winch connection info

[10navst]

In january I installed a ridge ryder 9500lb winch and I put a resettable fuse link on the main positive. All good so I thought. Last weekend I decided to freespool out the cable and rewind it in, 1. Because I heard that occasionally you should use the winch to make sure it's operational for when you need it in an emergency and 2. Just because I wanted to use it...

Well, it tripped the resettable fuse winding it back in. Was about halfway winding when it tripped. Reset the fuse and kept going. Tripped again before I got it all back in. My question is, if it trips without load winding in there's a damn good chance it'll trip with load but even quicker yes? The fuse is rated at 120 amps... Maybe it's not even necessary to have the fuse at all! Does anyone here have circuit protection on their winches?

Thanks in advances.

 

[04SilverSTR]

for some reason they dont run fuses on winches, must be because of the high current draw, same as your starter motor.

i out a isolation switch in so the winch is off all the time, just turn it on when i go offroad.

bryan

 

[camo.b]

It wouldnt be uncommon for a winch (under load) to use over 400amps....id remove the 120amp one...if your using the cable and fittings that was provided with the winch it will be fine without a fuse.

 

[Old.Tony]

As above - no fuse needed, just make sure the wiring is secure, and use a heavy duty kill switch close to the battery so that even if something goes wrong (say in a water crossing or through dense bush) the cables can snag, short but not cause a problem.

120A is drastically short on current - as said, 400A is not unheard of in a full-load pull.

 

[10navst]

Thanks guys, I'll pull out the fuse and put in an isolation switch instead...

 

[BravoBrad]

Under full load most winchs pull 450-600 amps. Personally I wouldnt even bother with a switch due to the loads involved.

 

[Old.Tony]

Under full load most winchs pull 450-600 amps. Personally I wouldnt even bother with a switch due to the loads involved.

Vandals started using winches to destroy cars some years ago, and you can read more about it on patrol4x4 and 4wdaction forums. It means that the risk to protect your investment is yours alone and for the cost of a $20 switch (give or take a few $) I'd rather the peace of mind.

You are absolutely right - and we shouldn't have to - but if you go near a big city (particularly Melbourne, it seems) you should disable your winch somehow.

 

[10navst]

Vandals started using winches to destroy cars some years ago, and you can read more about it on patrol4x4 and 4wdaction forums. It means that the risk to protect your investment is yours alone and for the cost of a $20 switch (give or take a few $) I'd rather the peace of mind.

You are absolutely right - and we shouldn't have to - but if you go near a big city (particularly Melbourne, it seems) you should disable your winch somehow.

Thats exactly why I opted for the resettable fuse in the first place... I can manually turn it off and leave it that way until I hit the dirt. So I thought anyway, the logic was right but the math was out by a little!

 

[BravoBrad]

I've always had the opinion that.... (and this is only an opinion, not trying to start an argument)

Insurance covers the assssholes

Extra parts only increase the chance of a failure. (after all, does Mr Warn supply you a switch with your winch?)

 

[Old.Tony]

You're 100% right there, on both counts, but I think it's funny how my insurer says "the agreed value is now $x" (some figure much lower than last year).

Agreed value? That's BS. I didn't agree to that!

 

[rastik86]

As always good points brought up by everyone.

Personally I'd go with a switch to isolate the winch for reason stated above and so its in the cabin, easily identifiable and easy to turn on/off at your convenience.

Fuses are designed so that the fuse link will withstand the rated current draw plus start up/spikes within a calculated range so that a massive spike will kill it straight away, whereas if you are (theoretically) if winding your winch without load is drawing 122A (example not literally) it's going to take a little bit to heat up and trip, hence you started winding then tripped, reset wind trip.

Cost of fuse for full load curret of winch I'm guessing will be quite severe, a resetable one probably fetch quite a pretty penny compared to your $20-$25 isolating switch with a nice pretty picture on it. Plus you csn go all out and wire in another pretty picture switch to wind in/out.

Also, keep in mind the idea of switching/isolating the winch is to switch the power to the relay coils, not the power to the winch motor itself.

But hey, I'm a sparky and wiring things up above and beyond necessary is a work related compulsion! Up to you how you do it dude, it's your gear, coin and time!

 

[Old.Tony]

I actually isolate the 0-gauge wire feeding power to the winch. 500A switch hanging about 5cm off the battery works a treat - have used the winch quite a few times now (more for pulling trees out of the ground than vehicle rescue but it's still being used!) and I"ve had zero problems with the setup.

If I could get a 500A or 600A relay I'd switch it from inside the cabin, but at the moment I have to pop the bonnet, take a special key, turn the switch then close the bonnet again. Oh for a relay that large! I guess I could put 4 relays of 150A together, but then I'd be starting to take up a lot of room.

 

[10navst]

So the battery isolators are roughly rated at 500A are they? That sould do the trick... either way you'll be getting out of your vehicle if bogged to insert winch controller so I may as well pop the bonnet when airing down and switch winch on ready for use then turn off again when airing up.

 

[rastik86]

Apologies I did mean solenoids, not relays. I had a Warn hi mount on my Patrol. The socket for the supplied Warn remote was under the bonnet so it was away "honest" vandals. I used diagrams similar to these ones to wire cabin isolator and control switches.

Was offering a cheaper alternative to high current isolating switch for the battery power to the winch motor.

Just trying to give back to the place that's given me so much information and advice.

 

[rastik86]

Only one image uploaded previous post

Edit: Part of the idea of the in cabin control switch in/out is so you can get someone else to run your winch out for you. Saves you getting muddy

 

[Old.Tony]

Ahh, now that's a good idea, especially if you secure the control box completely. That makes it impossible for casual vandals to do any harm, and dead simple for operating without having to remember to pack the remote control!

 

[TigerST]

I likw my set up. Winch box is hidden in the engine bay. So all they can do is unwined my winch.

 

[Rob7]

Don't know if this is a silly question or not, but I am about to install the same winch with an isolator switch and just wanting to know what wire you connect the isolator switch to. Cheers

 

[Old.Tony]

If you're talking about isolating the main battery power from the winch, you put the isolator into the cable that goes to the battery.

 

[Rob7]

Yeah I want to be able to turn the winch on and off. If there is one wire running to the negative terminal and another wire running to the positive which one should I connect it to. Thanks for the quick response