Are you Sh*tting me RC 2.7 Hidden mount

[BottleShark]

This is the million $ question for me I want to be able to manually release my winch. If you can't how hard would it be to drill a hole so I could reach in a do it.

You can reach it with the 2.3 on mine BUT it’s very tight. Couldn’t do it when engine is running. I don’t know how you could with the V6.

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[Landin536]

What I’m really curious about is if it could handle water crossings. One of my favorite things to do in my Badlands. I’m interested though. It’s a good look overall.

 

[da_jokker]

Yeah thats a bit of a bummer. I Don't want to have to spool out several feet of rope just because the release handle isn't accessible. Maybe it'll be some more pictures and stuff out by the time I get around to buying something like this.

 

[da_jokker]

$5.99 HF makes set of clamps for this purpose. A good value.

I've had a set of these for years. Used them many times. Work great.

Actually just used them on my wrangler so I could disconnect the heater hoses without having to drain the radiator.

https://www.harborfreight.com/4-piece-fluid-line-clamp-set-65116.html

 

[‘21OBX]

What I’m really curious about is if it could handle water crossings. One of my favorite things to do in my Badlands. I’m interested though. It’s a good look overall.

I believe that would have to be determined by the waterproof rating of the winch. The are controls relocated anyway. So just matters how well the motor is sealed.

 

[CCMDoc]

Go to 3:20 into NorthShoreBronco’s 2.3 Hidden Winch video for his solution

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/first-time-needing-my-rc-hidden-winch.42665/

If this can be used on the 2.7, one more problem solved and another reason for me to get this.

 

[dcaero]

Installed! Took me about 7 hours after work yesterday. I would generally say the instructions are good and I didn't run into many hiccups. Below are my tip/observations.

1. I drove onto recovery boards to give a few more inches and that helped. Didn't need to go to the trouble of putting it on jack stands. The recovery boards put everything at a good height.
2. Having an extra set of hands (family member, friend) really helped.
3. The oil cooler has an extra cable on the back side attached to it via a simple plastic clip. Instructions didn't mention it and when trying to move the oil cooler out of the way, there was resistance and couldn't figure out why. See image 1.
4. Used zip ties to clear the area. See image 2.
5. I used a 9" reciprocating saw blade to cut off the extra frame pieces. I started in the center with the saw vertical and cut outward getting both the top and bottom at the same time. I barely cut through the outer weld and then just bent it back and forth.
6. There is no need to grind down the left over metal, nothing gets near it. Just used a metal file to take down burrs and then paint it.
7. When cutting the oil cooler mounting legs off, in hindsight I would have cut to make it planar with the other mounting legs. The way I cut it, the cooler doesn't rest against the new bracket (image 3). My solution was to put some rubber zip ties to the bracket to keep it from rattling (image 4). The top of the oil cooler also touches the brake line, so I put some clear tubing around the brake line to stop the metal to metal contact. Another touch point for me was between the top of the oil cooler oil 90 degree tube and the frame. I used zip ties around the tube metal crimping in this spot so it was at least plastic to metal instead of metal to metal.
8. Once the oil cooler is installed, give it some up and down motion to check for contact points and possible sources of rattling. This is when I realized the leg issue and added the rubber. The rubber was from the leftover cut off hoses.
9. On step 45, I cut the hose too short (doh). But was able to use one of the other left over cut off hoses and get everything to attach properly. When in doubt, cut this hose longer and then adjust.

Image 1

Image 2

Image 3

Image 4

Installed! I'll be getting a flatlink (as opposed to the hook) and it'll sit perfectly behind the license plate, super stealth and won't even notice it. License plate bracket was purchased from 4x4truckleds and I take it off when wheeling while the tires air down.

 

[CCMDoc]

Great write up and tips.
I like the rubber isolators between the oil cooler and bracket - a good idea even if you had cut it to be flat against the bracket.
thanks for the additional insights and advice.

 

[Razorbak86]

Installed! Took me about 7 hours after work yesterday. I would generally say the instructions are good and I didn't run into many hiccups. Below are my tip/observations.

1. I drove onto recovery boards to give a few more inches and that helped. Didn't need to go to the trouble of putting it on jack stands. The recovery boards put everything at a good height.
2. Having an extra set of hands (family member, friend) really helped.
3. The oil cooler has an extra cable on the back side attached to it via a simple plastic clip. Instructions didn't mention it and when trying to move the oil cooler out of the way, there was resistance and couldn't figure out why. See image 1.

Thanks for the additional detail and photos!

Q: Can you please clarify what I'm supposed to be looking at in Image 1? I see the metal bracket, but I don't see the extra cable and plastic clip?

 

[Broncotrax]

Yes it does. Download the instructions. Over 50 steps for the 2.7l with cutting and lots of disconnecting and relocating. On the fence...love the look of it but seems like a lot of work and room for error and once things are cut there is no going back or changing mods. Might just wait to see what other hidden winches come out in 2022. Can't wait to see some posts on how this goes for people.

I guess I'm curious as to where/how you will get stuck enough in a 4x4 where you need a winch and you'll still have access to a winch that will be packed full of mud/snow/rocks. Even driving down a muddy road with ruts deep enough to get "stuck" I see this fairlead as a mud scoop and everything behind it packed full of mud. I realize that I have not wheeled everywhere but I've been wheeling a very long time and I have used my winches on several occasions each of which would have a hidden winch inaccessible. Does anyone have pictures using a hidden winch for vehicle recovery? Hey don't hack on me,... I'm very interested. Whenever you are wheeling the vehicle gets lower and lower as the snow/mud or rocks seem deeper or higher.

 

[dcaero]

Thanks for the additional detail and photos!

Q: Can you please clarify what I'm supposed to be looking at in Image 1? I see the metal bracket, but I don't see the extra cable and plastic clip?

The cable and clip are on the top side, what you are looking at is the bottom side and the arrow is the location of the tab that you will need to push thru and unclip.

 

[‘21OBX]

I guess I'm curious as to where/how you will get stuck enough in a 4x4 where you need a winch and you'll still have access to a winch that will be packed full of mud/snow/rocks. Even driving down a muddy road with ruts deep enough to get "stuck" I see this fairlead as a mud scoop and everything behind it packed full of mud. I realize that I have not wheeled everywhere but I've been wheeling a very long time and I have used my winches on several occasions each of which would have a hidden winch inaccessible. Does anyone have pictures using a hidden winch for vehicle recovery? Hey don't hack on me,... I'm very interested. Whenever you are wheeling the vehicle gets lower and lower as the snow/mud or rocks seem deeper or higher.

Post #28 in this thread is exactly that.

 

[Broncotrax]

Post #28 in this thread is exactly that.

where he pulled someone else out? I can do that with a tow rope.

 

[‘21OBX]

where he pulled someone else out? I can do that with a tow rope.

Lol yup but if you got it you got to use it at least once. Plus with a winch you can have some more control coming off a certain obstacle or situation where a tow strap is a lot of times a yank. I’m with you tho. I have the same reservations about the location here in Michigan. If I get stuck im probably stuck deep

 

[dcaero]

I guess I'm curious as to where/how you will get stuck enough in a 4x4 where you need a winch and you'll still have access to a winch that will be packed full of mud/snow/rocks. Even driving down a muddy road with ruts deep enough to get "stuck" I see this fairlead as a mud scoop and everything behind it packed full of mud. I realize that I have not wheeled everywhere but I've been wheeling a very long time and I have used my winches on several occasions each of which would have a hidden winch inaccessible. Does anyone have pictures using a hidden winch for vehicle recovery? Hey don't hack on me,... I'm very interested. Whenever you are wheeling the vehicle gets lower and lower as the snow/mud or rocks seem deeper or higher.

Don't get much mud where I wheel so don't anticipate being in that predicament, because I agree that would be a pain. Some of those east coast or south mudding videos on YouTube look horrible to me out in the rocky mountains.

Now snow yes, but that's nothing a shovel, gloves and some manual labor won't allow me to dig through and access the winch.

Then there's rock crawling which I don't anticipate the winch being hidden will present an issue.

So in summary, the stealth aesthetic nature of the install was worth the potential downsides for my needs. But I do not disagree that a high bumper mounted winch would be more accessible.

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