Okay, so if the ARB one is a ghost (likely), I will be modifying a Harbor freight mount plate. I have the ability to measure, drill, cut, and bolt. Any recommendations as to where I should hunt the L-shaped plate stock? If anyone out there is industrious, I am willing to trade money for such a bracket...

 

Measure out what you need for brackets. You may be able to get a couple feet of 1/4" angle iron at a local metal shop that could work.

 

Having pics of the missing mount would go a long way here

 

Here's all I have from ARB: (hopefully the PDF attaches)

It's a side view of the plate deeper in the instructions.

 

You may like my winch mount. I built the bumper and added a mounting plate.
That plate is welded and bolted in place. (Bolted first)

I don't have a convenient steel shop so I used speedy/online metals for bits.

My bumper/mount:
Discovery Series 1 Winch Mounting

You can reinforce the hell out of the bumper with some plate welded into the right place. What you don't see on my build - I welded a plate across the top of the whole bumper assembly. The winch plate is mounted on top of both the plate and the C-channel front.

Hope that helps!

 

,OK so they still want the winch mounted upside down and the winch plate up side down, well I don't know what your Fab skills are but u have some work there either way

Willow I think your idea is good and I do not want to get into a debate but how much have you stressed that mount?

 

Please don't mount the winch upside down. Somebody at ARB should have been fired over that. A guy I wheeled with had a D2 with the "ole upside down winch mount". What a GIANT pain in the @ss!!!! Nothing like trying to reach under a truck buried in mud to throw the freespool lever. Sometimes you could reach through the bumper but that was a real chore, too.

 

Once the plates were cut and mounted, they were boxed back toward the frame. I'll say that it's as strong as possible without adding additional mounting points to the frame. I looked at ARBs mounts before I built mine - they use the same mounting points. The frame will give way long before that winch mount does. I will say that if I did it again, I'd weld reinforcement plates to the frame and add a 2 more bolts per side. The rover frame is pretty thin up front.


+1 For mounting the winch right side up. Upside down is a BAD idea. You can flip the solenoid pack sure, but it'll make accessing the release a nightmare. Mine also has the remote connector on top, which is a another plus.

 

Ahh did not see you boxed the frame thought it was just the side plates welded to the channel

There are enough arb bumpers around I would expect more input here, no way you are the first with this issue

 

I heard back from ARB- The plate I need is in Australia, and will be stateside in 8-12 weeks. After 89 bucks and shipping, I should have a bolt-in solution. Credit where it's due, the guys at ARB are awesome, and went well beyond what I expected in supporting an ancient product. Consider me a fanboy.