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[thorna]

Started to strip down & rebuild my budget winch.
All going to plan; following the instruction on the link provided on here- thanks!
Freespool lever is now freed & all teeth, bearings, seals etc look great.

Quick Q: I need to remove it from the cradle it came on to allow the mods to be made to fit the TJ.
Top 2 bolts are easy; but bottom 2 bolt through the fairlead & into the winch. Trouble is looking at the fairlead there is perfect metal discs where the bolts should be approx 25mm in dia. Are these:
 a) Perfect fitting steel covers hiding the bolt head
 b) Shear head bolts.
Either way they make perfect theft prevention; but I need to undo them from the front- how?
Thought I'd ask if anyone has come across these before I take to them with the angle grinder & drill.

[wildwood]

They should be big square nuts that fit in the recess in the winch and therefore will not  revolve.... and then you bolt with 4 bolts through the winch mount to hold winch on........ bottom 2 bolts also hold winch fairlead on.....

I had to get new ones from Devon 4x4....... hope that helps but sounds like someone has done something else.....

[Warthog]

I suspect that they are security bolts of some sort? Angle grind the head of and go from there.

A cheap option to the square fasteners are, 12mm hex head nuts will slot in nicely into the the recesses. A screwdriver will suffice to stop the nut rotating.

[thorna]

Hi guys; cheers for the advice.
Square nuts on the winch side are all ok; it was the bolts holding on the failead thru to the winch which were defeating me.
As you assumed Warthog; security measure; The bolts were hiding behind perfect fitting & recessed steel plates which were pushed into the holes Gin the fairlead; I found out by drilling through one, tapped & inserted a bolt to enable me to pull them out.
Pretty clever idea- I'm sure would defeat most thieves.

Got the brake off today & progressing well; broke the circlip though!