anyone have an 8274 on a tj?

[vantagetes]

No worries. A main problem with the 8274 is it's mounting style, the bolts are run horizontally rather then vertical. With a vertical mount the winch is usually pulling directly inline with the mounting bolts. As you cannot mount a 8274 like this you end up with an L shaped bracket. The higher up you mount the winch on this bracket the more leverage is applied to your mounting bolts in the frame. The same applies for distance from front of L bracket to the mounting bolts. The greater that distance the greater the force applied to the bolts is.

Even without that added leverage these tow point mounts have been known to fail. Frency posted this picture not to long ago.



Now in saying this I will admit there aren't too many choices on how you mount these winches on a jeep. The swaybar doesn't allow you to move the winch back to reduce leverage, and the steering box and cross tube in the front doesn't let you lower the winch by much either. About the only other option you have is to add some strapping similar to what some of the aftermarket bumpers offer.

[AMCJeep]

Sorry for the hijack, but please elaborate on this.  You have 4 x 1/2" bolts holding the winch in place with a shear load of approx 3700 lbs or 4500 lbs each depending on where you using grade 5 or 8 bolts.

[AMCJeep]

That setup kinda scares the bejezus outta me, never was a fan on how the factory tow hooks mount so I don' t think I'd want a winch mounted in the same spot.

Is there a strap that runs down and hooks onto the bottom of the frame rail as well? I guess you're fairly limited on mounting options as the swaybars right behind and the steering box is right underneath.

What scared the crap out of me was having this mounted on my old CJ with the crappy frame! I bought the Warn bumper and winch plate for the CJ and after many years of tugging it never gave way. Kudos for Warn.
The TJ frame is miles above the old girl and I have even less worries using the 8274 on the plate since every winch still mounts to a plate regardless of vertical or horizontal mounting and I have yet to see a winch rip the frame. A winch does not have the shock load of pulling on a single hook as the damage that the picture shows. Pulling with an improper recovery strap or chain and gunning it to extract the stuck Jeep causes that kind of damage. I think a recovery course should be in order for the owner of that pictured TJ to educate them on how to intelligently use a recovery point.

[vantagetes]

Oh I'm not saying some people have never had problems with that style plate (Warn does think a bit when they design stuff), just gives me the creeps a bit when I think of the things that could go wrong with the additional leverage over a bolt down winch.

General rule of 4x4ing; what can break, will. I would feel more at ease with more mounting points then the four bolts on top.

You may disagree but that's why every jeep is built up different, everyone has their own preference and idea of how it should be done!

[JJonesee]

The one on my CJ (currently sitting on garage floor) is just a big piece of angle.  Its  5/8" thick..  So its heavy.. (5"x8" maybe?)

I have built several winch plates, but I have never built one for a 8274 on a TJ.  On lots of the aftermarket TJ winch mounts they reach down or over the sway bar and sandwich in the front grill body mount.  I think it is overkill for a standard winch, but the added leverage the 8274 it may be needed.

I think you could fabricate one for a TJ with minimal effort.

[AMCJeep]

If you ever are looking for a commercial 8274 winch plate for your CJ, I have an almost new Warn plate I'd let go for $150
The frame mounts and brackets have never been used, just the plate was used on another Jeep that had the brackets already there.

[AV.NINE]

Just a quick update, got the winch plate 1/2 way fabbed up. Need to get ahold of federal metal today. Should have a few made up by the weekend.