what do you need for a winch

[raser13]

all right, kind of a noob question but here it goes. we've had the CJ5 for a few years now and have been using it for mostly light to mid trails. always with someone with us. but we're getting to that point were we want to be more adventurous and sometimes set out on our own. and i think that a winch will help add a little security in doing that. not all the security. but some. here's the question.

what all do i need to add to the jeep to get it ready for the winch?

i'm looking at the harbor freight 12K winch. right now i have a 1000 cca battery under the hood and a 60 chevy alt.

are there any secret things that i need to get besides just the winch? something about a plate for it? do i need a better alt? another battery?

please teach me oh wise ones.

 

[hole]

Mounting plate is about it, dual batteries are nice but not a must.

 

[PaRenegade]

Most winches come with everything you need to hook it up and make it run. But every winch needs a mounting plate because those are vehicle specific. The winch has a standard 4 1/2"x10" bolt pattern on them and the plates have the same hole pattern. So you'd need a winch plate to fit your 5.

As for accessories, you should have a tree strap or even two, a snatch block or two, and several clevises (not to be confused with a D ring which is what they attach to, or a shackle which is what holds your leaf springs). And it is possible to pull yourself backwards with a front mounted winch but you need 3 of the straps and snatch blocks. And keep something like an old heavy coat in the Jeep to drape over the winch line for safety.
A strong battery with a high CCA rating (cold cranking amps) is a must also, along with good solid cable connections. Figure the cables that come with the winch are a minumum (usually 25mm2, which is about a 3.4ga. wire) but a 1 or 2 ga. is even better. If you hook it to the solenoid stud, and the cable from the battery to the stud is only 4 ga. then change that too. A dual battery setup is an upgrade too but not a must.

Good solid tow points on your vehicle are a must also. Tying to a snatch block mounted on a tree, and then back to your vehicle for an anchor will double your pulling power. But if it's not a solid anchor, well.... you know what could happen.

 

[Torxhead]

But if it's not a solid anchor, well.... you know what could happen.

Right, just keep in mind just how much load is on a wire cable if it breaks or comes loose. Along with a tow strap as well. Whenever I am in a rig with a loaded cable or strap nearby, I always keep my head down.

 

[raser13]

don't need to tell me about the dangers of a snapping cable! when i was in the army a buddy got a humvee stuck in the sand. takes a certain type of talent to get one of those stuck! but any how, they brought a wrecker out to yank him out. while it was pulling the cable snapped. luckily didn't hit any one. but it did hit my humvee parked off to the side. cut the kevlar roof and side doors in half just like we tissue paper! if i'd been sitting in it like i was a few minutes before i would have been decapitated. scared the f*ck out of me. also made me a little more religious that day.

as for the plate. on my rig there's a plate of metal between the two frame bars and the grill and front bumper. is that one left over from a PO or is there an extra one i need to get? where do you get them if i need one? would harbor freight have it? or some where else?

 

[PaRenegade]

You'd have to post a pic so we could see what it looks like.
Reminds me of an episode in M.C. Jeep school. (no cable snap though) It combined M151 Mutt's and M880's (Dodge Powerwagon's) together. We had gotten one of the jeeps stuck in a mud hole. Tried to pull it out with an M880 and got that stuck too. An amtrac happened to come by and we flagged him down. He pulled both out with no problem. Those things where nearly unstoppable.

 

[hdgapeach]

What Pa said!!

Harbor Freight just sent me email coupons today for good deals on snatch blocks. Ain't never used theirs, but anything is better than nothing.

HF also has mounting plates and some of the other stuff Pa mentioned.

One thing I didn't see mentioned in any of the posts (or I missed it if it was there); Use quality grade 8 hardware to mount the equipment. Unless you're reckless with your rig, then possibly grade 5 to help keep you from trashing your ride (just depends on how much frame rust you have!!!! ).

Just kidding! Use grade 8 hardware and don't rip your Jeep in half.

 

[raser13]

i never use anything but grade 8 on vehicles. might be overkill in some areas. but better safe than sorry.

 

[Dolf]

A deep-cycle battery would be nice.

 

[hondo]

heres a good thread on winch plates
http://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/f49/need-winch-plate-mount-advice-24008/

i am not a fan of anything harbor freight especially if i am going to trust it to get me unstuck when I'm in the middle of nowhere by myself.

 

[Torxhead]

i am not a fan of anything harbor freight especially if i am going to trust it to get me unstuck when I'm in the middle of nowhere by myself.

That is a good point there,Hondo, it must be Chinese steel, but then my Warn mount probably is also.

 

[gp4play]

This might work for ya, Warn Winch Mounting Plates - JCWhitney

 

[Hedgehog]

Hmmmmm - there's a lot of Chinese steel rolling around the country today, can't be all bad. For the price of the Warn repackaged Chinese steel you could buy 3 from Harbor Freight. One thing about the Warn item, there are extra pieces of angle iron included, I had to fabricate those pieces on my CJ. They only cost a few bucks though.

 

[hondo]

That is a good point there,Hondo, it must be Chinese steel, but then my Warn mount probably is also.

in the first post he says he is also looking at the harbor freight winch
my objection on the hf mounting plate is on principal only. i don't like harbor freight it has its place (cheap tools that i don't mind cutting up) but i prefer to buy higher quality tools if at all possible even if i am going to cut them up, its worth those extra couple bucks to me to not support harbor freight. as for where to get a winch plate other than harbor freight and warn i made mine (pictures in the link i posted) it cost me all of $30 (steel and hardware) and i have a nice pice of steel left over.

 

[duffer]

The most important winch attribute: it must work each and every time you need it or why bother. And no place is that more important than when soloing off-road. Personally, I don't trail a Jeep anywhere without a winch and the winches have always been Warns.

A thought on mounting. I like them set low with the cable running through the bumper. That usually results in a better pull angle, there is less air flow obstruction to the radiator, and if using a roller fairlead, the cable can actually be passed under the Jeep for an occasional reverse pull-without any extra rigging. I have done that more times than I care to mention.

 

[052]

I am in the process of installing a winch on my CJ5 . I was able to get a good deal on a 12,000 lb model that I could not pass up. I am going to go with 3/8 inch plate to make my winch bracket. I had a local steel company cut it and bend it all for me at a cost of under $60. I am going to go with dual batteries. I already have the battery tray installed and I am go to put in a 400continuous amp battery shut off switch in line for the winch. I am also going to upgrade all the battery cables.