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10,000 lb Jeep Commander Winch

Written By: Esther
January 20th, 2011 | Filed under Customer Testimonials, ProMark Garage, Winch Installation | 2 Comments »Tags: 10000 lb Winch, Jeep Winch Mount, Jeep Winches, Multi-Mount Winch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Silverback Recovery Winch

Take a look at these pictures from a customer who bought a 10,000 lb ProMark winch and 2″ multi mount for his Jeep Commander. The Jeep owner used a quick connect setup that allows him to remove the winch and mount when they are not being used. The photos were originally posted on JeepCommander.com.

10,000 lb Jeep winch

Comes with all accessories (except the dog)

2 inch multimount receiver

Winch and multimount setup with quick connect wiring

Winch mounted on Jeep Commander

Front view of Jeep winch and mount

Tags: 10000 lb Winch, Jeep Winch Mount, Jeep Winches, Multi-Mount Winch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Silverback Recovery Winch
Posted in Customer Testimonials, ProMark Garage, Winch Installation | 2 Comments »

ATV Winch Mount Buying Guide

Written By: Esther
October 15th, 2010 | Filed under ATV Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »Tags: ATV Mobile Mount, Custom Mount Plate, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Universal Mount Plate, Winch Mounts

Your ATV or UTV winch needs a strong, flat mounting surface for safe operation. Besides fabricating a mount plate from scratch, you have basically three options: Model specific, universal, and receiver hitch.

Honda Foreman model specific winch mount

Model Specific Winch Mounts

The most popular type of winch mount is a model specific plate. Model specific winch mounts are fairly easy to install. Each mount kit is designed to fit with little or no modification. Some model specific mounts may require modification for use with certain winches, but for the most part, they mount right up with no problem. ProMark uses a winch plate wizard to help you find the right mount plate based on your make and model.

Universal Mount Plates

If you’re skilled in metalwork and you want to customize your mounting plate, a universal winch mount might be a good option for you. The extent of modifications needed depends on your ATV/UTV model and how you decide to mount the winch. Universal mount plates are generally cheaper, but they take a lot more work to mount.

ATV receiver hitch mount

ATV Receiver Hitch Mounts

Sometimes a receiver hitch mount makes more sense than a frame mounted winch. The nice thing about receiver mounts is that they are easy to install and they allow you to remove the winch when it’s not needed. This lightens up the load, makes wheelies easier, and prevents theft. ATV receiver hitch mounts come in 1 1/4″ and 2″ sizes to fit the size of your receiver hitch.

Winch / Mount Plate Compatibility

Make sure the mount works with your winch—obvious enough, but some winches use a 3-bolt mounting pattern and others use a 4-bolt or 2-bolt pattern. The winch size and body style can also make a difference in whether or not it will work with the mounting plate. Because of limited mounting space on some ATVs and UTVs, trimming may be required on the mount plate or bumper in order to install the winch.

Tags: ATV Mobile Mount, Custom Mount Plate, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Universal Mount Plate, Winch Mounts
Posted in ATV Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »

Truck Winch Mounts

Written By: Esther
September 23rd, 2010 | Filed under Recovery Winch Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »Tags: Jeep Winch Mount, Multi-Mount Winch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Truck Winch Mount, Winch Mounts

Truck winches require a secure mount that can withstand thousands of pounds of pressure. There are several different types of truck winch mounts available, depending on the look and style and ease of mounting that you want.

Jeep TJ Grille Mount

Grille Guard Mounts

For a front mounted winch, grille guard mounts offer the convenience of a grille guard and winch mount all in one. They give your rig a tough look, protect your front end from tree branches and other hazards, and are fairly easy to mount. One of the best features is that the winch is easy to access, making it easier to prevent cable binding and perform maintenance. Some grille guard mounts require no drilling or modifications, but others may require drilling or trimming.

Mounting Plates and Channels

One of the most cost-effective solutions is a mounting plate or channel. Most universal channels will require custom drilling and cutting to fit your vehicle. Other mount plates require no drilling and simply bolt on to the front of your vehicle. With a mounting plate or channel, your winch is easy to access and, depending on any modifications needed, should be fairly simple to install.

Mobile Hitch Mount

Hitch Mounts

Receiver hitch mounts are convenient for owners who want to take the winch off when they don’t need it. Quick connect plugs make it even easier to hook up the electrical wiring. You can also install a receiver on the front end and switch the mount between the front and rear. The biggest appeal of a hitch mounted winch is the ease of installation. With the right setup, you can share one winch among several vehicles. Since the ease of installation and removal can make your winch more vulnerable to theft, use a locking hitch pin or remove the winch and lock it up at home to prevent your winch from getting stolen.

Hidden and Semi-hidden Mounts

Hidden and semi-hidden mounts are ideal for owners who want to keep the clean look of their truck or Jeep. Mounting your winch behind the bumper requires more installation time and possibly some drilling and fabrication, but if you’re fairly mechanical, it shouldn’t be a problem. Because the winch is tucked behind the bumper, you may have a harder time accessing the winch, cable, and controls. The upside is that a hidden mount keeps your winch sheltered from the elements, out of sight, and protected from thieves.

Replacement Bumper Mounts

Another option for a winch mount is to replace the entire bumper with a prefabricated bumper and winch mount. This option provides a rock-solid mounting point, but it requires more installation time and a fatter budget. Drilling and cutting will most likely be required.

Tags: Jeep Winch Mount, Multi-Mount Winch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Truck Winch Mount, Winch Mounts
Posted in Recovery Winch Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »

Where to Mount a Winch on a Truck or Jeep

Written By: Esther
April 2nd, 2010 | Filed under Recovery Winch Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »Tags: Jeep Winches, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Recovery Winches, Truck Winches, Winch Mounts

10,000 lb Truck and Jeep Winch

The first step in installing a winch on your truck or Jeep is to choose a mounting location. Obviously, the front bumper is the logical choice, but beyond that, you have to decide exactly where to mount it. Two major considerations are 1) a location that gives you the best access to the winch, and 2) a location that offers a certain amount of protection from street or trail damage.

If you can’t get at your recovery winch when you need to use it, or if you have to take apart the entire front bumper just to change out the cable or work on your winch, it’s going to be a pain to maintain your winch. On the other hand, mounting the winch behind the front bumper means that it’s more difficult to steal. So figure out what’s most important to you, and choose your mount location accordingly.

36 inch Universal Mounting Channel

Another thing to consider is whether or not the winch mounting location allows you to keep the factory bumper. If you plan to upgrade the bumper anyways, no problem. But if you want to keep the factory bumper, you’ll need to take that into consideration when you choose a mounting location.

The lower the winch, the less it blocks airflow to the radiator. Depending on what type of offroading you do, a low-mounted winch or a winch mounted behind the factory bumper may be just fine if you play it safe on the trail and wheel in dry conditions. On the other hand, if you wheel in a lot of mud, snow, or water, you’ll want to mount the winch higher off the ground in such a way that your setup doesn’t limit the approach angle of the vehicle.

Another option you have is to get a receiver-style winch mount that allows you to mount the winch when you need it and take it off when you don’t.

Tags: Jeep Winches, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Recovery Winches, Truck Winches, Winch Mounts
Posted in Recovery Winch Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »

Winch Mounting Kits

Written By: Esther
January 12th, 2010 | Filed under Choosing a Winch | No Comments »Tags: Custom Mount Plate, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Universal Mount Plate, Winch Mounts

A vehicle-specific winch mount makes it easy to install your winch.

Although it’s possible to mount your winch directly to your vehicle, the best and most secure way to mount a winch is with a mounting kit. If you choose not to use a mounting kit, you’ll need to drill holes in the structural support of your vehicle (which most guys don’t want to do), and you need to be 100% sure that drilling those holes won’t compromise the strength of the structural support.

The pulling forces of the winch can put a tremendous amount of pressure on the mounting location, so be aware of this if you choose to mount the winch directly to the structural support. Also be aware that without some of the equipment included in the mounting kit, you may not be able to operate your winch safely.

A winch mounting kit can be universal or vehicle-specific. Universal mount plates are generally cheaper, but you’ll most likely need to do a custom fab job to get the plate to fit just right. Vehicle-specific plates are designed with your vehicle’s specifications in mind, which means you can easily mount your winch without customizing the plate. So although you might shell out a few more dollars for a vehicle-specific plate, the ease of installation is worth it.

Another option is to go with a receiver hitch mount. These mounts are designed to be moved from front to rear for more winching options. You can also remove the winch and mount altogether if you don’t need it. It takes some extra weight off your quad or truck and keeps your winch out of the elements when it’s not being used.

Tags: Custom Mount Plate, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Universal Mount Plate, Winch Mounts
Posted in Choosing a Winch | No Comments »

ATV Receiver Hitch Benefits

Written By: Esther
November 23rd, 2009 | Filed under ATV Accessories | No Comments »Tags: ATV Receiver Hitch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount

ATV Receiver Hitch for Suzuki King Quad

ATV / UTV Receiver Hitches are great for receiver hitch winch mounts or for hauling utility trailers, mowers, sprayers, harrows, cultivators, and other ATV attachments. Tow a small trailer or PWC, hook up ATV attachments for farming, landscaping, forestry, and other types of work, or attach a hitch-mounted ATV winch or cargo rack.

Benefits of ATV / UTV Receiver Hitches:

WILL NOT affect ground clearance
Versatile pulling options for farming and utility equipment and more
Powder coated
Simple to install
Compatible with the 2-inch standard hitch on most trucks and other vehicles, making it easy to transfer a load from a truck to an ATV (within load limits)
Useful for tons of different applications, whether utility or recreational

PROMARK OFFROAD (formerly Gorilla Winches) offers ATV and UTV receiver hitches for the most popular Can Am, Honda, Kawasaki, Polaris, Suzuki, and Yamaha quads on the market. See the ATV Receiver Hitch page for more information.

Tags: ATV Receiver Hitch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount
Posted in ATV Accessories | No Comments »

7 Ways to Prevent Winch Theft

Written By: Esther
August 11th, 2009 | Filed under Offroad Recovery | No Comments »Tags: Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Winch Covers, Winch Theft Prevention

Don’t let the thought of winch theft keep you up at night. Protect your winch from being stolen with one of these ideas.

Winch theft is a major concern for many winch owners, especially if you park your rig in the yard or leave it in the Wal-Mart parking lot for a few hours. You’ve invested a good chunk of change in your winch. Now how can you make sure it won’t get ripped off?

Here are 7 ways to prevent winch theft:

Winch Cover

Buy a winch lock or a security bolt lock. They prevent access to the bolt and can only be removed with a special key. Just make sure you don’t lose the key, in case you ever need to take your winch off!

Weld a section of C-Channel over the bolt heads to prevent access to the bolts.

Weld a cap over one or several of the bolts. If you ever need to remove your winch to repair or replace it, you’ll need to grind off the cap.

Weld the bolts and nuts together. Some have done this and it’s worked just fine; others claim that the extreme heat can weaken the bolts. So while it’s not the best option, it is an option. Most winch manufacturers advise against welding the bolts because it could compromise the strength of the bolts.

Secure the winch with a cable and lock. While it’s not the most secure option by far, it may be enough to discourage the casual thief looking for an easy target. At the very least, it slows down the thief and gives you a better chance of catching them in the act.

Use a winch cover. Sometimes the best way to keep your stuff from getting ripped off is to keep it out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind.

Take the winch off and put it back on only when you go offroading. Sound like too much work? That’s what I thought. But it’s an option. If you mount your winch with a receiver hitch mount instead of a permanent winch mount, this option sounds a little more realistic.

If you have a better way to protect your winch, let us know in the comments! (Click on the post title and scroll down to see the comments section).

Tags: Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Winch Covers, Winch Theft Prevention
Posted in Offroad Recovery | No Comments »

Quick Connect Winch Wiring

Written By: Esther
July 17th, 2009 | Filed under ATV Accessories | No Comments »Tags: Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Winch Mounts, Winch Wiring

Quick Connect Winch Wiring lets you easily move your winch from front to rear.

Ever find yourself stuck in a spot where you couldn’t get to your winch to pull out? If you have a front winch on your ATV but you can’t get to your winch to use it, it’s not going to do you much good. A permanent winch mount is great for most situations, but the option to use your winch in front or in the rear gives you more flexibility when you need it.

A receiver hitch mount and quick connect wiring let you move your winch whenever you need to or even take it off when you don’t need it. With quick connect winch wiring, all you have to do is connect a plug, and you’re good to go. Quick connect wiring makes it quick and easy to hook up your winch with a receiver hitch mount.

A quick connect wiring kit comes with everything you need to hook up your winch to the power source on the front or rear of your ATV. All winch leads, power leads, and plugs are included. The power leads come in different lengths so that you can reach the battery or power source from the front or the rear of your quad.

Tags: Receiver Hitch Winch Mount, Winch Mounts, Winch Wiring
Posted in ATV Accessories | No Comments »

Why You Should Consider a Multi-Mount Winch

Written By: Esther
April 28th, 2009 | Filed under Choosing a Winch | No Comments »Tags: Multi-Mount Winch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount

A receiver hitch mount lets you hook up your winch in front or back as needed, giving you more options for winching out.

What’s so great about a receiver winch mount? Here’s where a multi-mount winch can come in handy:

• No two “stucks” are the same. Because of this, you want the most options possible when you’re in a tricky situation, especially if you’re a lone rider.

• No need to permanently fix your winch to your Jeep or truck. This means 1) you have the flexibility to move your winch from front to back and 2) you can take the winch off altogether when you don’t need it.

• You can leave your winch at home when you are going places you won’t need it (on-road driving, truck shows, etc). This saves you gas and reduces your winch’s exposure to the elements, which prolongs the life of your winch.

• Quick disconnect cables allow you to connect or disconnect from your power source without unhooking the cables to your battery. Connecting and disconnecting your receiver hitch mount is quick and easy.

• With a multi-mount winch, you can forget the headache of redesigning your whole bumper. Some truck models don’t leave enough room on the front or rear for a permanent mounted winch, which means extra time and expense to modify your truck. If that’s more than you bargained for, a receiver winch mount may be the answer.

• With the right setup, you can transfer your hitch mounted winch from one vehicle to another. So even if you own more than one off-road vehicle, you may only need to buy one winch.

Tags: Multi-Mount Winch, Receiver Hitch Winch Mount
Posted in Choosing a Winch | No Comments »