Most winches show up with a bag of soft, under-spec bolts that look fine on the showroom floor and start looking questionable after a few seasons of mud, salt, and real pulls. I got tired of that long ago. Every Schwarttzy Hidden Winch Mount ships with a complete, properly specified hardware kit so you’re not left sorting through the junk that came in the winch box.
Why Carriage Bolts Matter
A square-neck carriage bolt locks itself into the hole. You can tighten the nut from one side without the head spinning, the rounded head sits cleaner against the frame, and the whole assembly stays put under load. Regular hex bolts require you to hold both ends or risk the head turning. For a mount that has to handle an 8,000–12,000 lb winch on a 5,000+ lb truck, the difference is real. That’s why the kit uses Grade 5 square-neck carriage bolts instead of the usual shortcut.
The Winch Mounting Screws
Winch manufacturers almost always include cheap plated fasteners. I replace them with McMaster-Carr Zinc Yellow-Chromate Plated Grade 8 Steel Flanged Hex Head Screws (3/8″-16 × 1-1/2″ full thread).
- Grade 8 strength
- Flange that spreads the load properly
- Yellow-chromate plating that holds up better against moisture and road salt than the plain zinc or mystery coating that ships with most winches
These are the fasteners that actually hold the winch to the mount.
Complete Hardware List
Everything needed to mount the Hidden Winch Mount to the H3/H3T frame and to secure the winch itself:
- 2 × Grade 5 Steel Square-Neck Carriage Bolt, Medium-Strength, Zinc-Plated, 5/8″-11 × 4-1/2″ Long
- 2 × Grade 5 Steel Square-Neck Carriage Bolt, Medium-Strength, Zinc-Plated, 3/4″-10 × 5″ Long
- 2 × Zinc-Yellow-Chromate Plated Steel Washer (for 5/8″), 0.661″ ID × 1.342″ OD
- 2 × Zinc Yellow-Chromate Plated SAE Grade 8 Steel Washer (for 3/4″), 0.812″ ID × 1.469″ OD
- 2 × Medium-Strength Steel Nylon-Insert Flange Locknut, Grade F, Zinc-Plated, 5/8″-11
- 2 × Medium-Strength Steel Nylon-Insert Flange Locknut, Grade F, Zinc-Plated, 3/4″-10
- 2 × Medium-Strength Steel Nylon-Insert Locknut, Zinc Yellow-Chromate Plated, M8 × 1.25 mm
- 4 × Zinc Yellow-Chromate Plated Grade 8 Steel Screw, Flanged Hex Head, 3/8″-16 × 1-1/2″ Long, Full Thread
- 4 × Medium-Strength Steel Square Nut, Grade 5, Zinc-Plated, 3/8″-16
- 2 × Schwarttzy.com stickers
All of it is included with the mount. No hunting for hardware, no upgrading later, no second-guessing what came in the box with the winch.
This is the same kit that goes with every Hidden Winch Mount. Practical parts that don’t become the weak link.
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