, the chicken or the egg... RAM PW is a much bigger vehicle with available real estate to house a winch... so does a F250 Tremor. Even the present Ranger can house a winch without impeding a front camera, but the Bronco is a different type of vehicle(although they may have a few things in common) with its own set of constraints due to design and engineering choices. I would be going harder at Ford if there was another vehicle in a similar form factor or direct competitor that had 360 tech, front sensors, and ACC all there with winch capability. Jeep JT(and now JL for '21) has available front trail cam... has ACC, but no front sensors and no cameras mounted to side mirrors for other camera views... remove doors you lose the side mirrors, anyway. No manufacturer thinks of everything or incorporates available technology that others have on their vehicles. In some cases, an argument can be made that if the 360 tech should have been deployed or implemented differently on this type of vehicle? Ford is pushing this tech where as many other manufacturers do not have similar features in this segment.

Yes, it should have been thought out more on how to incorporate a winch along with all the available tech, design, and engineering choices. It's obvious that some things took precedence over others and if they don't figure it out someone else will.

Also, I wouldn't hold my breath on MY22 vehicles being much different... first half of '21 is about over and no Broncos on the road as of yet. MY23 perhaps we'll see a few changes.

 

[Virtual-Chris]

"Not to be a jackass, but"? It seems like your disclaimer might not have stuck. Someone having a different perspective or approach than you doesn't mean they have bad judgement.

Curious about what kind of situations require a winch? Snow and mud. If you haven't needed a winch in your long experience, that sounds like a statement about your choices. That doesn't mean you're wrong; and a different approach doesn't mean someone else is wrong.

I use a winch a lot and it is not necessarily related to bad judgement on my part, which I definitely exhibit at times. I have used a winch to pull other rigs out of situations that were not extractible otherwise (in mud, snow and soft sand). I have used a winch to pull other cars and trucks back onto a mountain pass road when they have lost traction down into a culvert. I have used a winch to right a rolled rig that I came upon (and they drove away). I have also used a winch for some crazy horse shit around my yard.

If you have a winch and never need it, that's not a huge problem. If you don't have a winch and you find yourself in need of it, you might be happy that some other rig has one.

Getting almost stuck is fun. Getting really stuck is not. A winch can change those thresholds.

Sounds like your winch is getting a lot of use due to others with bad judgement.

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