winch questions
12-11-2011, 12:05 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
winch questions
i have a few questions about wiring up and powering a 12k lb electric winch. i have a 93 f150 5.0L 4x4. i have f250 springs up front and am putting load leveling shocks up front before i put the winch on.
first question is i just got a ton of wire from work, from 12 to 10 guage wire. is that going to be a heavy enough wire you wire a winch in with?
2nd should i run dual batteries, upgrade my alt (90 amp 3g alt right now) or both? i also have 2 sets of offroad lights in my bumper. 55w.
3rd. im assuming soldering the connections and then using shrink wrap will be the best connections, but do you guys have any other suggestions?
i would prefer the wiring be as low maint and safe from brush as possible. im also going to fab a skid plate to cover from my bumper to front cross member to add some protection too. thanks guys for the advice and tips!!
first question is i just got a ton of wire from work, from 12 to 10 guage wire. is that going to be a heavy enough wire you wire a winch in with?
2nd should i run dual batteries, upgrade my alt (90 amp 3g alt right now) or both? i also have 2 sets of offroad lights in my bumper. 55w.
3rd. im assuming soldering the connections and then using shrink wrap will be the best connections, but do you guys have any other suggestions?
i would prefer the wiring be as low maint and safe from brush as possible. im also going to fab a skid plate to cover from my bumper to front cross member to add some protection too. thanks guys for the advice and tips!!
12-11-2011, 12:41 AM
#2
Your new winch should come with the necessary battery connector cables and cables from the control unit to the motor. It will also have a remote control unit that connects up to it at the plug. You can further add a wireless unit to allow you more freedom. Your first decision though is to buy a good winch mounting. Are you going to go with a trailer mount at the rear. It only takes longer cables or another battery. This big winch will take a lot of amps, the 1000 cca battery should be enough to use it once or twice at a time. A front bumper designed for the winch is a great, tough but expensive addition to a working truck. Add a winch and you change your truck. You change what you do. Remember this winch weighs 100 lbs and the mounting bumper or receiver can weigh another 150 lbs. You have to have a hardy design 1/4" steel receiver hooked solidly into the frame or you will break your truck. ****** under a bridge and hoist it up under it.
Last edited by papa tiger; 12-11-2011 at 12:58 AM.
12-11-2011, 01:59 AM
#3
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Your new winch should come with the necessary battery connector cables and cables from the control unit to the motor. It will also have a remote control unit that connects up to it at the plug. You can further add a wireless unit to allow you more freedom. Your first decision though is to buy a good winch mounting. Are you going to go with a trailer mount at the rear. It only takes longer cables or another battery. This big winch will take a lot of amps, the 1000 cca battery should be enough to use it once or twice at a time. A front bumper designed for the winch is a great, tough but expensive addition to a working truck. Add a winch and you change your truck. You change what you do. Remember this winch weighs 100 lbs and the mounting bumper or receiver can weigh another 150 lbs. You have to have a hardy design 1/4" steel receiver hooked solidly into the frame or you will break your truck. ****** under a bridge and hoist it up under it.
i was planning on getting a bigger battery so that will be nice too
i have a hitch receiver on the rear, but was only going to mount the winch up front. i have a winch bumper already and when i drop the bumper to mount the winch i was going to double check/ replace the bolts with grade 8 ones. and yeah the extra weight up front is kinda why im using load leveling shocks up front too. i dont mind a stiff ride and i like knowing my truck can and will go where ever i want it to.
the mount i was going to fab up is going to use 2x2 square steel tubing. i was also going to weld a plate to it to stiffen it a little more. its going to be a learning experience no matter what though since i've never mounted one before.
12-12-2011, 08:16 AM
#4
i was planning on getting a bigger battery so that will be nice too
i have a hitch receiver on the rear, but was only going to mount the winch up front. i have a winch bumper already and when i drop the bumper to mount the winch i was going to double check/ replace the bolts with grade 8 ones. and yeah the extra weight up front is kinda why im using load leveling shocks up front too. i dont mind a stiff ride and i like knowing my truck can and will go where ever i want it to.
the mount i was going to fab up is going to use 2x2 square steel tubing. i was also going to weld a plate to it to stiffen it a little more. its going to be a learning experience no matter what though since i've never mounted one before.
i have a hitch receiver on the rear, but was only going to mount the winch up front. i have a winch bumper already and when i drop the bumper to mount the winch i was going to double check/ replace the bolts with grade 8 ones. and yeah the extra weight up front is kinda why im using load leveling shocks up front too. i dont mind a stiff ride and i like knowing my truck can and will go where ever i want it to.
the mount i was going to fab up is going to use 2x2 square steel tubing. i was also going to weld a plate to it to stiffen it a little more. its going to be a learning experience no matter what though since i've never mounted one before.
The 1/4 inch plate would standardize the motor/winch mounting. Straight pull back to the middle of the frame with bolts and spacers mounted and lower brackets bolted to the bottom of frame as winch will pull the bumper down toward the ground under heavy load, keeping side load to the minimum straight pull. Slots on the plate are ok, just for alighnment and not ovaled out. The normal front bumper mounts to the frame just aren't anywhere the strength needed for the winch pull and are designed for impact more or less. The trick to getting nuts inside the frame channel is to stick welding rod to them and bend the rod so you can hold them and start the bolts from the bottom. It's a finess game of touch and patience but can be willed to be done. If your bumper has these you will find it a Bitch to get off and back on. Be prepared to spend the day and another day and possibly another. LOL experience pays but the checkbook answers.
Last edited by papa tiger; 12-12-2011 at 08:28 AM.