Steel VS Aluminum

Just bite the bullet and go for this winch mount plate.
http://undercoverfab.com/winch-plates/54-hd-winch-plate-for-jeep-yj-alum.html
hd-winch-plate-for-jeep-yj-alum.jpg

hd-winch-plate-for-jeep-yj-alum.jpg
 
@Nashorn101 you may want to reread what blaine said. Welding aluminum for structural matters is not for beginners. You can make a dangerous situation even more dangerous by having bad welds holding your winch.

I am confident in my abilities to learn a skill such as welding aluminum - however, you are right. A winch plate is nothing to learn that skill on.

I'll see if I can get a piece of angle aluminum - but if not, I'll get that winch plate. Thank you!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris and StG58
I am confident in my abilities to learn a skill such as welding aluminum - however, you are right. A winch plate is nothing to learn that skill on.

I'll see if I can get a piece of angle aluminum - but if not, I'll get that winch plate. Thank you!
Find a local scrap/supply/remnant supplier. That piece you need would cost about 20 bucks at one of those places.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Chris
I did. I looked online and called my local steel shop - both sources only had up to 6" channel / angle. :-|
It is out there. I found it several places. Here is just one of many.

http://store.buymetal.com/aluminum/...nnel-6061-t6-structural-8-2.29-0.25-0.22.html

Another place to look is local fab and machine shops. One of my local machine shops that I do business with will sell me some heavy wall steel tube at very cheap prices because they finished the job it was for and it is just sitting outside rusting away. It is an odd size for anything axle or Jeep related so I've never taken any but I could pick it up for pennies on the dollar if I had a use for it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kyle_W
It is out there. I found it several places. Here is just one of many.

http://store.buymetal.com/aluminum/...nnel-6061-t6-structural-8-2.29-0.25-0.22.html

Another place to look is local fab and machine shops. One of my local machine shops that I do business with will sell me some heavy wall steel tube at very cheap prices because they finished the job it was for and it is just sitting outside rusting away. It is an odd size for anything axle or Jeep related so I've never taken any but I could pick it up for pennies on the dollar if I had a use for it.

Ah, that's a good place to look! Thanks!