[TWIN]

Hello, it's me... again.
Well I've got a new question for ya. I have a 2wd TRD DC. It hardly ever sees offroad and when it does i take it easy. When i get stuck, it's because i lost traction and didn't feel like "getting on it" to free the truck. So a multi mount winch mounted on a receiver in the front would be perfect for me. That way i can take it off when I'm not going fishing and stuff and it won't make my front end sag. I was just wondering if it's possible to get the receiver just inside the air dam between the middle slot. I'll post a pic tomorrow when the sun is out. Thanks guys.
-Matt

 

[tbplus10]

Maybe a custom manufactured one. All the mass produced front hitches exit just below the front air dam. Their isnt a lot of room above the hitch to move it up. You would need to manufacture a new lower radiator support.

Tim

 

[SteveO]

Hello, it's me... again.
Well I've got a new question for ya. I have a 2wd TRD DC. It hardly ever sees offroad and when it does i take it easy. When i get stuck, it's because i lost traction and didn't feel like "getting on it" to free the truck. So a multi mount winch mounted on a receiver in the front would be perfect for me. That way i can take it off when I'm not going fishing and stuff and it won't make my front end sag. I was just wondering if it's possible to get the receiver just inside the air dam between the middle slot. I'll post a pic tomorrow when the sun is out. Thanks guys.
-Matt

Easy to do if you have a 3" BL but without it would be tough to keep it high and make it strong enough to withstand winching. I have a 3" BL and have my winch mounted behind the stock bumper and above the frame.

 

[TWIN]

Ah, well since there are manufactured receivers for tacoma front ends, could you tell me where to find one? Thanks for the info.
-Matt

 

[obscurotron]

Check out WARN's site and then find a local distributor.

 

[WallyP226]

A reciever hitch could easily go through the plastic part of the air dam with some minor trimming. In fact I am about half way through this exact project.

In fact its a great place for a reciever hitch to come through because it is in direct line with the frame. You could make a bracket for your liscense plate and cover it up if you wanted to.

The other nice thing about placing it through the bottom part of the air dam is that you can move the reciever back even closer to the end of the frame and still put the pin in because the bottom part of the air dam is swept back.

The other thing about putting the reciever through the air dam is that you won't loose near as much of an approach angle when compared to coming out from underneath, in fact its with in a couple inches of a winch bumper per measurements. I measured a ARB bumper and it comes about 8 inches from the grill, a winch on a reciver with a fair lead would be about 10-11 inches at 23 3/4 inches from the ground on a stock double cab. I am contemplating put a 1/2 inch skid in front of my fairlead on the end of winch mount to help with increasing the approach angle a bit.

The only down side is that there isn't a major manufacturer (at least not that I am aware of) that makes a strong reciever that bolts on and comes through the lower portion of the air dam. So it would have to be a custom job to make the attachments strong enough for the run of the mill 8-9K winch.

I can tell you how I am making mine.

I am running a couple of 5/16s brackets down the inside of the frame, welding them on. The cross member will be a piece of .250 inch wall by 2inch square cross bar that will be bolted onto my brackets with 7/16s grade 5 bolts, I made a reinforced front skid plate bracket out of 1/8 plus more 1/8 in the center and at the bends and welded that onto my bracket improving and replacing the OEM one. I will put a Class III hitch that extends about 6 inches from the cross bar, that will be struted out to the pin hole to the outer 1/3 of the cross member. By making it this way, I can still unbolt the crossmember, if I want or need to, it will still look stock, it will weigh in around 30lbs and per calculations should be able to handle more than a 9k winch can give it.

Wally

 

[tbplus10]

cheaphitches.com they were around $120 last year when I bought mine.

Tim

 

[hytenor]

A reciever hitch could easily go through the plastic part of the air dam with some minor trimming. In fact I am about half way through this exact project.

In fact its a great place for a reciever hitch to come through because it is in direct line with the frame. You could make a bracket for your liscense plate and cover it up if you wanted to.

The other nice thing about placing it through the bottom part of the air dam is that you can move the reciever back even closer to the end of the frame and still put the pin in because the bottom part of the air dam is swept back.

The other thing about putting the reciever through the air dam is that you won't loose near as much of an approach angle when compared to coming out from underneath, in fact its with in a couple inches of a winch bumper per measurements. I measured a ARB bumper and it comes about 8 inches from the grill, a winch on a reciver with a fair lead would be about 10-11 inches at 23 3/4 inches from the ground on a stock double cab. I am contemplating put a 1/2 inch skid in front of my fairlead on the end of winch mount to help with increasing the approach angle a bit.

The only down side is that there isn't a major manufacturer (at least not that I am aware of) that makes a strong reciever that bolts on and comes through the lower portion of the air dam. So it would have to be a custom job to make the attachments strong enough for the run of the mill 8-9K winch.

I can tell you how I am making mine.

I am running a couple of 5/16s brackets down the inside of the frame, welding them on. The cross member will be a piece of .250 inch wall by 2inch square cross bar that will be bolted onto my brackets with 7/16s grade 5 bolts, I made a reinforced front skid plate bracket out of 1/8 plus more 1/8 in the center and at the bends and welded that onto my bracket improving and replacing the OEM one. I will put a Class III hitch that extends about 6 inches from the cross bar, that will be struted out to the pin hole to the outer 1/3 of the cross member. By making it this way, I can still unbolt the crossmember, if I want or need to, it will still look stock, it will weigh in around 30lbs and per calculations should be able to handle more than a 9k winch can give it.

Wally

sounds interesting. be sure to take plenty of detailed pics

 

[WallyP226]

sounds interesting. be sure to take plenty of detailed pics

I am planning on taking some pictures once I get ready to start welding.

I have everything cut out but I don't want to run around without a front liscense plate and turn signals for a couple of weeks, till I can find time to weld on the frame brackets. I had some help in design and meeting materials strength requirments, so I can't take all the credit, but I can say I bought all the materials and will weld it up.

I am looking foreard to trying it out in a few months.

 

[hytenor]

I am planning on taking some pictures once I get ready to start welding.

I have everything cut out but I don't want to run around without a front liscense plate and turn signals for a couple of weeks, till I can find time to weld on the frame brackets. I had some help in design and meeting materials strength requirments, so I can't take all the credit, but I can say I bought all the materials and will weld it up.

I am looking foreard to trying it out in a few months.

kewl I use my winch so often that I'd never make it with a multi mount

 

[WallyP226]

kewl I use my winch so often that I'd never make it with a multi mount

I can understand that, and I would agree that it would be a hastle to drag out and mount a winch EVERY weekend. Thus its more convenient to build up a truck with the idea that a winch will sit between the frame rails permanently.

On the other hand, I plan on keeping my truck stock (its my commuter vehicle), and driving a stock truck to its limits fits my vision of off road trail driving. I do push my truck to its limits off road once or twice a month. Thus I had to build some decent skidplates, fabricating up some sliders and a winch mount for the front. So, once or twice a month when I get into a sticky spot instead of backing off I can get myself back out if need be.

Different needs require different solutions.