Quote Originally Posted by 85cj7 View Post
Even with a fairlead I would not run the winch line like that down to your recovery hook. See how the wire is tight against the front edge of the bumper. You brush that against a tree/rock or rub your nose on the ground when coming off a steep incline and you are looking at replacing your brand new winch wire before you ever used it.

Hope you have better luck with the Smittybuilt then JB did. I know there price tags are enticing but that reflects on their quality.
The first batch (I.e. mine and JB's) were good winches but the had issues with the sideplate and situation knob. I think smitty has done some major quality control and is now making truly excellent stuff. Shop back home says they have more warns coming in for warranty work than smitty's, which is pretty impressive.