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OKoffroad.com — 4x4 Editorial |
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by
Mark Kiely |
Can you say cake walk!
Not known to be easily compatible, to say that mounting Ramsey's new 9,500 Patriot Profile
bad-boy winch on my ARB front bumper was a piece of
cake is the understatement of the year. It was finding the courage to
get started, which was the hardest part.
Like any 4x4 enthusiast, my truck gets upgraded in stages. And my '96 Land Rover Series 1
Discovery sported an ARB winch bumper months before I contemplated a winch (The Old Man Emu
suspension upgrade happened in between, but that's another story).
reprinted with permission
At the time the bumper went on my truck I remember clearly that the written instructions
recommended mounting the winch before man-handling the bumper into position. I also remember
that lifting the bumper into position was a two man job, even sans winch. In short I was more or
less dreading when the time would come to remove the bumper, mount the winch, and lift the
combined 200-250 lbs into position.
Anyone whose rig wears an ARB bumper knows that they are designed to be compatible with another
popular brand of winch. But when I heard about the new Patriot Profile winch with the remote
solenoid housing from the folks at Ramsey, I decided as always to take the road less travelled.
ARB USA had very little advice on mounting the Ramsey winch, except to say that some
cutting on the bumper would probably be required.
Click on image to enlarge
And so, after my Ramsey 9,500 Patriot Profile arrived, I proceeeded to wait for the right
climate, planet alignment, and any other excuse I could find to delay the daunting task that lay
ahead. like any great warrior going into battle, I prayed for courage!
The Big Day
Fellow Rover owners were on call to assist once again with the two-man heavy stuff. But
first I figured, a little measuring in advance of the big job was called for. It was a Friday
afternoon, and I didn't actually know it, but yes the planets were indeed aligned, perhaps an
eclipse or two was taking place somewhere in the galaxy, and I ventured with measuring tape into
the garage.
I started measuring, and to my surprise, was ecstatic to find that the standard winch mounting
bolt pattern of 10" x 4.5" lined up perfectly. Even the big shiny Ramsey roller fairlead was the
exact width to remove the vertical spindles and bolt onto the bumper fairlead mount. Not all
fairleads are the same width, you know!
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reprinted with permission
My biggest concern though, was the large diameter gear housing of the Ramsey winch fitting into
the circular cut-out brackets, to the left and right on the inside of the bumper. I realized the
only way to be sure, was to lift the winch into position and see how much I needed to cut.
This is where my next surprise came — I didn't need to remove the bumper. The winch
went right up and under without a bother. Yes!
And when I held the mighty beast in place on the inside front wall of the bumper, it sat perfectly just
inside the bumper brackets. Eureka! Could this be — no cutting required? I must be doing
something wrong. Life never gets this easy.
What started as a before-mounting measuring assignment, turned into the 'Big Day.' A little while
later, my Ramsey Bad Boy was proudly gracing the front of my truck, mounted on my non-compatible
ARB winch bumper. My friends weren't needed to assist in lifting.
Click on image to enlarge
The Nitty Gritty
The only 'custom' requirement was putting 3/8" spacers between the winch mounting feet and the
front wall of the bumper with its angled front panels. This was to prevent the large gear housing
from rubbing. This of course meant that the supplied bolts were too short, so a trip to the store
was made for longer mounting bolts with upgrades to grade 8 just to be sure.
Also, the remote solenoid housing called for drilling two new 1/4" holes in the solenoid
mounting plate on the bumper. No problem!
Hooking up the electrical cables was a cinch, and anyone who can recognize numbers, letters,
and plus and minus signs can do it.
Click on image to enlarge
The Last Word
If Ramsey were to provide the 3/8" spacers and longer bolts in the
installation packet, this superb winch would be 'totally' compatible with the ARB range of winch
bumpers. What a combo!
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Ramsey Patriot Profile
The Patriot Profile Series is the perfect solution for those mounting the winch inside the
bumper. Compatible with ARB and other offroad bumpers. |
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ARB Offroad Bumpers
Designed to give your vehicle the best possible front end protection and give it that rugged
custom look. |
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Safari Snorkel System
Relocate your engine’s air intake point from its stock position to a much
higher and safer location for a constant source of cool, clean air. |
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Fourwheeling for me:
"Friends Fun, WATER, MUD,SUN and all weekend event!"
Fourwheeling for me:
"The ability to reach that excellent fishing spot further down the beach than most anyone
else can get to. Making it to that secret landlocked lake that used to take an hour to hike to.
And last but not nearly the least - getting out of that sloppy mudhole of a ditch you slid into
when it actually ices over down here!"
Pat Hammer
Midlothian, TX |
Fourwheeling for me:
"My escape from the working world, all the stress from the rest of life, thank goodness for
my fj40!"
Scott Paswaters
Holladay, Utah |
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