HD Winch Install

PULLING POWER

Installing a Warn 12,000-pound-capacity Heavy Weight M12000 winch in the Big Boss’ front bumper

by Bruce W. Smith

One of the primary safety and convenience accessories every heavy-duty pickup used in or around construction, landscaping, or contracting work should have is a winch. A winch will pay for itself the very first time it’s needed to extract the vehicle it’s mounted on or the pickup or piece of equipment the cable is attached to move.

Choosing the proper selection of a winch was detailed in our Spring 2010 issue. We followed our own advice and choose the M12000 from the Warn Heavy Weight Series winches designed for use in demanding situations from fire/rescue to construction/contracting work.

The M12000 is big and plenty strong, which is exactly what one needs when it’s being installed on a 4×4 crew cab diesel.

We left the installation in the hands of the professionals at Truck Supply & Outfitters in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, led by master Warn winch technician Alvin Bordelon. These guys install winches every day and are a Warn Red Letter dealer who are a top-level authorized service and repair center as well as installers.

(WARN Red Letter Dealers are an elite group of WARN authorized retail outlets that help provide consumers with the highest level of WARN brand product information, availability and service.)

The photo gallery below shows the steps to do the installation into the Road Armor Stealth bumper on our 2010 Dodge Ram Crew Cab 4Ă—4 diesel.