D4 towing winch any good for 7U?

Why would the hyster D4 winch Manual specifically say that it is not recommended for installation so 6U or 7U? I have read on a post somewhere that it would install ok. Maybe the rear end casting isn’t strong enough or something like that? I found a D4 winch with a LeTOURNEAU HN CCU for sale with the idea of putting the winch on my 1957 7U. Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

they did produce one 4 the u series though. i saw a flyer somewhere. cant tell you what model winch was used though.

The D4 winch will fit. The later model D4N winch will fit better though. If I had to guess, I would say it was not recommended because the controls interfere a bit with the 6U/7U seat, especially if you have a seat tank. The gear selector on the D4 winch sits a bit higher than it does on the D4N so you have to raise the seat up by about 3". Also, the brake lever doesn't stick out as far as it does on the D4N, not quit clearing the seat.

That being said, there are plenty of 7Us around with D4 winches.

This is from memory, I have a D4 Hyster winch and the reinforcements that bolt underneath the fenders so the rear casing doesnt get damaged. The Hyster catalog that is in the club library does not show the reinforcements but the Hyster manual that came with this winch (WW2 era) shows the reinforcements and gives Hyster part numbers. I think that it was Old Magnet that said that the rear ends were beefed up sometime in the U series but didnt say what serial number would be the stronger version.

Interesting point is that the fenders on my 6U are thicker than the reinforcement brackets that came with the winch. The fenders on my dads RD4 are much thinner than the newer D4s.

Something else I read on this forum is that the brake on the Hyster D4N winch is a big improvement. I hope my memory is accurate. Grant.