To winch or not to winch that is the ?

[XJINTX]

OK, I now have a "trail" rig XJ and a newer model off the beaten path XJ. My trail rig had two drawbacks... not limited to these two but they bugged me. I had a Nates 4x4 slimline winch bumper and the 2.5L engine. The engine was more than adequate off road but lacked on the open road built as is. No way could I tow my off-road trailer.

So I resolved the on road issues with the newer 4.0L XJ. The biggest issue with the front bumper was approach angle otherwise a nicely built bumper.

As a resolve I bought JCR front and rear bumpers for the offroad XJ and moved the front winch bumper and the rear JCR spare tire bumper to the newer XJ. Now the off road XJ has solid bumpers and extraction points but no winch. BUT this gives me a lot better approach and departure angles.

A lot of BS to ask but... will I regret not having the winch??? Honestly in the past I used it a lot more for others and usually a strap and tug did fine for me.

 

[jeeepguy]

I've never found my approach and departure angles to be a limiting factor. If I happened to hit, I just realigned or dragged it over.

... will I regret not having the winch???

That will be answered the first time you need it and don't have it. You might be able to get away with a Hi-Lift, otherwise...

I'd rather be prepared than not.

 

[XJINTX]

Nice, but on my rig with 3" lift and 33's there are ledges that I could not get a wheel on to get up and over. The bumper prohibited reaching with enough angle to get get on. Remember it's an XJ

I never off road without others so hopefully a winch is available. However I do go on excursions when camping alone... so the winch on the newer XJ is a plus!

 

[KSJeep]

To me, it mainly depends on if you go it alone or travel in a group. In a group, usually a strap is all you need. If you travel alone, a winch may be a better option, at least you can self recover if you need to. I had a winch on my TJ since I mostly travel off road solo, never had to use it, but a nice peace of mind.

 

[rctr03]

monday night i found myself in a 4 foot snow drift with all four wheels spinning. if not for the winch we might have used my winter bail out bag. i agree better prepared and pick a better or different line.

jimmy

 

[Brigitta]

Like stated by others, if you EVER go out alone, a winch should be a priority. As for the approach angle, picking a different line is usually all you need. If it's a rocky ledge that's the problem, usually where there is one rock, there are more--start stacking.

In addition to the winch, a snatch block should be a priority. It will increase your pulling power and allow you to winch at angles.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[mcneil]

To winch or not to winch, is to question the nature of obstacles. Whether it is nobler in the mind to strap over ledges, or suffer static indignation of outrageous mud holes.

Ok, shakespear I'm not, but what I meant to say is that the winch decision is all about the obstacles you expect to encounter. You're not expo-traveling Kenya, so you don't need to get over every obstacle, but you would like to be able to get yourself unstuck should you become hung up. If you get stuck on a ledge or a rock, a high lift should get you free.

If you're going into snow, mud, or trails with no bypass options, you probably want the winch. A hi-lift and shovel will still get you out, but it's going to be a long day. If you're sunk to the rockers, you might not even be able to dig out. Also, if your trail rig is an up-armored, large tired, 5000lb behemoth, don't expect a buddy's stripped down YJ to have enough traction to pull you out. Conversely, if your buddy's Duramax 1-ton gets stuck, you've got nothing to offer, other than a ride home.

So in answer to the question:

Situations where you should carry a winch:
1. Solo vehicle travel in mud or snow
2. Travel with significantly lighter rigs in mud or snow
3. Travel on long remote trails where reversing or going-around isn't an option

Situations where you can probably get away with no winch:
1. Rocky desert trails
2. Travel in groups of like-sized vehicles
3. Travel in well traveled areas (ie, OHV parks), where winching is just going to block the trail for other groups who'd be perfectly happy to strap you along.

 

[Eric S.]

will I regret not having the winch???

Yes. Otherwise get a good come along.
With some fab skills you can cut out the sheet metal front crossmember behind the bumper to squeeze a winch in. Or another option is to an a receiver and use a removable winch.

 

[alexrex20]

Nice, but on my rig with 3" lift and 33's there are ledges that I could not get a wheel on to get up and over. The bumper prohibited reaching with enough angle to get get on. Remember it's an XJ

I never off road without others so hopefully a winch is available. However I do go on excursions when camping alone... so the winch on the newer XJ is a plus!

roger, i will be there to winch you out this weekend...

 

[bldeagle10]

Yes. Otherwise get a good come along.
With some fab skills you can cut out the sheet metal front crossmember behind the bumper to squeeze a winch in. Or another option is to an a receiver and use a removable winch.

i agree here. a decent option would be to mount a front reciever as well as the rear and get a winch mounting plate in place of a hitch and you can remove the winch and place it in the front or rear as needed. the toughest part of this would be running the wires but even that wouldnt be hard. just time consuming if you want it to look good.

as well as the winch. if you are running the winch up front, in the rear you could have a tow point mounted to the reciever tube and vice versa. ive thought greatly about taking this route myself and it still may end up being an option for me.

 

[scarysharkface]

It sure is comforting to know you can self-extract if it comes to that.

John

 

[codybutz]

I also have front and rear jcr bumpers. Both of mine have the built in 2" receiver tubes. once I put my winch on this jeep, I will run cable w/ quick disconnects to the front and rear, allowing me to use the winch in the front or rear. also my winch is now stored in the back of my jeep out of the elements and away from road salt. just my .02 cents tho.

 

[bldeagle10]

^^^^ hes got the right idea

 

[Peter_n_Margaret]

Or another option is to an a receiver and use a removable winch.

Or this........
Appologies to those who have seen it before......

It normally travels up front, but can operate in any direction, from any point on the vehicle, or between 2 other objects remote from the vehicle.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[rctr03]

peter,

that looks like a setup!!!!

jimmy