Winch wiring?

Red90

Well-known member
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.

Sorry, did you have a ground wire going to the battery before and then changed to the frame? If so, the wire was too small.
 

Napalm00

Technical Excellence Contributor
I use 2/0 wind/solar panel wire from windynation to do installs. It has a EPDM jacket and is very flexible. my 12k winch on my truck uses two home runs to the battery and a forlift charging connector at the winch side to disconnect it from the battery.

Using this connector i can also jump and receive jumps from other cars without going into the battery box.
 

rlynch356

Well-known member
Mine is grounded to the frame and battery... never gets hot unless I?m abusing the crap out of it with a Spanish burton rig.

I ran spots of heater hose, anywhere the positive can rub. Basically followed the frame rail to the battery box.

Use 2/0 cable.
 

66rover99

Well-known member
Gents, a cautionary tail... Do not mount your wires on the inside of the frame rail. Top is fine, over the wheelwell is great. Do not take your positive power from at the starter, connect all the way back to the battery.

A few years back we took a few friends through the local "Jeep Trail" which has a rather nasty mud hole at the very top. One of the guys with an NAS D90 with 35s pushed his way through the centre of the hole only to hear crackling and have smoke coming out from under him. A 3" log had pushed up from the muck and lodged itself between the frame and the positive cable, forcing it onto the hot V8 exhaust and immediately melting the insulation and grounding the positive to the downpipe. Needless to say he put it in park, vacated his kids, and we waded in with a 1/2" wrench determined to yank one of the leads off the battery and avoid a fire or worse.

That was successful, however he was still seriously stuck, and whoever had installed the winch had wired winch power from the starter rather than back to the battery, so we could not just disconnect the winch positive under the drivers seat. The result was as dead pull with no wheels turning out of a muddy pit before we could get it on stable enough ground to get underneath and disconnect it properly.
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
Gents, a cautionary tail... Do not mount your wires on the inside of the frame rail. Top is fine, over the wheelwell is great. Do not take your positive power from at the starter, connect all the way back to the battery.

A few years back we took a few friends through the local "Jeep Trail" which has a rather nasty mud hole at the very top. One of the guys with an NAS D90 with 35s pushed his way through the centre of the hole only to hear crackling and have smoke coming out from under him. A 3" log had pushed up from the muck and lodged itself between the frame and the positive cable, forcing it onto the hot V8 exhaust and immediately melting the insulation and grounding the positive to the downpipe. Needless to say he put it in park, vacated his kids, and we waded in with a 1/2" wrench determined to yank one of the leads off the battery and avoid a fire or worse.

That was successful, however he was still seriously stuck, and whoever had installed the winch had wired winch power from the starter rather than back to the battery, so we could not just disconnect the winch positive under the drivers seat. The result was as dead pull with no wheels turning out of a muddy pit before we could get it on stable enough ground to get underneath and disconnect it properly.

IMO, the only way to set up a truck with a winch is a battery cutoff switch on the seatbox which switces all vehicle ground. In an instant like you describe a quick flip and threat eliminated.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
IMO, the only way to set up a truck with a winch is a battery cutoff switch on the seatbox which switces all vehicle ground. In an instant like you describe a quick flip and threat eliminated.


Which, by the way, I'm going to do. My original question assumed this as a matter of fact.


I plan on using a 3-way switch so that I can have the battery OFF, ON, or ON with WINCH.
 

Napalm00

Technical Excellence Contributor
Epdm is what radiator hoses are made from ? They hold up fine.

The doc is interesting but in my real world exp they have been flawless. Mind you my truck is pretty spotless without any oil or fuel leaks
 

MountainD

Technical Excellence Contributor
My statement is sound. And the doc is arbitrary—anyone can search on oil and gas resistance of EPDM and come to same conclusion. I’m sure your trucks are spotless—I’ve followed both your work and advice many times and you work is amazing— not a personal affront I assure you. But it softens EPDM before it degrades it visibly so if it goes over a sharp edge, the resistance to jacket wear is greatly reduced and if you wear through a winch cable it could very well start a fire as most are not fused or disconnected. So just a thought for others when selecting a cable or any under hood wiring— make sure the jackets are rated/appropriate for auto chemicals like oil and gas.

Btw, silicone hoses like my radiator hose is awful around oil and gas— worse than rubber ones. But it is a different safety margin as they are never hidden from inspection nor carrying 600A. So I get what you are saying in theory.
 

O2batsea

Well-known member
While I have no dog in this fight, it's my practice to use tinned copper cable for battery feed. I buy the marine-grade stuff from my bud at Genuindealz.com. It's top quality. He will do custom lengths and put the lugs and the mil-spec heavy duty heat shrink on the ends for you for cheap. Or you can buy the parts and do your own.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Normally, I'd shy away from any web site trying to sell me something by starting out using "genuine" and "deals" spelled with a "z", but I'll take a look!

This is what I think of. No really, this is a local shop that has been putting these commercials on air for the last 30 years... https://youtu.be/whrQtw8Lfbs
 

BarryO

Well-known member
IMO, the only way to set up a truck with a winch is a battery cutoff switch on the seatbox which switces all vehicle ground. In an instant like you describe a quick flip and threat eliminated.
Which, by the way, I'm going to do. My original question assumed this as a matter of fact.


I plan on using a 3-way switch so that I can have the battery OFF, ON, or ON with WINCH.

You can't selectively switch different loads with ground switching at the battery. The winch is going to be connected to ground through the chassis and thus to the battery through the engine/chassis grounding, no matter what switching you do with the winch ground cable at the battery.

Selective switching like this needs to be done on the positive leads. I'm planning on doing this, using this switch.
3002 (1).jpg
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Yes. Switch is sitting on top of the winch right now. ...as it has been for the last three years...
 

MountainD

Technical Excellence Contributor
While I have no dog in this fight, it's my practice to use tinned copper cable for battery feed. I buy the marine-grade stuff from my bud at Genuindealz.com. It's top quality. He will do custom lengths and put the lugs and the mil-spec heavy duty heat shrink on the ends for you for cheap. Or you can buy the parts and do your own.

Trust me, there is no fight. You forgot an e in your link—should be https://www.genuinedealz.com — I’ll check it out, thanks!!!
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
You can't selectively switch different loads with ground switching at the battery. The winch is going to be connected to ground through the chassis and thus to the battery through the engine/chassis grounding, no matter what switching you do with the winch ground cable at the battery.

View attachment 6806

By switching the battery negative post you diconnect all vehicle ground and turn everything on the entire truck off with the flip of the switch.
 

Uncle Douglas

Well-known member
Callsign: delete
While I have no dog in this fight, it's my practice to use tinned copper cable for battery feed. I buy the marine-grade stuff from my bud at Genuindealz.com. It's top quality. He will do custom lengths and put the lugs and the mil-spec heavy duty heat shrink on the ends for you for cheap. Or you can buy the parts and do your own.

Nice link Bill !
 

Roverman2010

Well-known member
I got all my winch wiring/ battery cabling from genuinedealz.com. Done a a dozen last year for folk. So hey Bill how asking your bud for a defendersoucre discount?
 

BarryO

Well-known member
By switching the battery negative post you diconnect all vehicle ground and turn everything on the entire truck off with the flip of the switch.

Sure. But that's not what he says he wants to do. He wishes to either turn off everything, or turn on everything but the winch, or turn on everything including the winch. 'can't do that via switching on the ground side.
 
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