winch help

[digglesworth]

So since I'm getting the Thorparts bumpers tomorrow, I gotta start learning about winches. How they work, how they're hooked up, etc... I want synthetic rope vs cable. Wired or wireless, doesn't matter. I was looking at the X2O gen2 wireless 10k with syn rope and aluminum fairlead.....

 

[poweraidon]

I'm interested in this as well


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[USMC_TOP]

I like my synth rope a lot better than the cable. Looks like a nice one! I have always had Warn and never had one fail.

 

[ReconH3]

Synthetic rope makes it much safer. Wireless remote makes life easier when you're by yourself. You can still use conventional wired controller once you have added the wireless, so you get best of both worlds.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

 

[Highatop]

Becareful on your choice of winches w/ the Thor bumper. I went w/ Warns lastest an greatest, Zion 8/S. I still haven't used it yet but, It is tall w/ the control pack on top. W/ the new bumper it is recessed back some. So I had to notch my grille about an inch an a half to fit it. No big deal. If I was readin some of your other post correctly, you got a body lift. This should not matter if, you do you lift first. W/ the Zion and the control pack on top. They say you will save about 20% of power when in use.
I think also, I posted pics here over a year ago. At that time also they had a deal w/ recovery gear free when you buy it. I also went w/ the 8/S instead of the 10 cause w/ the block I got w/it, I double my load I can winch.

 

[Highatop]

Thought they were alittle bit better pics to see. This one might help...

 

[Chocflip201]

Synthetic vs steel just depends on what your use is. If you're going to be in the rocks with high abrasion or sharp edges, synthetic will cut a lot easier than steel. If you're going to be in areas with a lot of mud, the sand and small aggregates will get inside the synthetic cable and wear it from the inside out. If you're going to be in areas of below freezing temperatures, when the synthetic line gets wet it will freeze into a solid worthless chunk. Synthetic lines aren't great at heat or UV resistance. A higher-end synthetic line will have UV protection to help it from sun rot.

But if you are not in those circumstances than synthetic is definitely safer than steel. When it breaks it doesn't pack lethal force. But, the same cautions and practice should be used for both lines.

For me- steel makes much better sense.

 

[Best4x4]

I prefer steel cable to line. UV is a big issue and I've seen line here in TX not even last a year... If u use proper winching safety cable vs line shouldn't be an issue. Line is lighter, but I prefer longer life to weight.

Wireless remotes are great, but when you're out in the middle of nowhere and the battery is dead it's useless. You should always carry a wired remote IMHO. Also with a winch I'd highly recommend a deep cycle battery if you plan on winching a lot. It can handle the drain better vs a standard battery.

I'm a Warn guy, but the newer winches from Smittybilt look good for the $$$.

 

[poweraidon]

Have any of you guys tried the ebay winches? I've read nothing but good reviews about them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[digglesworth]

The smittybilt is where I think I'm gonna send my money to... It comes with a cover so that should cut down on uv exposure. I'm thinking I'll get the odyssey agm battery with the dual terminals so i can wire in the winch. That may be a little bit though. I'll probably just use my current battery for the time being. A backup remote may be in order but a few extra batteries will most definitely be in the trail kit.

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

I'll take saving my life over saving a cable's life. Synthetic rope and be sure to either cover the winch or build it in like I've done with mine. I also think wireless remote is the only way to go. I have a XRC by Smittybilt - I added a wireless controller to it.

 

[cgalpha08]

I vote synthetic. Safer (I guess), also Its lighter then cable, which is a plus for the h3, an already heavy vehicle

 

[Best4x4]

All you have to do with the cable is place a blanket or ARB Cable Mat over it during winching. "If" it snaps the kinetic energy will just let the cable drop to the ground if covered properly. Like I said it's all about safety. Sure the synthetic line will just fall to the ground, but if the line is damaged in anyway and lets say your life is on the line, your family, a friend, or someone else is you want it to work without crossing your fingers that the UV, rocks, mud, and heat from your engine haven't destroyed your line when you need it most. I like knowing my recovery gear is good to go vs guessing.

I've seen several attempted recoveries while in a Jeep Club where the owner never even used the winch. Got the line out which was damaged by heat, UV, and it snapped as soon as the load was placed on it. Also cheaper synthetic lines will sometimes melt to the winch drum causing the line to be toast, and you're stuck with a mess on your winch drum...

I have the Warn Wireless setup on my M8000, and it works great, but I will never not carry the wired remote. You could drop the wireless remote in the mud and it could be lost for good. With a wired remote you don't have to worry about that or batteries.

The Diehard Platinum battery is actually made by Odyssey if I'm not mistaken and cheaper (that's what I use). I used to use Optima Yellow Top's until they started being made in Mexico.....

 

[SuperBuickGuy]

All you have to do with the cable is place a blanket or ARB Cable Mat over it during winching. "If" it snaps the kinetic energy will just let the cable drop to the ground if covered properly. Like I said it's all about safety. Sure the synthetic line will just fall to the ground, but if the line is damaged in anyway and lets say your life is on the line, your family, a friend, or someone else is you want it to work without crossing your fingers that the UV, rocks, mud, and heat from your engine haven't destroyed your line when you need it most. I like knowing my recovery gear is good to go vs guessing.

I've seen several attempted recoveries while in a Jeep Club where the owner never even used the winch. Got the line out which was damaged by heat, UV, and it snapped as soon as the load was placed on it. Also cheaper synthetic lines will sometimes melt to the winch drum causing the line to be toast, and you're stuck with a mess on your winch drum...

I have the Warn Wireless setup on my M8000, and it works great, but I will never not carry the wired remote. You could drop the wireless remote in the mud and it could be lost for good. With a wired remote you don't have to worry about that or batteries.

The Diehard Platinum battery is actually made by Odyssey if I'm not mistaken and cheaper (that's what I use). I used to use Optima Yellow Top's until they started being made in Mexico.....

I totally get why you say what you say, and think the debate will rage well beyond our lifetimes (and my opinion comes from having both). I'm in the Pacific NW, and while rocks can be an issue, we simply run the line over something less abrasive (like a bit of wood) and life's good. Cables, on the other hand, can and will get kinked and crossed on the spool thus creating a weak-spot in the line where it can break. In any case, having a well-maintained winch is key to avoiding all of those issues. My winch gets used at least once a month (both winches, I should say), and I've yet to have a cable failure on either of them (they're both a couple years old). Also, I was at the Overland rally this weekend, and talking to a seller of composite winch cables - and the latest thing is a sheath over the line that does the work to protect it and defeat UV issues.

as for wireless, the original, corded cable, is wrapped in its original packaging inside each vehicle.... drop in the mud? hmmmm, plastic floats, the case is sealed and I'm out of the danger zone if something bad happens..

 

[mantracker]

Everyone has their own personal preference. I have a Warn 9000XD mounted to a DOI bumper, Viking synthetic line with safety thimble,and plug in remote. I've had this set-up for 4 or 5 years with no issues. I try to pull out the line and rewind the spool about 3 to 4 times a year. I also have dual batteries, which I think, is a must.

 

[Best4x4]

My Warn remote doesn't float with a landyard on it. It slid off my hood once into the muddy water. I found it eventually, but she sank like the Titanic. Yep line vs cable is a never ending debate for sure. My experience with line was $$$ and it only lasted me 1-2 months tops. I had a Warn 9000XD and yep I used it a decent amount out on a club event being on the support team. After it was over the last two rows of line had melted to the drum. The 9000XD does have a fast line speed, but $329.00 for the line and then zero warranty sucked! Put the OEM cable on it and got 4 years of service out of that cable before I sold the Jeep/Winch.

Whenever I use my cable I spool it up, and once home I unspool it. I wash it off with water to remove mud, dirt, and small gravel. Then I spray the cable down with WD40. After that I wipe the cable down inspecting it for frays, rust, and kinks. Then I spool it back up under load so it's spooled up properly. Takes maybe 10-15min but it'll make your cable last a long time and you'll have no issues using it.

 

[digglesworth]

What is the typical size of the power cable to the battery? Are there any adapters that I can use to give me an extra spot to attach the cable? I have stinger terminals. A 4/8awg for the negative and a 4/4/8 for the positive. I can move the 4/4/8 to the negative to give me an open 4 slot but I can't seem to find a terminal with 4/4/4/8 configuration. I think I the holes are big enough to where I can stack the 2 existing cables in one hole and free up a 4awg hole in the positive terminal. That means I just need to buy another 4/4/8 terminal. Ideally I wanna buy a dual terminal battery to attach the winch cables to the front and my existing setup on the top. But I gotta save up some more money because I've spent almost 3k on my truck in the last couple weeks.

 

[Best4x4]

All the winches I've ever seen have gauge #2 wire from the internal/external solenoid box out to the battery. On both my Warn winches I had plenty of cable to go from the winch to battery. On my H3 I'm just connected to the OEM cable leads. I'm pretty sure #4 gauge isn't enough for the length and amount of AMP's the winch will draw.

Also some dual post/terminal batteries aren't designed to have high amp applications attached to the aux post. Optima's for example can't handle the load from a winch on the side post. Saw plenty of good batteries die an early death due to that. The Diehard Platinum/Marine and the odyssey can though.

 

[digglesworth]

Thanks. The terminals I have claim to be 4awg but seems like the holes are larger than that. I'm not sure what size the H3 positive cables are but I have them in their own 4awg holes and there's still plenty of room in the hole. The set screes are screwed in a good bit to secure the cable tight (which is why I think I can double up the H3 cables under one lug).

Best4x4.... Do you have a model # for the die-hard you're using? I wanna compare pricing to the odyssey one.

 

[Best4x4]

I'm using the Marine Diehard Platinum. It's for RV/boat/car & truck use. It's a size 34M and it'a normally 229.00 but I think it's on sale online for 183.00. Great battery and it fits in our lower battery box with just a minor tweak to some plastic fins at the bottom of the box.

 

[digglesworth]

Does it have dual posts on the top or how's it configured?

 

[Best4x4]

It's got your normal battery post and then two threaded post for auxiliary powered equipment.

 

[digglesworth]

That's the setup I'm looking for.