Of welding, winches, receiver hitches and security

Gary_in_Indiana · Nov 30, 2002

I'm making a base plate for a new Warn winch I bought last week when my old winch failed me for the second time in the last dozen usages. With this new one, I can't decide whether to just weld the new base plate to the front of my trailer and have everything there permanently OR to weld a 2" receiver there and weld an insert to the bottom of that plate. That way I could use the same winch anywhere I have a 2" receiver and a 12V power supply. Actually, at around 100 pounds I won't call it 'portable,' but it'll be 'lug-able.' /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

The obvious disadvantage to doing that is it makes the winch a bit more accessible to someone of a larcenous nature. /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif Welding it on will certainly keep it more safe and secure. Are there any other things I should consider in looking at the receiver/insert option? I know WHarv uses something like this quite often and hope he'll weigh in here and maybe even include some pictures or diagrams. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

rf33 · Nov 30, 2002

One real big advantage to the receiver tube setup you mention is the ability to keep the winch in the toolbox of the truck, which is both secure (relatively so at least) and out of the elements, which should help the winch to last a bit longer. Another big plus for this kind of setup is the ability to move the winch to the rear of the truck, to pull yourself out backwards if this way is easier (I guess this would be if you got less than halfway through a bad area before you decided it was not a good idea?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif). I think that this method would certainly be worth the extra effort and wiring required.

wroughtn_harv · Nov 30, 2002

Gary I'd put the winch on a receiver insert. Then I'd put receivers everywhere imaginable.

The only glitch is getting the twelve volts with enough amps to pull for more than a minit.

You might want to check out your sources for wrecker supplies. They have some really trick quickconnects that are polarized that would do the trick just fine.

As for security, hmmmm, there are locking pins for receivers. But I think I'd find a toolbox where the winch goes into except when it's actually working.

When you weld this thing up keep in mind the weld is usually only strong one direction. Make sure that direction is where the work is for you.

Think of your weld like it's a bolt. If you put it where it's in shear then it's stronger than a fisherman's breath on a Friday night. But if you put it where it's carrying the weight on end you're gonna have failure.

So think of your weld being a ledge that is being pulled against but also catches so it won't pull up.

Make sure your winch has rollers for the cable to pass through. And if there's a chance you're going to be pulling off to the side use another receiver facing that direction. I've not run into it but I'm sure the weakest points of a receiver mounted winch is every direction but straight on.

BTW I bought the C5500. I got eleven four off of sticker. The International was my first choice. But it was six grand more than the Chevy and according to friends would take a bigger hit on resale.

I move up from a fifteen grand GVW to a nineteen five hundred. Same wheel base, but diesel instead of gas, I'm gonna miss the roar of them Flowmasters talking big block bad boy.

I'm supposed to pick it up Monday. They had to change it from a 194 inch wheel base to a 176 inch. Those wrecker guys must make a fortune. It's a wrecker spec which means it's got everything, even heated electric mirrors. I checked on a regular white with just power windows and locks with the three hundred horse Duramax and Allison. They all came in about a grand less than this red thing with the deluxe chrome exterior and aluminum wheels.

I'll probably regret getting it. With all the glitz I'll be heck to get out of the truck. All I'll want to do is strut.

wroughtn_harv · Nov 30, 2002

Doggone Ron, we almost stepping on each other getting to Gary, must be his cologne./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif/w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

rf33 · Nov 30, 2002

Harv, it seems like you and I are thinking alike... Should I be more than a little afraid of this?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif. Glad to hear the news about the new truck. I guess now you will need to switch to a diesel welder now that you have a diesel truck... Makes filling them both up easier you know. I read about a new feature on the Miller Traliblazer Pro 350 called weld at idle. Seems this baby can put out up to 180 amps at engine idle, and only when you crank up the knob past that setting does it throttle up. The thought of the lower fuel consumption and mostly the thought of less noise sure sounds like a winner to me. I hope all is well with you and your wife.

Gary_in_Indiana · Dec 1, 2002

Ron, Harv, thanks for the replies. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

It sounds like we're all on the same page here, for the most part. Warn makes a platform for my winch which has handles and an insert already in place which even accomodates another insert behind it. I may just go that route for the winch base itself and weld a receiver for it to the trailer's existing winch platform.

Wiring is no problem as it's just #2 stranded cable. I'll use the same large quick connect plugs from AW Direct which are commonly found on the battery cables on the front of tow trucks so I can unplug the winch and move it around.

As to the actual moving around, the only place I can foresee actually using it besides on my trailer might be on the tractor so I'll put a receiver on the front end somehow (probably welded under the front bumper somehow). I may get the three point hitch set up with a receiver on it, too.

Truth be told, I prefer pulling from the front of the tractor. I don't have to worry about tipping the thing over from too high an attachment point and I can easily see what I'm doing.

As to the direction in which to weld for greatest strength, I think I understand the concept but I'm afraid you've lost me on the practical application. I guess I just assumed I'd have to weld along whatever edges were available or along whatever joints I wanted to connect.

To attach the receiver tube to the existing winch platform I only have four sides on which I can weld. Two would be what we call lap welds and would be across the direction of the pull. The other two would be longer and essentially on the inside of a 90 degree junction running the length of the receiver tube in the same direction as the pull.

What am I missing here? /w3tcompact/icons/hmm.gif

Harv, while I really like the International medium duties, as you probably know, I'm a Chevy guy at heart so I'd probably really like your new truck. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif As to the Towing/Recovery Spec's, I'm sure you'll like the way those are set up. The package is really quite a bargain, too. If you've never had heated mirrors before, you're in for a real treat the first morning after a freezing rain. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

hazmat · Dec 1, 2002

<font color=blue>As to the direction in which to weld for greatest strength, I think I understand the concept but I'm afraid you've lost me on the practical application. I guess I just assumed I'd have to weld along whatever edges were available or along whatever joints I wanted to connect. </font color=blue>

Gary,

Think of a weld kind of like a door hinge. Very easy to open the door, but hard to move it up & down or "in and out' (parallel to the floor). One reason it is good to weld both sides if you can, makes it harder to "open the door". But still not as strong as the other directions.

Next time you are practicing welding, tack or lightly stitch a "T" together and try to rip it apart in different directions, it will become obvious to you what Harv means when he says a weld is strong in shear.