GearMount Winch Case

Winch Performance – Where/When You Need It
When we looked at recovery winch mounting options for the Alpha A/T we were struck by one simple fact: Why are we permanently mounting the primary recovery device to the front of the vehicle when in the many recovery scenarios you need to extract yourself from the obstacle, rather than continue through or over it? Wouldn’t it make more sense to allow the winch to be mounted quickly and securely to wherever it is needed to best perform the recovery operation? Mount the winch on the front, the rear, and even the sides of the vehicle depending on recovery scenario.

So we designed the GearMount™ Winch System. This system utilizes our GearMount dual hard point mounting system (patents pending), allowing you to quickly and securely mount your winch where you need it and then remove it when you don’t (storing it in the vehicle or leaving it at home). Simply mount the winch to the Alpha A/T Front Bumper, the Omega A/T Twin Rear bumper or our Side Rail System. You can also carry one winch for multiple vehicles if they are equipped with GearMount equipped systems.*

Our GearMount design allows you to install or remove the GearMount Winch Case (or any of the other GearMount accessories) in under two minutes. Simply insert the GearMount Winch System into the hardpoints on the Alpha A/T (or any other GearMount equipped component) and secure the two quick-lock/release mechanisms. Then just plug in the power cable connector and you are ready to use the winch.

The GearMount Winch Case comes with a fully enclosed, aluminum winch case and all necessary hardware to mount to your Alpha A/T. The Winch Case provides a high-strength structural aluminum frame and enclosure with a no-flex fairlead mount (Hawse or roller) and integrated carrying handles. This enclosure protects your winch cable/line from debris damage, as well as protecting synthetic winch line from UV damage. Large view/access ports provide good spool visibility and access for proper re-spooling. We also offer an optional LED case light for illuminating the winch spool during low light operations. Accepts most low-mount planetary winches up to 10,000 lbs and accepts most standard Hawse and roller fairleads (Contact us for a list of compatible winches). The Winch Case is can also be converted for use as top mount winch by adding our Top Mount Winch Plate.

Laser cut, CNC bent and CNC machined from 7075-T6 and 6061-T6 aluminum, the GearMount Winch System is designed to provide high-strength, durable performance. All aluminum components are 2-stage powder coated and available in matte black. Fasteners are grade 8.8 and OE-grade triple coated for maximum corrosion protection (1000+ hr salt spray test).

Dual-Mounting Points, High-Strength, Zero-Rattle
The standard receiver hitch winch mount systems can be useful in providing the ability to move the winch from front to rear, but they offer several disadvantages. The first is in strength. With the receiver hitch system you are working with a single mounting point: the receiver hitch. If you are primarily pulling straight ahead or behind the vehicle then you will find they work well. However, when you have side-load recoveries you are placing considerable and possibly dangerous loads into that single mounting point. The GearMount system uses two dedicated mounting hard points, spaced 11” apart, to providing a stronger, more stable mounting system for side-load recoveries.

In some off-road scenarios it may be preferable to run with the removable winch installed, to avoid having the winch mounting point trapped against an obstacle or buried in sand or mud. Running for extended periods in rough road and off-road conditions with the traditional receiver hitch-based mounting systems installed allows the winch mount to rattle in the receiver hitch, which can quickly damage both the winch mount and the receiver mount, reducing strength. The GearMount System is designed as a zero-free play system where the winch, or any other GearMount accessory, is locked into position allowing no rattle and no damage to the system. In addition, the GearMount Winch Case allows you to place the winch into a stowed position (30º angle) for travel to improve approach angles.

There are off-road applications where having a top mount winch permanently installed on the front of the vehicle makes sense, but for most of us we simply do not need or want to carry around that heavy winch. Adding the weight of a recovery winch (75-100 lbs) to the front of your vehicle is going to have a negative effect the overall performance of your vehicle, especially in the area of on and off-road vehicle handling. And if you have not upgraded your suspension to account for the added weight the issue can go from a negative impact to being downright dangerous. Even with proper suspension set ups the added weight over the front tires causes reduced off-road tire flotation on soft surfaces and poor vehicle handling in higher speed off-road scenarios. This is also a sizable amount of weight that often is simply not needed during most vehicle operations.

* Requires winch electrical connector on each vehicle.