Offroading - Winch Wanted

[rks838]

Hey guys, I'm new here, and am wondering - has anybody off-roaded in their LX470? I've done a good amount in my 2000 LX, and would like to attach a winch to the front of it. Does anybody have experience with this? Do I need any modifications to the front end to accommodate a winch?

Also, all I plan to use the winch for is to pull the vehicle out of mud. Nothing very deep - I still have the stock Michelin LTX M/S tires. I do not plan to use the winch, as some do, for pulling me up hills that are otherwise too steep, etc. All that said, can I break the rule-of-thumb on buying winches, which is that you buy one with a minimum capacity of 1.5 times the gross weight of the vehicle? I would need a 9000-lb. winch according to this, and that costs $500 for anything decent, which is more than I am willing to pay.

Thanks guys, any advice is appreciated, and tell me if you actually have experience with this.

[Jim_Chow]

You need a winch bumper. I use the ARB sahara bar. A good 9000 lb winch like the Warn will run $1K. IMHO, a winch is really mainly for winching your buddy out. Since I travel by myself, I don't carry a winch, plus I don't do anything really hardcore. I'll do trails that require 4wd low, but not a winch/lockers, at least in the LX. Plus the LX is just kind of big for the hardcore stuff (old 4runner can do a lot more trails since it's over 1 ft narrower, shorter, higher clearance, and most important, a beater car). You will also need to upgrade your torsion bars to heavier duty ones (either the OEM ones for the LC or OME bars will do). The winch weighs around 100 lbs, plus another 80-100 lbs for the winch bumper. The AHC isn't desiged to take that much weight up front.