short story about rear winch using hitch. Elk hunting 3 years ago in colorado we got stuck in a nasty rain storm while trying to get back to camp we came on a 3 guys in a chevy dually 4x4 using a rear mount. he was trying to winch back onto the road we're some snotty stuff here it was hard to walk on, anyways on the second pull he snapped the pin, he was trying to winch out at about a 45 degree angle, that winch flew out of the reciever to fast almost took everyone out. My small advice is buy the front mounting with bumper and all it will pay off.

Thanks
Brian

 

Bottom line:
1. A disco is not a 1-ton chevy, and you could probably lift a disco straight up into the air and not break a hitch pin.
2. All winch manufacturers say that a good general rule of thumb is a winch rated at 1.5 times the weight of your vehicle. Keep in mind this is a general rule, a lot of guys into extreme rock crawling will tell u that's not near big enough, but in most situations it's plenty (especially doubled up).
3. A receiver mounted winch is a great concept, and in 90% of all situations it will work fine, assuming you're planning to mount a receiver on the front also.
4.The disco rear hitch isdefinately not designed to be usedwith a winch. To be safe, it needs to be reinforced. Let any metal shop know what your plans are and they'll make sure it's braced right.
5. I don't ususally disagree withMike, but Warn , Ramsey, etc. etc.... any quality named winch will be fine for occaisonal use. I'd just about bet when Mike goes wheelin, he uses his winch several times a day. Not once and a while getting stuck on a hunting trip. I've used to drive an old farm truck with a ramsey, and it never failed me. Granted, it was never rock crawling or any other extreme condition, but it workedwell,every time.

 

I agree with tailchaser on #5 for sure. No offense to all the Warn user's out there, but are the Warn's that much better than all the rest or are wepaying for the name?! When they sponsor so many events around the country you gotta ask who's paying for it!

 

Ramsey got a bad reputation with the REP models of their winch line and from what
I have heard they deserved it.
I thing they have improved a lot since then. Milemarker and Smittybilt
are selling lots of their #8000 pound winches for around $300.00. I have not heard
anything bad about them yet. For now if you go by yourself and are long ways from
help Warn is your best bet. I have always used Warn but I am going to try a
Smittybilt on my Disco I when we get the bumper built. I want to know if I can
recommend them to our customers or not.

Mike

 

A winch, to be safe as well as usefull, has to be mounted directly to the frame with lots of extra support and you don't get that mounting it to a trailer hitch, that was never designed for that sort of strain.

 

If all you are going to need is something to get you out of a wet field when you are doing something like deer hunting is a come-along.
Go to the tractor supply store and buy a good recovery strap and a good come-along, throw it in the back of the trk with your gear when you head out, IF you need it you have it, when you dont need it it is in the garage.
It will be cheaper to buy a good set of AT's and a come-along and recovery strap and it will be just as effective for light 'froadin', if you are going rock crawling that is a different story.
Good tires and driver skill will keep you from needing a winch in the first place.

 

I agree with spike, if you dont think its going to be used alot, I personally dont think its worth the money. I do light off roading and the tow strap and come along has been fine in the few situations I needed it. Its also great to have when you see a stranded jeep! Anways, the strap is like $15-25 bucks depending on brand and a good come along is in the range of $30-$50. Now you can use that extra money to buy some nice BFG's or grabbers. That will reduce your chance of getting stuck in the first place. Just my two cents!

 

Oh yeah, if you go me and spikes way know this:

The right recovery straps and how to use them can make the difference if you can pull your vehicle out safely or if you have to wait on a tow truck. A high quality strap without hooks attached to it is the strap you want to use for getting a vehicle unstuck. The one with hooks is called a "tow" strap. The main reason not to use this for recovery is simple. If the recovery strap or your recovery hardware breaks, it's not safe to have a metal hook flying off at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Many people have been killed and seriously injured by using these straps incorrectly. These straps will not stretch because they are made for towing, not recovery.
The strap works like this. Say for example you are pulling out your friend, so you attach your recovery strap to the back of your vehicle and then to the front of his. As you drive away from him the recovery strap stretches just like a rubber band. The strap wants to go back to its normal size, so it has no other choice than to transfer the energy to the stuck vehicle, pulling it out. Recovery straps are flat with sewn loops and no hooks. They are nylon, not polypropylene or Dacron or chain. Because the straps are made of Nylon, they stretch. They are safer than chains, easier to use, and not nearly as heavy. And my preference! Dont buy one with hooks!