Hidden Winch

[Abarbosa]

For a hidden winch you have to build your own, for the bottom plate that the winch mounts to you have to use 3/8" steel. The winch bumpers that use thinner metal are junk and will warp. This is where winches fail most often when the mounting plate twists and the housing on the winch cracks/explodes. I welded my own hidden winch and it works great, the hook hides behind the front license plate. Furthermore, don't trust a product that mounts to anything but the frame rails with multiple bolting points, they manufacture these trucks with very thin metal bumpers and the crumple zone means 1/8" frame rails in the front of the subframe.

I have been looking for a hidden winch setup like yours. Do you have any pics of your custome mounting plate, is that badlands winch a 12k, how did you reinforce the 1/8" frame rails in the front of the frame rails?

 

[Midnight]

I bolted to a section that was double-layered (where #2 slides over the frame rails and is welded into place) see picture below, there is a bracket #3 (green arrows) that holds the bottom for the bumper and is removable, I removed these and welded 1/4" steel plates to the sides of these, this made installing the assembly a breeze as the brackets guided the mount into place. I used the two holes indicated by the blue arrows to bolt the mount to the frame and the bracket has a lower bolt as well. The two holes in the frame are already there, one has a bolt in it, the other is empty. This mounting location is perfect for me as the bottom of the mount is tucked 2'' higher than the lowest part of my subframe crossbar and the rope feeds through the license plate. I will post more pics of what it looks like underneath the truck tomorrow or so. I hope this helps.

 

[vezePilot]

It looks as if you retrieved that illustration from a GMPartsDirect source (or similar) Web site. Apparently, sources like that have not been updated for all 2021 Silverado parts, and only list parts through 2020 model years. I would like to get parts lists and frame diagrams like that in order to make it easier to explain how to mount a Front Receiver. It also uses those frame bolts shown in pairs in the diagram. Also, that "part #3" kinda gets in the way of mounting a Front Receiver.

 

[The Liver King]

Rough Country has a hidden winch set up for our trucks. https://www.roughcountry.com/chevy-hidden-winch-bumper-10805.html


View attachment 1989

very cool

 

[JP20TB]

very cool

Already a tread on this .. search “installing a winch on a trail boss”and you see one installed

 

[The Liver King]

Already a tread on this .. search “installing a winch on a trail boss”and you see one installed

winch sold separately, eh?

 

[JP20TB]

winch sold separately, eh?

Yes Sir … I have not had any issues with the 12K rough country winch with synthetic rope …this set up had a very clean look versus the bulky aftermarket full bumper replacement… didn’t want to much additional weight so this works out and is very functional… thanks for the reply

 

[Gangly]

I fab'd up a hidden winch setup for my 2020 as well, not too hard, just time consuming with the measuring/cutting/welding.

 

[Gangly]

I cut two of the vent blades on the air dam to access the winch clutch from above.....TONS of room

 

[Trail_Boss_6.2]

I cut two of the vent blades on the air dam to access the winch clutch from above.....TONS of room

Where / How did you mount the winch controller box?

 

[Gangly]

Where / How did you mount the winch controller box?

This is a mockup before I secured everything, but this is how I ran the supply to the controller that was mounted on the passenger side fender well. I used a VICE Designs harness extension to run from the controller to the winch.

 

[Trail_Boss_6.2]

This is a mockup before I secured everything, but this is how I ran the supply to the controller that was mounted on the passenger side fender well. I used a VICE Designs harness extension to run from the controller to the winch.

Thanks for the info and pic - that's the area I was looking to mount it (not that we have any other choice
Did you fabricate that bracket?

 

[Gangly]

Thanks for the info and pic - that's the area I was looking to mount it (not that we have any other choice
Did you fabricate that bracket?

Somewhat. I cut up a piece of scrap purlin that already had the 90 degree bend, rounded the edges, drilled the holes to attach the bracket to the controller, and painted it. I attached the panel to the engine bay structural member using self tapping screws with rubber bushings to pseudo-seal the threaded connection.

To date, everything is still snug and trouble free.

 

[JP20TB]

I cut two of the vent blades on the air dam to access the winch clutch from above.....TONS of room

Yes I took your idea and it works for my set up

 

[Trail_Boss_6.2]

Somewhat. I cut up a piece of scrap purlin that already had the 90 degree bend, rounded the edges, drilled the holes to attach the bracket to the controller, and painted it. I attached the panel to the engine bay structural member using self tapping screws with rubber bushings to pseudo-seal the threaded connection.

To date, everything is still snug and trouble free.

Thanks for the info - I think I have some aluminum laying around I could use for this. If not, it shouldn't be too hard to come up with a bracket I can customize.