| Of course we all know the Freelander is
far more capable than most people will ever admit, but there are
times when a winch comes in handy. Even if you don't
anticipate ever needing one, the heavy duty A-frame from DAP
protects the engine with durable removable plates. Not only
that but unlike the oem brush bars, it is strong enough to use for
recovering your Freelander. If you bump something with this
bar, it won't fall off like the oem bar will- and that's not a
joke. The way the oem bar mounts, it can actually fall right off! |
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This is how it looks when it's dropped off at your
house.
It's very well packed and comes with all the hardware you need.
To install it you'll need a socket set, hole saw, allen keys
and some open end wrenches. Removing the front fascia requires a
philips screwdriver as well. Budget about three hours for
installation, more if you don't routinely do this kind of work.
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After unpacking I decided to test fit the Hella
FF1000 lamps which I intend to use.
The plates come installed with an adhesive protective skin, but
you will want to remove the plates before beginning the
installation.
There is enough room on this bar to accommodate even the
largest off-road lamps.
Note the triangular side protection- I nice touch.
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First step for mine was to remove the oem bush bar
that let me down.
Seems that every time I went off road I had to readjust the
brush bar because of the terrible mount design they used. The oem
bar was obviously just for looks but I need something MUCH
stronger.
The original bar mount points are visible poking through the
front fascia. These are not really noticeable with the new bar.
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| I made this photo kinda large so you can see what is
behind the fascia.
The aluminium bumper beam visible here needs large holes
drilled in it during the process and has to be removed completely.
Also visible in this photo is how the valence lamps mount as
well as the remote stealth radar detector antenna visible just
under the near side headlamp (with the yellow label).
The cardboard comes in handy to keep from scratching up the new
bar during the installation. Of course, it's just going off road
anyway so it's no big deal. The floor jack comes in handy for
lifting the bar into place.
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| In the two photos below, you can see
the tubular mount which is bolted to the frame. The
aluminium bumper mounts have to be drilled to pass the tubes
thhrough and the bumper bar itself as well. This was the
worst part of the installation- drilling these big holes. I
didn't have a large enough hole saw so I used a jig saw. |
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Here, the bar has been lifted into place on the
tubular mounts and then bolted at the rear where the stock skid
plate (which was removed and set aside) was originally mounted.
Circled in yellow crayon are the lower mounts and the twin
1.5" receivers for the winch plate.
The DAP bar mounts to six points on the Freelander unibody
(frame) and that gives it the rigidity to accommodate a winch or
recovery.
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| This is the bar with the winch plate attached and
the aluminium skid plates installed.
The protective film on the polished plates at this point can be
removed. The plates have a mirror finish that is quite
stunning in person. Of course, mine haven't stayed that way.
My A-frame has been on for a while now, even the Disco in the
background didn't have a lift back then.
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| The final product!
Installed now is a Ramsey Rep8000e winch. The Freelander
doesn't require such a large winch, a 4500 or 5000 is adequate.
As I was winch shopping I found the 8000e was the same price or
less than a 5000 and weighed about 10 pounds more not including
the roller fairlead.
The 8000e is not a "hard-core" winch, but it a great
low priced alternative for the casual off-roader. A lifetime
warranty and the fact that it's so much larger than necessary
means a little extra insurance out in the middle of nowhere.
It can drag a Freelander sideways without breaking a sweat, even
using the outer winds on the drum. Usually you can only get a
"good pull" from the inner winds of the drum.
The ability to recover a heavier vehicle (which requires
experience!) with this setup is a nice plus.
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This was one suggestion of what to do with the old
bar... I don't think I'll do it though. However, I don't
think the MG will be trudging through the woods any time soon with
only 1.5" of ground clearance.
The only down side to the winch is that it's very heavy when
removed from the receiver mounts in the A-frame. For the
casual off-roader it's perfect though- take the winch off during
the week and slip it on when hitting the trails. It does
take away approach angle if the winch is mounted ip and ready to
go, but if it's kept in the trunk instead it'll be there when you
need it. I tend to leave mine installed all the time.
Several months of testing have worked out just fine... it's
save my butt once when exploring a trail solo (which is a terrible
idea). I've rescued Discos, moved trees and even pulled a tree out
of my yard with it and it's been a blast!
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| If you have any questions either e-mail
me, post in the Forum or contact me at DAP-inc directly. |
