Tue at 1:04 am
I installed a Warn VR Evo 12S (12,000 Lbs.) winch on my ’26 Bronco Badlands. I have the 2.3L 4 cylinder and the manual transmission. I’m super happy with how it came out.
Prior to the install, I’d seen conflicting information on whether the Warn winch would fit. It does, at least with the 4 2.3L. I can’t say for sure about the six cylinder, although I would now know what to check specifically to determine if it would. I suspect it probably does fit.
I got a decent price on the winch on Amazon and chose to go with the Warn over the less expensive Rough Country winch, since I’ve had Warn winches before and they’ve always been great, and this mount does put the winch in a position to be exposed to more water and show, and the Warn has a better immersion rating (IP68 for the Warn vs. IP67 for the Rough Country).
The install is pretty straight forward.
You will need to unplug the connection for the bumper wiring. As the instructions mention, it’s hard to see. You can make this step easier by loosening the bumper bolts on the passenger side and removing them on the driver’s side. Slide the driver’s side forward, and then the plug connection is easier to see, and easy to disconnect. My Bronco was new when I did the install. Not surprisingly the paint on the bumper bolt and the bumper had cured tother, so it broke the paint on the bumper when I removed the bolts. Not a huge deal, I simply touched it up at reassembly, and the bolts are covered by the plastic trim, so all is good.
You have to remove two frame extensions from the front cross frame cross member. The instructions reference using either a grinding disc or a Sawzall; I used a Sawzall to cut the bumper extensions and that was easier than I thought it would be. I had 9-inch blades, do yourself a favor and get 6-inch blades if you use a Sawzall. I suspect this step would be a lot more difficult with a grinding disc. There is a brake line that is attached above the front frame cross-member. It’s easy to avoid hitting it, but the instructions mention to avoid it, so someone probably didn’t. You’ll need paint to cover the bare metal you create.
You’ll mount the winch to the kit before installation. The driver’s side end of the winch will come VERY close to the bolts on the side of the mount. However, you can make sure they’re not touching by sliding a piece of paperboard between the winch and the bolt. If they’re touching, loosen the winch mount bolts and move it a hair to the passenger side.
While the Warn winch comes with a wireless controller, I still wanted the port for a wired controller as a back-up. The kit comes with a 4-foot extension for the controller socket, but it is for the Rough Country winch and won’t work with Warn (different number of pins). Warn sells an extension, which I used, but it’s only a 2-foot extension instead of the Rough Country’s 4 feet. I mounted the extension socket on the side of my factory front license plate mount, and that worked great, but 2 feet is just enough to reach. Likewise, the Warn winch comes with just 6-foot power and ground cables. These will reach to the Bronco’s battery, but only just. When you’re doing the install, get the winch about 2 inches below its mounted position, and then run all your wiring to make sure you’ve got routes that will reach, and to ensure you won’t have any pinched wiring. You will NOT be able to reach the controller socket or back side of the winch once it’s fully installed.
I have a motorcycle lift, and that was the perfect tool to lift the winch on its mounting up into position. If you use just a floor jack, you’ll want a second person, because you’ll be trying to balance the assembly on the jack, and jockey the intercooler up and to the vehicle’s front while you raise the assembly into place.
Once installed, you can’t reach the winch’s engage/disengage lever, except by reaching down through the engine bay. I bought this water valve shut-off tool on Amazon Shut-Off Handle. It breaks down so it can be carried easily with your recovery kit. Using it makes it easy to catch the engage/disengage lever and turn it with having to stick your arm down between the engine and radiator.
Beyond these hints, the instructions are well written and make everything clear, just read them carefully. Check your kit’s parts upon receipt. I ended up missing the intercooler spacers and didn’t notice until I needed them. Rough Country made it right, so no complaints there. The only things I used that weren’t in the kit besides the Warn controller extension were the paint for protecting the metal that was cut away, Loctite, wire loom, and electrical tape. The stated 4-hour installation time is probably a bit optimistic, unless you've done this exact install before.
I’m sorry I didn’t take any pictures during the install, but here’s the finished product, and close-ups of the controller plug.
Harris
Denver, CO
Attachments
adcam, Bronco Beachin 207