Winch mounting/wiring question

[msweb]

I now have my Warn 9500HS mounted in a cradle so I can use it in the front or rear of the Bronco. Specs say @ 9500lbs of pull it's pulling 425 Amps I doubt I'd ever actually have to use the winch to pull that much weight but I don't want to go smaller than I should when I run the cable.

What is the minimum size cable I can use to run to the back of the truck and since it's coming directly off the battery, how in the world do I fuse it?

I've seen the Warn quick connect kit (http://www.warn.com/truck/mounting-systems/quick_connect_kit.shtml) but don't understand it. The plugs they use are only rated at 175 Amps? What is the "power interrupt kit"? The thing that looks like a solinoid? ?:?

Also - Warn says the ground cable must be connected directly to the negative terminal on the battery. Why can't I just bolt the ground to the frame and save from having to buy another 15-20' of cable? I also plan on having the hook-ups on my F150. If I need to go as big as 2/0 cable, the $$$ is gonna add up quick!

 

[surveyor5]

I have a Warn at the rear of my F150. I came with 12 feet of negative & positive #2 cable. I see no problem using the frame for the negative.

 

[msweb]

I have a Warn at the rear of my F150. I came with 12 feet of negative & positive #2 cable. I see no problem using the frame for the negative.

Only 12'? Short bed and standard cab? Mine is a extended cab w/6' bed and I was figuring it'd need more than that by the time I went down to the fram and then back.

 

[Broncobowsher]

No fuse for the winch. Fuse is to protect the wiring. Properly sized wiring and it will handle all the current you can pull from the battery and still not hurt it.
If you use the frame as a ground path, make sure you run a ground from the negative of the battery to the frame. Generally the frame is not grounded much. The only eletrical load on the ground is the gas gauge sending unit (Motor and trans sit on rubber mounts, body sits on rubber mounts, nothing eletrical is really attached to the frame).

I went looking for wire gauge specs. From what I can tell the winch should have a factory 4-gauge wire for it. Due to the extended wire run length upsizing a gauge would be good. 2-gauge will be fine. 4-gauge will probably be fine for 95% of the time but a little extra for those few hard pulls isn't bad. I always like to upsize wire a gauge above what it needs. I would be more then happy with 2-gauge for this application

 

[surveyor5]

Ok, so I didn't measure the cable. I did coil up the excess & cable tie it the front inner fenderwell. Main point was - it is #2.

 

[COBlu77]

I used 2 GA and grounded it to the frame. I also have my battery grounded to the frame with 2 ga. I did it this way on my EB and on my Super Crew F150. Local battery supplier Hensley Battery recommended and sold me the the 2 ga and all the connectors. I haven't had to use it on the rear yet, but I'm sure I will.

 

[blackbeauty]

I now have my Warn 9500HS mounted in a cradle so I can use it in the front or rear of the Bronco. Specs say @ 9500lbs of pull it's pulling 425 Amps I doubt I'd ever actually have to use the winch to pull that much weight but I don't want to go smaller than I should when I run the cable.

What is the minimum size cable I can use to run to the back of the truck and since it's coming directly off the battery, how in the world do I fuse it?

I've seen the Warn quick connect kit (http://www.warn.com/truck/mounting-systems/quick_connect_kit.shtml) but don't understand it. The plugs they use are only rated at 175 Amps? What is the "power interrupt kit"? The thing that looks like a solinoid? ?:?

Also - Warn says the ground cable must be connected directly to the negative terminal on the battery. Why can't I just bolt the ground to the frame and save from having to buy another 15-20' of cable? I also plan on having the hook-ups on my F150. If I need to go as big as 2/0 cable, the $$$ is gonna add up quick!

That rating should be with 1 layer of cable on the winch spool. See what the rating on the winch is when all of the cable is still on the spool?
I think if you are going to use the frame as the ground...use the biggest gauge and the shortest length of wire you can use...would work the best.
As for running lengths of wire, I was told that for every 10 feet of DC wiring, it should step down a guage to make up for the resistance in the wire.

 

[Pa PITT]

We just rigged one up for our hunting trip in N Mexico ..We wanted it for the front and rear both ..SO in order to beat the price of buying cable I had 3 extra sets of jumper cables from store closing I used to do ...We picked the best set . Cut off the clamps and add eyelets ..Our no. worked when we need it ..

 

[Steve83]

If you use the frame, be sure to grind it shiny where the ring terminals will touch, and apply an electrical (NOT dielectric) grease to slow corrosion.

 

[msweb]

We just rigged one up for our hunting trip in N Mexico ..We wanted it for the front and rear both ..SO in order to beat the price of buying cable I had 3 extra sets of jumper cables from store closing I used to do ...We picked the best set . Cut off the clamps and add eyelets ..Our no. worked when we need it ..

I hadn't thought about using jumper cables but I was considering welding cable... You saying yours didn't work when you needed it?

Thanks for all the other replies. I think I'm going to go with grounding the battery to the frame and then grounding the rear hook-up to the frame. When I do, I'll make sure everything is clean and protected.

I'll look into the # of wraps of cable on the spool. I'm planning on calling Warn to ask about the 175 amp plugs and the purpose of the additional solenoid. That one still has me stumped....

 

[73stallion]

i'd imagine it's 425 amp draw at full load.

 

[msweb]

i'd imagine it's 425 amp draw at full load.

As usual, you would be correct!

12V DC PERFORMANCE SPECS
Line Pull Lbs.(Kgs.) Line Speed FT./min(M/min.) Motor Current Pull by layer layer/Lbs(Kgs.)

0 62(18.9) 47 amps 1/9500(4313)
2000(910) 16.3(4.97) 160 amps 2/8650(3927)
4000(1810) 11.8(3.60) 230 amps 3/7920(3595)
6000(2720) 9.31(2.84) 305 amps 4/7400(3359)
8000(3630) 7.59(2.31) 370 amps 5/6940(3150)
9500(4310) 6.67(2.03) 425 amps

 

[blackbeauty]

Yes, 9500 is full load with 1 layer. With 5 layers the winch is at full load with only 6940.