Rough Country Hidden Winch - Free Spooling

[604Bronco]

If you currently own a Rough Country hidden winch for the Bronco, you know that turning the lever to allow for free-spooling is a pain.

I’m just curious if anyones found a simple tool or modification to make it easier to engage/disengage this?

Thank you.

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[Herbie]

If you currently own a Rough Country hidden winch for the Bronco, you know that turning the lever to allow for free-spooling is a pain.

I’m just curious if anyones found a simple tool or modification to make it easier to engage/disengage this?

Thank you.

 

[PWillette]

There's an old thread showing a DIY under the hood extension rod, damned if I can find it. If I remember correctly it was just a simply metal rod extended up in front of the battery. It was pretty simple design.

 

[j_marinelli]

There's an old thread showing a DIY under the hood extension rod, damned if I can find it. If I remember correctly it was just a simply metal rod extended up in front of the battery. It was pretty simple design.

This might be what you are talking about:
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/warn-hidden-winch-rough-country-mount.42113/#post-1379301

 

[Boreal]

@604Bronco

I’ll take a video of mine later today to show you in better detail. But I machined up an adapter that dropped onto the freespool flange. Cut and welded some rod together that notched around the crossmember and timed the position of the rotation so that it just works. Luckily freespool release needs less than 180° of rotation to engage

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/the-boreal-badlands.48235/post-1542040

 

[dgorsett]

I built this removable handle and store on the radiator support. It works with my Rugged Ridge which has a T handle clutch that is lifted and rotated 90 degrees to engage may not work with all.

 

[Bellime]

I have a thread/post of a DIY solution for remoting the engage/disengage lever. You don’t need to raise the hood.

 

[604Bronco]

I have a thread/post of a DIY solution for remoting the engage/disengage lever. You don’t need to raise the hood.

Thanks for sharing the link…

lol

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/thre...ngage-rough-country-hidden-winch-lever.75675/

 

[Boreal]

Heres a Demo

 

[604Bronco]

Heres a Demo

Is that a golf putter?

Love it - Looks like a good home-made solution! Thanks for sharing the video.

 

[rodccar]

On my 2.7L i used a 10MM socket, 14" extension, universal swivel, Drill Collars and the factory handle. The mechanics are perfect, it was a pain in the ass to get everything lined up in a usable fashion tho. Works like a charm. The pics are pretty self explanatory.

 

[604Bronco]

On my 2.7L i used a 10MM socket, 14" extension, universal swivel, Drill Collars and the factory handle. The mechanics are perfect, it was a pain in the ass to get everything lined up in a usable fashion tho. Works like a charm. The pics are pretty self explanatory.

That looks great! Nice clean setup

 

[Bob Dobbs]

On my 2.7L i used a 10MM socket, 14" extension, universal swivel, Drill Collars and the factory handle. The mechanics are perfect, it was a pain in the ass to get everything lined up in a usable fashion tho. Works like a charm. The pics are pretty self explanatory.

This looks good. Did you drill a hole in the socket for the screw? did you use the swivle just above the socket, is that to convert from socket size to the extension or does it need to bend a bit? Hard to tell but it looks like it sticks up quite a bit, would a shorter extension fit better?

 

[fourdayoff]

https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/warn-hidden-winch-rough-country-mount.42113/post-1960838

 

[rodccar]

This looks good. Did you drill a hole in the socket for the screw? did you use the swivle just above the socket, is that to convert from socket size to the extension or does it need to bend a bit? Hard to tell but it looks like it sticks up quite a bit, would a shorter extension fit better?

Bob, Yes, i drilled and threaded the socket to allow the bolt to attach to the through hole of the freewheel shaft on the rough country winch. I added the universal swivel to the socket to get the angled alignment that was needed to aim the 14” extension up and through the support beam they you see in the picture. i also used collared drill stops on both sides of the extension to keep it in place. The original freewheel handle was added to an additional extension that i can remove and store in the vehicle until needed. So from top to bottom i guess it’s this order . Handle, 14” extension (removable) then 14” extension with drill collar (through crossmember) drill collar, universal swivel, 10mm socket drilled and tapped to winch.
Everything is 1/4” tooling.
Hope this helps.

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