This is one of those projects I finished just before I left on a trip. My intention was to pull everything back apart and clean it up for paint. I never have. After I got the front bumper off, I cut out a couple of reinforcing plates to bolt inside the frame rails. I cut out a piece of 1/4" steel that would slide between the plates and propped it in place. I set the winch up on it and through trial and error, moved things around until they fit. After tack welding the ends of the 1/4" steel plate, I pulled it out and welded everything up and added the stiffener across the bottom. I had to pull the gear box off the end of the winch and clock it around so the lever was in a better location, and had to relocate my oil cooler lines, but that was about it as far as mounting. Mine has the feet down, and I know some people prefer to mount feet forward, but i don't think I could have done that as easily and still get to the engagement lever. My suspicion is that the ones that have broken a winch with it mounted feet down may have had a missing or loose mounting bolt. I also originally had concerns about the bumper mounts being strong enough to support the fairlead when pulling at an angle, but I have winched at about every angle except straight down, and nothing has moved yet. That being said, I'll probably add some tabs behind the bumper to tie the fairlead to the winch mounting plate if I get around to pulling it out for paint.
If this isnt the sickest thing I've seen... Awesome! I have an 1987 K5.
Love it man.
