X-BULL Winch Mounting Plate Cradle 8000-13000lbs New Universal Truck TrailerATV

A winch is only as strong as whatever holds it to the vehicle. Under a hard pull the cradle carries the entire line load and does its best to tear itself off the chassis, so the plate beneath an 8000 to 13000 lb winch deserves as much thought as the winch bolted to it.

What the supplier publishes, and what it does not

No working load limit, no breaking strength, no test standard and no steel grade appear anywhere in the data supplied with this cradle. That is a real gap on a part that sits directly in the load path, and it is better said plainly than dressed up. The 8000-13000 lb figure is a winch fitting range: it describes which winch footprints and bolt patterns the slots are cut to accept. It says nothing about how much force the steel will carry, and it must not be read as a strength rating.

Two different steel thicknesses on one sheet

The supplier's opening line calls it 5 mm of solid steel. The feature list on the same sheet calls it 6 mm. Both figures are published below because neither can be verified here, and the sensible course is to work to the thinner of the two. Finished weight is given as 9.40 kg, which is consistent with a substantial folded plate rather than a light bracket. The finish is black, the material is listed only as steel with no grade or coating type, and cut-outs are provided so a roller fairlead can bolt on.

The mounting point decides whether it holds

Everything above is academic if the chassis end is wrong. The cradle must go onto a structurally adequate, rated mounting point with correct-grade fasteners — never sheet metal, never a bumper skin, never a tow ball or tow bar tongue. Bolt pattern, hole spacing and fastener grade are not published, so measure your winch feet and your mounting face against the photos before ordering. Fitting a winch cradle is work for a qualified person, and where there is any doubt about the strength of the mounting point, have it assessed before you rely on it.

Key features

• Slotted universal cradle: cut to accept winch footprints in the 8000-13000 lb fitting range, which is a sizing reference and not a strength figure.
• Fairlead cut-outs: mounting points are provided so a roller fairlead bolts straight on.
• Folded steel, 9.40 kg: heavy enough to be a structural plate rather than a light bracket, finished in black.
• Thickness stated two ways: 5 mm in one place, 6 mm in another — both carried here rather than one picked for you.
• No published rating: nothing in the supplier data states a load limit, breaking strength or standard this plate has been tested to.

Specifications

• Winch fitting range: 8000-13000 lb (bolt pattern and footprint reference only, not a load rating)
• Material: steel; grade not published
• Steel thickness: 5 mm in the supplier's description, 6 mm in the supplier's feature list; work to 5 mm
• Mounting plate size: published by the supplier as 9.5 x 7.5 cm. That cannot be correct alongside a 9.40 kg weight, so confirm dimensions with us before ordering.
• Weight: 9.40 kg
• Colour: black
• Bolt pattern and hole spacing: not published
• Working load limit, breaking strength or test standard: not published
• Mounting fasteners: not listed in the pack contents

What's in the box

• 1 x universal winch mounting plate

Before you fit this

• Inspect the cradle before every use and retire it if the steel is cracked, bent or the bolt holes have elongated.
• Mount only to a rated, structurally adequate point using correct-grade fasteners. Fitting is work for a qualified person.
• Make recoveries from rated recovery points only — never a tow ball, tow bar tongue, bumper or unrated bracket.
• Drape a dampener across the line before the pull starts.
• Anyone not needed for the recovery stands well outside the arc that line would sweep.
• Two straps are never joined together using a shackle.
• Winch line under load holds a great deal of stored energy, and it has killed people when gear or an anchor point gave way.

Match the bolt pattern of your winch and get the mounting point checked, and this is a straightforward upgrade. If either is uncertain, sort that out first.