8274 Winch - Wire Rope choice...

[Texas CJ7]

I picked up a used Warn 8274 this evening that I plan on cleaning up and throwing on the front of the CJ. Looks to be in very good condition for being a few months short of 32 years old; the gentleman I bought it from says it has been sitting in a cabinet in his dad’s shed since some time in ’87 (and it does look like it).

So, on to the question I have and have not found a satisfactory answer too through various google searching… what type of wire rope should I get for it? I am leaning toward 5/16” - 7x19 galvanized Aircraft cable mostly because that is what I am used to using at work (thickest I use there is ¼”) as it has a good combination of strength and flexibility. I have come across a few pre-swaged cables claiming to be for the winch called out as “Aircraft Cable”, but no other specifics… not even the origin of the cable. Anyone have an opinion on what would be a good choice? 7x19, 6x19 IWRC, 6x37 IWRC, 19x7 (rotation resistant)?

I know some may simply say to just get synthetic and don’t worry but I have no desire to spend 4x the cost on something that will get damaged far easier than steel cable and do know the dangers of wire rope.

I am planning to eventually purchase the wire rope through a local rigging supplier that mainly services the heavy lifting companies around town named Union Sling; I figure that I should be able to beat the online prices (vs. pre-swaged) and I know what country the cable came from.

Thanks in advance for your thoughts,

Tony

 

[wm69]

I've got AMC 150 " of 5/16's on my 8274's. One of them was a Warn cable, but the others I got from an outfit in Oklahoma.

Some people go to 3/8's, but as light as CJ's are I'd rather have the extra length with a smaller cable.

I'm with you on the Synthetic. Steel cable will last indefinately if cared for, synthetic won't, and is much more $$$

 

[Texas CJ7]

WM69, thank you for the response; I am still debating the added strength of going to 3/8" cable.

I am more interested in what strand count, core, and lay others might recommend for this application. The only wire ropes I use on a regular basis are 7x7 GAC 1/16" and 7x19 GAC 1/8" (I rarely have the occasion to use 7x19 GAC 1/4"), they are all used indoors, well under rated capacity, and typically for short runs of use before it makes its way to the dumpster.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[wm69]

WM69, thank you for the response; I am still debating the added strength of going to 3/8" cable.

I am more interested in what strand count, core, and lay others might recommend for this application. The only wire ropes I use on a regular basis are 7x7 GAC 1/16" and 7x19 GAC 1/8" (I rarely have the occasion to use 7x19 GAC 1/4"), they are all used indoors, well under rated capacity, and typically for short runs of use before it makes its way to the dumpster.

Thanks,

Tony

That's above my pay grade, but since you seem to know a lot about cable, I'm guessing there is a drawback to using a cable with more strand count/ perhaps stronger cables are less flexible? (otherwise why wouldn't you just use the strongest 5/16" you could get?)

 

[Texas CJ7]

Hey WM69,

I guess I know enough to have the question but not enough to make a choice due to lack of experience in this application.

Looking in the parts breakdown for the current M8274-50 the wire rope assembly is part number 38311 but am unable to locate a cross reference telling me what type of wire rope this is. I did find a PDF cross referencing various PNs to their specs but this number is missing; there are only three types listed in the chart, either 7x19 GAC or 6x25 EIPS IWRC BRT with 6x26 IEPS IWRC BRT being a substitute for the 6x25. I went ahead and sent Warn an email asking for their opinion on the matter and am interested to see what they have to say.

Is there a benefit of one versus the other? Based on what I know about wire rope, I would think that the 6x24 IWRC would be more susceptible to wear due to friction (smaller outer strands), damage due to crushing (IWRC is more or less a filler core made of wire that does not fill completely), and possibly more likely to birds-nest (again filler core and crushing really); although it should be more flexible than the 7x19 for the same reasons and is rated as being about 750lbs stronger.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Why not call Warn and ask them.
I much prefer the 5/16 OEM Warn cable over the 3/8 due to flexibility the 5/16 has.
HINT-Silicon spray is a good cable lube.
LG

 

[HackFabrication]

Why not call Warn and ask them.

Yeah, what he said.

I wouldn't over think this too much. Unless you've got easy access to free wire cable, go with the Warn 5/16".



BTW, I got my 8274 almost exactly the same way you did. Answered an ad on Craig's List, and there it was sitting in a shed. Ordered in the mid-80's and never used.

 

[Texas CJ7]

Hey guys,

Sorry it took me a while to respond, been out of town for work.

I got a response back from one of the Warn Reps; basically they are taking the safe approach and simply telling me that part number 38311 is what I should purchase. Other than being able to tell me that it is AMC 150 ’ of 5/16” wire rope that meets Federal Specifications for wire rope (either RR-W-410-G or ASTM A1023A) he is unable to be more specific and recommends talking with a rigging supplier if I have a “different application” that I am interested in.

Y’all are probably right; I am probably overthinking the whole thing… I do that sometimes

I figure I should be able to pick up AMC 150 ’ of 5/16” – 7x19 GAC with an eye swaged on one end for around $100 locally, so while not free it is a few bucks cheaper than ordering the warn cable.

Hack, yours is cleaner than the one I found but not by too much; I'll have to get some pictures of it as I'm getting it setup.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[wm69]

Stuff I got from Oklahoma was from this place. Just an alternative depending on what you source locally.

OKoffroad.com Recovery Gear - Winch Cable

 

[Texas CJ7]

Definitely overthought the whole thing…
Stopped by the rigging supply I’ve used for work during lunch today, told them what I was looking for and 7x19 GAC is what they recommend for this purpose.

Thanks for the link wm69, looks pretty comparable to what I picked up in cost and quality (I got out the door for about $92). It is a much better end connection than Warn’s cable… here is a pick of the eye on the new line


While the length was being made talked jeeps for a few with the sales guys (both have wranglers); they told me about a new park that just opened about 2 hours north of us (Arbuckle Off Road Park for anyone in north Texas or southern Oklahoma).

Thanks,

Tony

 

[Texas CJ7]

Went through the winch Thursday night, other than needing to change the oil (it was clean just old) everything else looked impeccable. Yesterday after work I ran power to it to test the operation, perfect.

Today I mounted the winch up on the jeep (along with the bull bar that was on the jeep when I bought it) using the standard Warn mounting plate (part #11310). Two small snags while mounting it up, first I had to remove my bumper because I bent it a few weeks back tagging a tree in a tight turn, second I had to leave the side brackets loose in order to get the mount to drop onto its bolts properly.

I used a Warn power interrupt kit (#62132) along with a Rough Country 7’ quick disconnect (#RS107) to power the winch so that I can remove the winch rather than hauling that weight around everywhere (I may not do this as much as I was thinking due to issue two and the weight of this sucker). Still need to finish running the switch for the interrupter to the dash tomorrow and get a buddy to run the switch while I load the cable; then on to deciding what to do with this bumper situation and pulling the winch off to mount whatever I decide.

Here are a few pictures…




Time to cleanup and find a few beers

Have a good one,

Tony

 

[wm69]

Looks good! I picked up a Jeep SE 8274 a few years ago and rebuilt it. Liked it so much I bought two more for the other CJ's and am selling my XD8000i to a buddy.

 

[duffer]

Yep, 5/16" 7x19 is what's on 90 % of them, works well, and lasts a long time if you take care of it-we are talking decades.

One thing I would do is pop the cover on the winch at take a look-see. Even if they are in a shed, you can get condensation in there and severely pit things up. Also would be a good time to make sure the free spool clutch works like it is supposed to and that someone didn't run it half engaged because it was stuck (which tends to bend teeth).

Just my opinion but congrats on obtaining the best Jeep winch ever made.

 

[Texas CJ7]

I beat the bumper back into shape with a little help from the forklift at work and a BFH and while my dad was in town for Father’s Day convinced him to give me a hand with spooling the wire rope on.

wm69
Thank you. I would like to find one of those SE winches, they just add a little something more than pure functionality… I did come across a regular 8274 a few months back (someone else beat me to buying it) with a build date code of “CJ7 ”, that would have been neat to have too.

duffer
I have no doubt that it will last me a long while, I will probably be more stringent on my level of acceptable wear than a lot of people so we will see how long before I replace.
Took the top off and the drum out to check teeth on the gears and for any corrosion/pitting, everything checked out well. I do notice that re-engaging the clutch can be a bit of a pain, if I rotate the drum slightly while trying it will hit a point and pop right in though.

Thanks,

Tony

 

[wm69]

Look up Joe West over on www.CJ-8.com. He makes a reproduction decal for the 8274/ Jeep SE winch.

Looked EXACTLY like my SE decal, very high quality. Not cheap, but was good enough quality for me to buy two of them. Need to get another one for the 3rd 8274 I have now that the subject is fresh in my mind.

 

[Lumpy Grits]

Double-clutch'n that engagement knob is the norm for the 8274.
Hope you spooled that cable with some good drag on it like pull'n a car etc.
You may want to look into a hand throttle to keep the rpm's up about 1500 or so when pull'n a load with that winch. Your battery and alternator will thank you.
LG