My portable "winch in a box" (better than nothing) creation

[Tex]

Having the straps as short as possible is a good idea, EXCEPT in his case it increases the angles on the straps which will increase the load in the straps.

Yeah maybe I should've clarified. Rather than the strap going to two recovery points, the strap would have to loop around a single shackle in order to get a triple line on it (the other point needs to be free for the pulley). That would give it a much narrower angle than what it has currently, but it won't keep the box level like it would using two points. Box orientation isn't a problem practically speaking, so long as it doesn't wind itself up when winching.

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[n0xlf]

@Squatch , that is exactly what I mentioned in earlier post, someone can seriously get hurt using this set-up especially being way under powered.

Not sure how it being "under powered" increases the danger factor. Sounds safer to me since there is less force. Maybe you mean "under sized", as in thinner synthetic line.

For those who keep posting the Amazon winch, please stop and read the very first line of my post.

If someone can find an example of 5500 lbs. of force on totally synthetic rigging launching a 60lb. object in a fatal way upon a line failure, I'd love to see it. I could actually test this between two objects and a standalone battery with a sacrificial piece of line. Maybe I'll do it..

4x4ing and winching are inherently dangerous vs sitting at home. Hell, if you missed the latest recall your wheels might fall off when you're near a cliff edge.

I'm not an idiot and am well aware of the associated dangers. I'm just not seeing this in the same "you're gonna die" way that some (ironically, not @RHeinz, the mechanical engineer) are suggesting.

And before anyone gets too bent out of shape and degrades this post into a confrontational mess that gets locked, I'm also well aware that posting this was going to be controversial, so please keep things civil.

 

[Dorf2point0]

Not wanting a full blown winch setup (yet) and not liking one available solution (https://www.amazon.com/Superwinch-1140232-Portable-Synthetic-D-Shackles/dp/B0166H2V0C) I decided to make my own!

Did a test pull today on a 15 degree hill and it didn't even sound loaded. Obviously that's a pretty easy test not having the additional forces of mud/rocks/whatever you are stuck in/on. Also bought an RRP (https://www.amazon.com/Factor55-Retention-Pulley-Snatch-Block/dp/B0848Q8B76) to help if needed.

Obviously this isn't a perfect solution - It takes time to set up but it does meet my "better than nothing" requirement. The jumper cables are long enough to pull from the rear as well. It's almost entirely a Harbor Freight kit. Using the HF bluetooth remote to operate.

Parts list:

Winch: https://www.harborfreight.com/5500-lb-utv-long-drum-winch-with-synthetic-rope-57535.html

Remote: https://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-winch-remote-56504.html

Jumper cables: https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ft-4-gauge-heavy-duty-jumper-cables-57602.html

Case: https://www.harborfreight.com/4800-weatherproof-protective-case-x-large-yellow-56865.html

Button head bolts for winch to plate: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8SJB6XK

Copper lugs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNMPY4F3 (the winch comes with various wires that you can also cut/use some of their ends)

Bolt caps: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093YWV6R2

Bolts for fairlead: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0863NJ4N9

Steel plate: https://www.ebay.com/itm/195552415560 (you could make this yourself - had a friend weld on the extra tabs you see and had it powdercoated locally)

Shackles for plate: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWMG41R


The battery lugs on the side can be whatever you want or have lying around (or use some from the button head kit above).

Nice parts list.. Thank you for sharing.. We often pull from the back of the vehicle, this allows for having only one system on board.. Alaska can be brutal and sometimes you have to pull yourself out by the rear..

 

[Bronco1971]

Three hour solo bike ride gave me a bit of time to think.

If you sandwich the main plate between the winch mounting boss and a reinforcement plate you would have a double shear join. There's a 10-15% increase in effective bolt strength. It also adds some redundancy strength.

There was a fatal recovery accident in AZ last year involving very heavy objects. It wasn't pretty and some kids now get to grow up without a dad. Please use more caution than you think you need. Shit can go very bad, very fast.

 

[n0xlf]

There was a fatal recovery accident in AZ last year involving very heavy objects. It wasn't pretty and some kids now get to grow up without a dad. Please use more caution than you think you need. Shit can go very bad, very fast.

Saw that - It was horrible for sure. If I can figure out how to safely do the test I described above I may do it just for peace of mind and general knowledge.

 

[Busterbronco1]

great idea! I like the thought of it. Maybe the winch box could be a little bigger and include a battery of some sort, that way it can be set up at the anchoring point with the line back to the Bronco. ? would that also work ok? (understanding that the battery would have to be charged anytime you are heading to the trails, etc....

 

[dr.frank1320]

Yikes!

 

[Thaflood]

Man, I beg you to never use that thing. Your likelihood of injuring or killing yourself or someone else is astronomically high.

 

[RHeinz]

And before anyone gets too bent out of shape and degrades this post into a confrontational mess that gets locked, I'm also well aware that posting this was going to be controversial, so please keep things civil.

Yeah, that is one reason why I did not post my setup. But I have appreciated reading the constructive comments some have posted.

Doesn’t matter if you have a 12,000 lb pull Warn front mounted winch or a 5,500 lb pull portable winch on a snatch block, winching is inherently dangerous and should only be done after careful thought and planning with consideration of failures. I would also add: Be careful what you buy and how and who rated it.

 

[RHeinz]

Man, I beg you to never use that thing. You’re likelihood of injuring or killing yourself or someone else is astronomically high.

Watch the Walmart HyperTough Winch Video. Those are the guys that should have taken your advice! Winching a Barracuda up into a tree?????

 

[n0xlf]

I'm convinced to test this now (catastrophic failure of the winch line) so stay tuned! Time to bust out the cams, go pros, drones, and high speed. It will probably be a few weeks but I'll get it done.

 

[Trees]

I'm convinced to test this now (catastrophic failure of the winch line) so stay tuned! Time to bust out the cams, go pros, drones, and high speed. It will probably be a few weeks but I'll get it done.

Do it!

This is very intriguing to me I might start dreaming up my own ideas once you report back.

I really don't want to put a winch on my bronco (small garage, parallel parking, big city life) but the idea of being able to carry a winch is appealing to me since I have a real talent for parking my Bronco on its frame.

I feel like the underrated winch can be compensated for with an idea that Allen at Yankum ropes had. You use 2 of their recovery rings to make up to a 5 part compound pull. So that 5.5k winch suddenly has 27.5k lbs of potential pulling power.

Casey LaDelle demonstrated it recently in this video.




All you'd have to do is remove the metal from the end of the line and splice a soft loop in (Yankum has tutorials to do it with any synthetic line) This will also allow you to use their amazing looking fairlead that has the line hook built right in.

I know I sound like I'm being paid by Yankum right now but seriously is anyone doing anything cooler in the recovery space right now or ever?

 

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

Not wanting a full blown winch setup (yet) and not liking one available solution (https://www.amazon.com/Superwinch-1140232-Portable-Synthetic-D-Shackles/dp/B0166H2V0C) I decided to make my own!

Did a test pull today on a 15 degree hill and it didn't even sound loaded. Obviously that's a pretty easy test not having the additional forces of mud/rocks/whatever you are stuck in/on. Also bought an RRP (https://www.amazon.com/Factor55-Retention-Pulley-Snatch-Block/dp/B0848Q8B76) to help if needed.

Obviously this isn't a perfect solution - It takes time to set up but it does meet my "better than nothing" requirement. The jumper cables are long enough to pull from the rear as well. It's almost entirely a Harbor Freight kit. Using the HF bluetooth remote to operate.

Parts list:

Winch: https://www.harborfreight.com/5500-lb-utv-long-drum-winch-with-synthetic-rope-57535.html

Remote: https://www.harborfreight.com/wireless-winch-remote-56504.html

Jumper cables: https://www.harborfreight.com/20-ft-4-gauge-heavy-duty-jumper-cables-57602.html

Case: https://www.harborfreight.com/4800-weatherproof-protective-case-x-large-yellow-56865.html

Button head bolts for winch to plate: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8SJB6XK

Copper lugs: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BNMPY4F3 (the winch comes with various wires that you can also cut/use some of their ends)

Bolt caps: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B093YWV6R2

Bolts for fairlead: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0863NJ4N9

Steel plate: https://www.ebay.com/itm/195552415560 (you could make this yourself - had a friend weld on the extra tabs you see and had it powdercoated locally)

Shackles for plate: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWMG41R


The battery lugs on the side can be whatever you want or have lying around (or use some from the button head kit above).

Sorry to deflate here, but that thing in no way looks safe and I’m not sure you should be posting something like this. It could at worst be a legal liability for you and the forum for hosting such a questionable post and the ethics are cloudy as well.

That thing doesn’t look secure, doesn’t have the power for a true dynamic load when topography or resistance is applied, and it the connecting plate and openings for your shackles look far too sharpe, even for steel bow shackles.

Basically, it looks dangerous when at failure, would cause a ton of projectiles that can hurt people; including you. You also haven’t dampened that line. Sure, I know people rarely do, but that’s not smart. Just because it didn’t kill you, doesn’t mean it can’t.

I give credit for creativity, but a winch is not where that is needed. For a Bronco, you need an 8K to 10K, whatever the brand and mounted winch plates on the front of vehicles is old technology, so it just works at this point and doesn’t need innovation in this direction.

A winch is not a place to save money if you’re really going to need to use one.

Again, my apologies, but I take safety very seriously and not left to chance.

 

[wavydave]

Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

 

[Tex]

Sorry to deflate here, but that thing in no way looks safe and I’m not sure you should be posting something like this. It could at worst be a legal liability for you and the forum for hosting such a questionable post and the ethics are cloudy as well.

That thing doesn’t look secure, doesn’t have the power for a true dynamic load when topography or resistance is applied, and it the connecting plate and openings for your shackles look far too sharpe, even for steel bow shackles.

Basically, it looks dangerous when at failure, would cause a ton of projectiles that can hurt people; including you. You also haven’t dampened that line. Sure, I know people rarely do, but that’s not smart. Just because it didn’t kill you, doesn’t mean it can’t.

I give credit for creativity, but a winch is not where that is needed. For a Bronco, you need an 8K to 10K, whatever the brand and mounted winch plates on the front of vehicles is old technology, so it just works at this point and doesn’t need innovation in this direction.

A winch is not a place to save money if you’re really going to need to use one.

Again, my apologies, but I take safety very seriously and not left to chance.

Is this your first time on the internet lol

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