Hickey Sidewinder Winch Installation

[uncletom]

I also have a sidewinder. I originally had it on my '74 Blazer. I mounted it to a 3"x2 1/2" angle iron on the front that spans between the frame (at the front)and a z shape bracket from the frame crossmember to under the winch(at the rear). I extended the bumper mounts 1 1/2". The winch has a skid plate that mounted to the licence plate holes on the Blazer and bolts to the bottom of the winch. I shortened it to bolt under the bumper.
Be sure to check the lube in the gearcase. Mine always leaked. I took it apart once a year to fill it. The worm gear has worn quite a bit from not having enough lube. Pulled my Blazer from some awful mud holes!
Vic Hickey hung a Blazer from a tree for his advertizing.

 

[ntsqd]

Yeah, I wish that I could remember all of the details of the hanging of that K5 in the tree as told to me by John Thawley, who was there when they did it. The only part that stands out is that the K5 didn't belong to them. It was a Loaner from GM intended for John to use in taking the picture that eventually become the front cover of "The Off-Road Handbook". Yes I know it isn't Thawley's by-line on that book. Contractual obligations forced him to write it under a nom de plum. Say the listed author's fast enough and often enough and you'll get the joke. Same "author" also wrote a book on modifying Datsun 510's.

Anyway, they had to hurriedly get another truck to pull back on the K5's rear (lower?) bumper as they started to drop it back down out of the tree. Going up it was fine, coming down it wanted to sit on the bumper and then flop on its lid. Also had a bit of an oil mess to deal with...

 

[DirtDonk]

Great story and one of my two favorite ads from back then. One was the Blazer-in-a-tree, and the other was Warn's full-size Cherokee on a ledge trail.
I used to drool all over the Hickey catalog. We had a 4wd shop here in Sunnyvale (Jim's 4wd maybe?) that was literally the Hickey catalog in a showroom! Had a K5 (looked like THE K5 in fact), usually one or two other rigs fully outfitted from the catalog, and every other part from the catalog showcased around the showroom.
I never bothered to ask if they were affiliated somehow, or just a well-liked distributor of the parts.

Paul

 

[ntsqd]

Hickey Ent. footnote, their old building is now occupied by an air cooled VW parts place; https://www.airheadparts.com/

Grew up in the same town. Didn't know who they were until they were nearly gone & didn't know they were here until long after they were gone. Kinda sad how it all unraveled at the end.

 

[bmc69]

I used to drool all over the Hickey catalog.

Same here. I remember back in the late 70s and throughout the 80s when I couldn't wait for the latest Hickey, Cepek and Giddemup Scout catalogs. Rancho too...

I was all Scout back then. ;D