Winch wiring questions/thoughts ...

[gwhalin]

Starting to research how I plan on wiring in a winch this spring. Been reading a lot and wanted to see if any folks here who have installed winches have approached this.

1. Grounding - Lots of debate on where to ground the winch. Seems like the consensus for a high draw device like a winch is directly to the battery and not to the frame or other ground point. Nearly every winch install manual I have read specifies grounding directly to the negative post on the battery. I know our trucks have a BMS and that Ford recommends not grounding directly to the negative post, but I am skeptical that it is a good idea to run that much draw through the BMS. And I suspect the limited and occasional use of a winch bypassing the BMS (grounded directly to negative) wouldn't really confuse the system that much and if so, only temporarily. At this point, I am leaning towards directly grounding the winch to the negative terminal.

2. Battery disconnect - I like the idea of using a spare AUX switch as a battery disconnect to the winch so it isn't hot all the time. Seems like this could be accomplished with the use of a relay/solenoid switch, assuming I could find one that can handle high load. Does anyone have any experience or recommendations on a setup like this?

Still early in this research/planning, and would definitely appreciate hearing how others have handled this.

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[JetEngr19]

Warn makes a kit to disconnect the battery using a solenoid. I’ve used it and it works well.

https://www.warn.com/power-interrupt-kit-62132

 

[gwhalin]

Warn makes a kit to disconnect the battery using a solenoid. I’ve used it and it works well.

https://www.warn.com/power-interrupt-kit-62132

Yep, I found that in my googlling around and ordered it.

 

[burchs]

Have you come up with a plan on this yet? I'm curious as well as I'll be attempting to install a winch as soon as shrockworks gets me my bumper. I have the warn power interrupt kit as well.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

I'd love to see what you've come up with. Right now, I am wired directly to the battery (+/-) but would like to add a cutoff to the power side. I'd been thinking about a breaker that I can trip when I want to disconnect the winch from the battery.

 

[deleriumtremor]

My Rubicon's winch was wired directly to the negative post. Definitely you want a power interrupt. If you want it to be push button disconnect, the solenoid approach is a good way. You can buy an inline switch that is crimp/soldered to the hot wire coming from the battery to the winch. They make them that are twist to open and close, pretty simple. Depending on how frequently you use the winch, it is a pretty cost effective way to go, but you do end up opening the hood each time you want to use the winch.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

My Rubicon's winch was wired directly to the negative post. Definitely you want a power interrupt. If you want it to be push button disconnect, the solenoid approach is a good way. You can buy an inline switch that is crimp/soldered to the hot wire coming from the battery to the winch. They make them that are twist to open and close, pretty simple. Depending on how frequently you use the winch, it is a pretty cost effective way to go, but you do end up opening the hood each time you want to use the winch.

My control box is under the hood, so... I have to open the hood anyways. lol. I am just trying to protect my battery.

Do you have a link to the twist style you're talking about?

 

[deleriumtremor]

My control box is under the hood, so... I have to open the hood anyways. lol. I am just trying to protect my battery.

Do you have a link to the twist style you're talking about?

I couldn't remember where I got it (tried the usual suspects like Grainger and McMaster-Carr with no luck), but when I was banging around, found a couple of twist style on Amazon that would actually be easier than what I had, which required a cut and crimps in the cable.

https://www.amazon.com/Ampper-Batte...d_wg=RddKv&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mr_hp_atf_m&th=1

 

[gwhalin]

The warn solution would work but I ended up not using and just wiring directly to the battery. Finding space under the hood to mount the warn switch was something I gave up on for another day.

 

[Fawnbuster]

The wiring on my 1st and only winch was wired wrong, so I divorced her ??

 

[9zero1790]

My control box is under the hood, so... I have to open the hood anyways. lol. I am just trying to protect my battery.

Do you have a link to the twist style you're talking about?

hood up is a good winching habit anyway so its a win win.

 

[9zero1790]

My control box is under the hood, so... I have to open the hood anyways. lol. I am just trying to protect my battery.

Do you have a link to the twist style you're talking about?

i would love to see where / how you put the control box under the hood. I need to mount my winch soon and im trying to brainstorm where to put everything.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

i would love to see where / how you put the control box under the hood. I need to mount my winch soon and im trying to brainstorm where to put everything.

Ill get some pictures later tonight.

 

[Colo_Ranger]

Here is my setup. The control box is mounted where the intake inlet used to be. I have the Mishimoto snorkel, so that came out. You could mount it the same way, but in front of the battery. That's where I have my ARB compressor mounted. The bracket is just a 1/8" steel that I cut down. I am probably going to remake it a bit cleaner. Right now, its surface rusting because I never pained it. This was a proof of concept, so... I think I can do a better design and then paint it.

 

[9zero1790]

Here is my setup. The control box is mounted where the intake inlet used to be. I have the Mishimoto snorkel, so that came out. You could mount it the same way, but in front of the battery. That's where I have my ARB compressor mounted. The bracket is just a 1/8" steel that I cut down. I am probably going to remake it a bit cleaner. Right now, its surface rusting because I never pained it. This was a proof of concept, so... I think I can do a better design and then paint it.

awesome thank you so much for getting the pics for me! I already have the space in front of my battery used up lol. I may have to dig around more.

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