Well the dealer called and said the mounting bracket I had ordered was in. When I ordered the bracket form my local Polaris dealer I told him I wanted to mount my Warn 2.5ci winch in between the headlights. They said not a problem, plus I had read all over the forum of others doing the same. But I needed the Polaris mounting bracket, which is what I ordered. When I got home, I opened the packages to find a Warn mounting bracket for mounting in front of the radiator, not where I wanted it.

It can be mounted in the knock out between the headlights can't it?
Can a Warn 2.5ci fit in there, and still be able to function the lock out on the side?
What is the Polaris part number so when I call the dealer back?

 

I just put a Warn 3.0 on my 03 700, but I built my own mounting plate. I went to the dealer and looked at the 2.5 mounting plate designed to mount the winch in the bumper opening. It is designed to fit vertically behind the bumper and bolt to the sides of the bumper brackets. The slots in the bumper line up with the bolt pattern on the winch and it comes with brackets to mount the roller fairlead to. With this design the winch is mounted vertically and recessed all the way back into the bumper opening but you can still get to the engage/freespool ****. I made an "L" shaped plate and bolted it in using the 4 bumper mount bolts (like the Ramsey mount) and mounted the winch horizontally, the 3.0 won't fit all the way into the opening and unlike the 2.5 the 3.0's mount bolt pattern is in the center. I also have the Polaris brushguard installed, so I thought this would be the best way.

The vertical plate to mount the 2.5 looks like it would be very easy to build, if the 3.0 would have fit into the opening I would have mounted it like that.

 

One more thing, the dealer won't sell just the plate for the bumper opening vertical mount, you have to buy the winch/winch mount kit for $589. That's the main reason I built my own mount, I only paid $385 for the 3.0 winch. There is no bumper opening mount available for it.

 

VSchlitz,
yes! the Warn 2.5ci mounts in the knock-out between the headlights. i have the 2.5 on my 700.

i don't know what the part # would be for just the mounting plate. mine was in the box as a complete kit and the dealer installed it for me. i was going to try installing it myself, but it looked to involved for my mechanical ability!LOL

good luck,
-MT

 

When I bought the SP they told me not a problem. I said I already had the winch.

 

There was a post on here a while back, some guy said he was able to get a bumper opening mount from Warn. I think his name was Arcosanti or something like that. According to my dealer you cannot get the bumper opening mount without buying the whole winch kit.

 

So if you accidentaly hit something and manage to bend the plate, you can't just order the plate?

 

The mount is available from Polaris. Either you dealer hasn't done the research, or he just wanto to sell you the whole kit.

 

Moose also makes a mount for the 700 and the Warn winches. The winch sticks out farther than the factory set-up though.

 

I went to the dealer today, the person at the parts counter said you have to buy the winch as a package to get the mounting bracket. I told him that was unacceptable, actually I told him he was full of something, if you get my drift. So he looked in the computer, I think he just banged on the keyboard. He said nope comes as a kit. So, being me, I did my homework before talking to this joker and said look up this Polaris part #2874099. He says that is a winch mounting kit, okay now lets get that part ordered and send this crap in my hand back. He was at a loss for words, all I heard was yes sir.

Thanks to this board I was able to do my homework. Of course I'm sure not all dealers are like this.