Winch wiring?

Jeff B

Well-known member
I've wired up winches on RRcs and Discos but not a Defender.

What's the best routing to get to the battery?

Anything special to watch out for?

The winch is a Superwinch.


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javelinadave

Administrator
Staff member
If I recall correctly it requires 15' of wire. I sleeved the positive with heater hose and ran it over the top of the left inner wheel well to avoid any exhaust heat. I got 00 cable from a welding supply shop. Very flexible and easy to run.
 

chris snell

Administrator
Callsign: NW5W
Staff member
I used an old trick that came, I think, from Pendy. I put my cables in a sleeve of heater hose and ran them forward out of the battery box, over the outrigger, up over the wheel well (used a stainless steel omega clamp from McMaster to hold them in place on the well) and under the breakfast to the winch.

This pic is of my old truck but it's the same on the new truck:

 

Jeff B

Well-known member
Thanks.

I used welding wire last time when I did the Classic.

I will definitely sleeve the + wire.
Also, leave it disconnected 90% of the time except for occasional mall rides...


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chris snell

Administrator
Callsign: NW5W
Staff member
Also, the Superwinch stock winch power cables are just a little too short to do the job properly. I ended up making my own so that I would have enough slack to do a nice routing job.
 

Red90

Well-known member
Use big wire. 2/0 is a good choice. The long runs need it. You loose pulling power if you undersize the wires. I also like running a ground wire back as well to avoid pushing high currents through the vehicle.
 

jymmiejamz

Founding Member
Callsign: KN4JHI
I think I routed mine along the passenger side frame rail then along the bulkhead. I ordered 11ft. I think most people say you need 11.5ft. I used welding cable. My only complaint is the cable ends I got are really big.
 

lithium1330

Technical Excellence Contributor
Callsign: KM6FDG
I bought two 15' of 2/0 welding cables off eBay.
I ran both + &. - from winch contactor on RH of the ARB bumper, to under the radiator, then left and up along to behind the horn and the wheel well cover, down the cover near the brake booster, along on top side of the frame rail, then to the battery.
I covered the + with those high temp corrugated plastic wire loom. Double wrap at certain rub-prone spots. Zip tie so cables don't move.
End to end, 13.5 feet used for each.
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
yep the welder cable in heater hose conduit idea is fully credited to Jim Pendleton.
been doing em that way since 2005
 

meatblanket

Well-known member
I bought 11' of 1/0 cable and had some left over when I was done. Went from battery box along the top of the left side frame rail instead of over the wheel well.
 

Jeff B

Well-known member
You guys didnt run BOTH cables in the heater hose, did you?
Just the + ?


I havent exactly figured where I'm going to mount the control/solenoid box.
It will be out front close to the winch, though.

So 27' of cable sounds like enough.



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RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Am I wrong, or should the winch be grounded to the frame?


I have a 6000lbs Warn on the Series, and noticed that it was getting hot when I ran it this summer. I decided to put the ground to the frame, and it made the on/off, and overall operation sort of smooth out. It runs faster, and cooler, and the odd problem I was having with my turn signals (which I think is ground related) almost completely went away.
 
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