How do you keep your winch secure?

Hummelator

Adventurer
I recently purchased a warn winch and Fab Four winch mount.
My father in law mentioned that he always had issues with people trying to steel his winch so he tack welding the nut to the bolt.
The way the winch bolts to the mount I don't think I'd have space to get a welder in there and a grinder if I ever needed to remove the winch.
I've seen the factor 55 winch lock bolt but if it's available to anyone to purchase, if the scumbag stealing people's winches has gotten wise to it, he will have purchased the key making the bolt a waste of money.
I've been looking into tamper resistant bolts on a website called loss prevention fasteners but it seems they can't be bothered to sell to me.
Which leaves me here. Not really sure how to mount this winch securely and don't want to risk it being stolen.

How do you keep your winch secure?
 

Happy Joe

Apprentice Geezer
Since a winch is needed (by me) so infrequently, I decided not to put them on the, less capable/abused, new old vehicles...
I use lockers (limited slip & locker on the DD) and carry a snatch strap, instead... gave up doing semi extreme trails and bumper/headlight deep snow & mud.
The last 2 (Warn 8000 and an old Ramsey 8000) I installed so that extensive vehicle disassembly was needed to remove either (and moved the control box under the hood)... as far as I know no one ever bothered either.
Enjoy!
 

Ducky's Dad

Explorer
I've been looking into tamper resistant bolts on a website called loss prevention fasteners but it seems they can't be bothered to sell to me.
Try McMaster-Carr, they have lots of that kind of stuff.

You can't stop a determined crook, you can only slow him down. Make his task slow or noisy and he will probably move on. If your truck has an alarm system, check with a competent shop to see if they can add some sort of sensor to detect hammering or wrenching on the winch.
 

Hummelator

Adventurer
Aside from security fasteners (what are often not all that secure against guys with minor ingenuity)
I have a phobia against welding fasteners, I used a couple cheap DIN 894 wrenches.
Place wrench on the hexnut & weld the wrench handle to the mounting plate. Removal would need to be ground off or some energetic chiseling.
As a no weld method, I considered setting the nuts into a recess, then bed over it with epoxy, JB Weld or similar. Wrenching is blocked without making noise.

I came across the JB weld idea on another forum also. Your method of recessing the bolts and filling is way better than the other suggesting I saw.
I have given up on the security fasteners and decided on another method. While I don't like the idea of welding the nuts and bolts that secure the winch or winch mount I think welding is still the way to go. As many would agree, if a thief is determined he will find a way... I just need to make it a pain to remove.
I bought some uninstrut and cut it to fit across the top of the actual winch and then I will bolt the uni strut to the winch mount and weld the nut to the bolt (1/2).any attempts to unscrew the nut will just spin both nut and bolt.
As for the winch mount bolts that attach to my frame, again I will use unistrut and fasten the bolts through the unistrut and then drill a hole across for a 3/8 bolt right above each frame/mount bolt, then weld bolt and nut to each other and unistrut. That way one would not be able to get a socket over the bolt head and the walls of the unistrut won't allow for movement of a wrench.

I will post some pictures once over got it all installed- planning for the Saturday.
May do the JB weld method later if I feel it's needed but I'm quite confident this will solve the issue.
 

bluejeep

just a guy
I bought a MileMarker 2 speed 10k hydraulic winch. One of the benefits to it is that it involves more to remove (well, not a lot - just 2 hoses) but it also involves more to put on another vehicle. You would need to disassemble your power steering system, obtain 2 new longer hoses, reassemble. Can be a messy job. Not a guarantee of security, but makes it less attractive.
 

zelatore

Explorer
Honestly....never gave it a second thought. Doesn't strike me as a high-theft item.

I suppose on my D1 somebody might get creative and decide to liberate it. On the LR3 it's buried so deep in the goofy ARB bumper you'd have to really want it BAD to dig in there after it. Heck, I should take it off to service it and even in the comfort of my own shop I don't want to get into that mess.

ARB...here i thought it was a crappy design but just never realized it was a security feature!
 

Wilbah

Adventurer
Have you given thought to using a portable mount for the winch? That way it can be used front and rear of the vehicle and stored out of sight when not needed. Not sure how big the winch is you bought so may not prove feasible but figured I would mention it. Also saves the constant weight of it out over the front end for the majority of the driving.
 

Hummelator

Adventurer
Have you given thought to using a portable mount for the winch? That way it can be used front and rear of the vehicle and stored out of sight when not needed. Not sure how big the winch is you bought so may not prove feasible but figured I would mention it. Also saves the constant weight of it out over the front end for the majority of the driving.
I bought a warn VR 10000- weighs roughly 80LBS. I thought long and hard about a winch cradle and being able to use it front and back but my truck doesn't have the front receiver on it and I would also have to run cable to the back and wire it (front or back) each time I want to use it.
For The cost of the cradle and a new front receiver I was basically looking at the price for the fab fours winch mount. Ultimately I would have preferred a winch bumper but the one I wanted was out of the budget.
 

Tkhawk

Adventurer
Another solution I've seen done is to use bondo to cover the bolts and then paint over it. You can make it look welded on without the hassle of welding and then grinding off if you ever have to pull it.
 

rayra

Expedition Leader
Have you given thought to using a portable mount for the winch? That way it can be used front and rear of the vehicle and stored out of sight when not needed. Not sure how big the winch is you bought so may not prove feasible but figured I would mention it. Also saves the constant weight of it out over the front end for the majority of the driving.


This is my intention. Removable. Swap-able. Very few days of the year that I'd want / need it. And too many vandals and turds in L.A. to leave it mounted the rest of the time.
 

davkenrem

Observer
Having cut allot of Unistrut as an electrician, one cut with a hacksaw to the long piece of strut and they can probably get it out. both can be cut with a hacksaw in under 10mins.
 

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