[doolin64]

Here's the KFI instructions for the P500 plow mount.

 

[JCart]

Was looking at the P5 stock front bumper attachment points and there is not a lot of material on the upper two points. Does the KFI winch mount replace the stock upper bumper bolts with higher grade ones? Seems like a lot of potential force on those two little bolts and seemingly light bracket to frame welds?

Max payload is 800 lbs? Max tow is 1000 lbs and machine weight is 1000 for a total of 2800 lbs GVWC right? So bogged in a swamp maxed out with a snatch block could be (3500 rated winch) rough an dirty 7000 lbs on the two little bolts right? Or am I missing something here? Thoughts?

jrc

 

[Buford]

I wonder how much the KFI winch mount would affect the cooling ? It would have to block off some of the air flow to the radiator.

 

[Crooked Creek]

Was looking at the P5 stock front bumper attachment points and there is not a lot of material on the upper two points. Does the KFI winch mount replace the stock upper bumper bolts with higher grade ones? Seems like a lot of potential force on those two little bolts and seemingly light bracket to frame welds?

Max payload is 800 lbs? Max tow is 1000 lbs and machine weight is 1000 for a total of 2800 lbs GVWC right? So bogged in a swamp maxed out with a snatch block could be (3500 rated winch) rough an dirty 7000 lbs on the two little bolts right? Or am I missing something here? Thoughts?

jrc

I'd say that's the definition of an absolutely "worst case scenario"! And you would have to be at one wrap of the cable on the spool to get that 3500# maximum output from the winch. I think I would disconnect the 1000# I'm towing, get everyone out of the vehicle and use the remote to get out. Once out I'd turn around, hook the winch to my 1000# towed load, pull it out, hook it up and be on my merry way. Or, just buy a bigger, stronger vehicle to pull that kind of load and put a 4500# winch on it to begin with.
Having said that, the mount does not come with higher grade replacement bolts (I'll have to look to see what grade the factory bolts are), but there are a couple of other bolts on the back side, in addition to the two lower ones that are easily seen. The mount comes with, and attaches to the bumper with 8 grade 5 bolts holding 2 clamp plates on the square tube sides of the bumper and 2 u-bolts attaching the mount to the round tube at the back of the bumper. Time will tell, but I don't think that bumper is as weak as you think. The KFI snow plow mount also mounts onto the same bumper supporting the push tube and blade weight plus taking the snow load imposed by a 66" wide by 16" tall blade. Hopefully the KFI engineers did not get it all wrong.
I don't think the winch will block the air flow to the radiator to any significant degree. As a matter of fact, my thoughts were that the winch would offer a little be more protection to what I had considered a vulnerable radiator.
You asked for thoughts, those are mine....and here's hoping they don't change after winter!