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How's your winch wired? #616236 06/19/05 03:03 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 97
tinytrooper Offline OP
Getting the Wheeling Fever
How have you wired your winch... Mostly interested in the positive terminal side... Most say straight to the batt but this creates one hell of a load for the stock charging system, resulting in blown main links... thanks

Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: tinytrooper] #616237 06/19/05 07:11 AM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 9,030
randii Offline
4x4Wire.com Managing Editor Emeritus
Wire straight to the battery -- BOTH terminals (I'm not a fan of grounding the winch just to the frame -- you want the connection to be as direct as possible, with as low a resistance as possible.

During a heavy pull, you'll take all of the juice that your alternator can deliver and then the battery will provide the balance. If you connect the stock harness and the winch harness to the same post, you'll be certain of not overloading the stock wiring and fuses. A double-terminal battery makes this easier...

Randii


Randy Burleson
4x4Wire Managing Editor Emeritus
Mongrel Isuzu Amigo
Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: randii] #616238 06/19/05 09:54 AM
Anonymous
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Re: How's your winch wired? #616239 06/20/05 01:38 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 97
tinytrooper Offline OP
Getting the Wheeling Fever
hmmm well i have seen several that were straight wired and they had no problem...have seen some that were straight and blew main fuse links...

Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: tinytrooper] #616240 06/20/05 04:42 AM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 9,030
randii Offline
4x4Wire.com Managing Editor Emeritus
Quote
hmmm well i have seen several that were straight wired and they had no problem...have seen some that were straight and blew main fuse links...
Gotta be miswired... a fuse in an adjacent circuit should be unaffected by surges in that adjacent circuit. Electricity follows the path of least resistance, and thick cables between the winch motor and battery should be that path...

Randii

Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: randii] #616241 06/21/05 02:48 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 97
tinytrooper Offline OP
Getting the Wheeling Fever
Yes i understand this... It seems that the winch puts too much load on the charging system there for blowing the main fuse link...The master link causing the hole truck to lose power...I'm wondering do some require dual battery setup or some sort of way to relieve the strain on the charging system...thanks for the replys...

Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: tinytrooper] #616242 06/21/05 04:54 AM
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,656
M
matthew Offline
Body Damage is Cool
Warn HS9500i hooked straight to the red top Optima...both of which i have owned for at least 5 years...............

trouble free to date with a ton of pulls.


'93 RS 3.2L - DD/trail build
'97 7.3L Powerstroke - tow rig
'71 FJ40 - V-8, nv4500, atlas, D60, 14B - current build

Owner: http://www.INDEPENDENT4x.com

m-f 9am-6pm EST. 804-550-0480
Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: tinytrooper] #616243 06/21/05 07:19 AM
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 9,030
randii Offline
4x4Wire.com Managing Editor Emeritus
Quote
It seems that the winch puts too much load on the charging system there for blowing the main fuse link...The master link causing the hole truck to lose power...

Unless the alternator has been uprated or the master fuse downgraded, this shouldn't happen -- engineers set the fuse size base on the maximum capacity of the alternator. When the alternator makes its maximum, that's all there is to give from the wiring harness side of the master link... if the winch demands more power, it extracts it from the battery post, not the wiring harness or master link.

Randii

Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: randii] #616244 06/23/05 01:20 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 97
tinytrooper Offline OP
Getting the Wheeling Fever
alright then what about the battery...what amp. does it need to have in order to handle the extra load...seems the stock batt doesnt cut it. thanks for the replys

Re: How's your winch wired? [Re: tinytrooper] #616245 06/23/05 01:49 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 184
90amigo Offline
Wheeler
To the side posts on my red top opt. batt.
No problem yet.

Quote
How have you wired your winch... Mostly interested in the positive terminal side... Most say straight to the batt but this creates one hell of a load for the stock charging system, resulting in blown main links... thanks


90 Amigo,Front 10 bolt with powertrax locker,Rear Dana 44 with Detroit Locker at 5:38.1 R&Ps,Pro Comp MT's 33x12.5 on 15x8 black Rockcrawlers,with a 3" suspension lift.Pro Comp steering Stabilizer.Warn M8000 winch in a ARB bullbar.
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