Link Belt Capstan Winch

Did you mean 640807? not 507?

I don´t know if this is of interest, but here is a pic of the label of a NOS Link Belt winch head I bought from Belgium.

Edited by Roger B - 11 Dec. 2010 at 10:27am

If you do a search for "fairlead" you can find a  number of discussions about which is correct, "2 bolt" or "4 bolt"

Here are a few:
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/capstan-winch_topic8405.html?KW=fairlead
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/capstan-winch-fairlead_topic8775.html?KW=fairlead
http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/capstan-winch_topic8405_post64663.html#64663

Hi Fred,

Hi Jeff and Roger:

Thanks for the links to the 2 vs. 4 hole discussions.  I was searching under "roller guide" not "fairlead" so didn't come up with much. OK, I now see where 2 vs. 4 refers to only to the sometimes hard-to-see number of holes, not bolts,  I assume 2 vs. 4 refers only to the visible mounting bolts on the front of each bracket  on the front bumper and excludes the hard-to-see single mounting bolt on the back side of each bracket that attaches it to the winch mounting plate.    

Here's a photo from an undated but at least 1947 JEEP Equipment Book for County Agents.  The latest revision date on the page showing the 1947 CJ-2A specs is 8-15-47, but its a loose leaf book so that page could be later than the page on which the photo below appears.  Nevertheless, the stamped parking lights tell us its a 1947 CJ-2A jeep with the 4 bolt 2 hole (cant' clearly see 4 holes with all that black paint) roller guide brackets:



So this photo likely supports the conclusion the 4 bolt 4 hole roller guide brackets are not strictly mostly a WW II military part.   They were used by the factory through 1947.

The 1945 and 1947 CJ-2A Parts List, and the 1949 CJ-2A/CJ-3A Parts List, all show the same 4 bolts are used to mount the 2 roller guide brackets to the bumper: 4 hex head 3/8-24 X 1-3/4" [corrected in 1949 to 3/8-24 X 1-1/4"] having WO part #  53141.  This suggests the 4 hole brackets were used on the CJ-2A through 1949.  only tells us the number of bolts used, not the number of holes in each mounting bracket. The two brackets kept their 640812 and 640816 part numbers throughout the 1940s whether they had 2 or 4 holes drilled in them.  Could the 2 hole brackets be later (perhaps aftermarket) parts? 

As for the military use of the Braden J-2 and Link Belt capstan winches, ORD 8 SNL G-503 dated August 1951 lists both winches.  The Braden J-2 is G503-7375826 (A-9215) and the Link Belt is G503-7520297 (WO-640807).  The books says to issue the Braden until stock is exhausted, then use the Link Belt.  So both capstan winches could have been in the military parts system during the early 1950s.  I imagine the Bradens were left-over WW II stock.   I did not find the roller rope guides listed so could not count the number of mounting bolts.   Enjoy!


Edited by Fred Coldwell - 11 Dec. 2010 at 5:20pm

OK, I finally see the difference between the 2 hole and 4 hole brackets.  These are the number of holes on the front of the L and R brackets as shown on Gary's blue print .  I imagine only 2 holes of the 4 holes were ever used to mount the bracket to a front bumper.  But 2 sets of horizontal holes at different heights were provided for mounting the bracket on either a MB or a GPW.  Because of its lower "C" channel front cross member, the GPW had to have the winch mounting plate mounted lower than did the MB.  The GPW probably used the lower set of holes.  The MB probably used the higher set of holes (unless the installer used one high and one low hole on each side, as visible in one photo).  But in either case only 2 bolts were used on the front of each roller guide bracket (L or R) to mount that bracket to the bumper.  Therefore, the "military" brackets had 4 holes on their front whereas later brackets issued only for use on the CJ-2A had just 2 holes on its front.  The clouds have parted and sky is finally clear! 


Edited by Fred Coldwell - 11 Dec. 2010 at 5:04pm

more pictures here.

http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/capstan-winch_topic14777.html

http://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/winch-rope-roller-fair-lead_topic5661.html

Hello , thanks for accepted . I Have a Willys MB with link belt capstan winch, the rope roller have four holes  i'm frint bumper and cast numbers 640807. I AM from Argentina. 

https://www.thecj2apage.com/forums/forum-how-tos_forum59.html