Welcome to another edition of Jeep Fact Friday!
One of the best parts about owning a Jeep is its effectiveness in various situations. The slogan “Go Anywhere. Do Anything” speaks volumes about how well they perform in most any circumstance. With that in mind Jeep began offering several functional accessories from the dealer in the 1980’s for every model. Now when “accessories” and “dealer” are grouped in a sentence some may think of things like an engine block heater, a ski rack, or side steps. Jeep did provide these type of accessories to their dealers but they also offered the more utilitarian accessories such as winches and plows.
Jeep had every piece necessary to mount a winch to the front of a CJ-7, SJ Cherokee and Wagoneer, J-10, J-20, XJ Cherokee, and MJ Comanche. Some kits were very simple while others required several brackets and filler plates. They were all available with a 6,000 lb. Ramsey winch as a light duty option for those who liked the look or used it on rare occasions. With the fact that a 6,000 lb winch will struggle to perform some tasks Jeep commissioned Warn to set them up with a severe duty winch. Warn had just the model in mind: the 8274.
Close-up of the tag on a factory Warn 8274 Winch
Warn’s 8274 is a workhorse with an upright design rated for an 8,000 lb. single line pull. Warn started to manufacture it in 1974 and still offer a variation of it it today having only made small tweaks to it. Those who own an 8274 are typically very reluctant to “upgrade” to a modern winch due to the durability and speed of it. A brand new 8274 will set you back over $2,000 and a used one in need of minor repair goes for $400-500 today.
Mounting a winch to the front bumper on a CJ-7 only required a mounting plate similar to those offered today. Bolt the plate to the frame, bolt the winch to the frame, and you’re done! Strapping a winch to a SJ Cherokee and Wagoneer, J-10, J-20, XJ Cherokee, and MJ Comanche proved more difficult. On these models the front bumper had to be pushed forward with several brackets to allow the winch to fit between the front crossmember and the bumper. The open areas were then covered with filler pieces. This created what Jeep called a “hidden winch” and changed the cosmetics of the Jeep very little (though it did look as if a park bench was strapped to the grille).
CJ-7 with a factory Warn 8274 Winch
Today Mopar, as well as aftermarket suppliers *wink wink*, still offers a few heavy duty bumpers with accommodations for a winch on the JK Wrangler.
If you’ve owned or seen any of these Jeeps with factory winches let us know (and post some pictures!).
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Crown Automotive Sales Co., Inc. 