Main cut-off switch for new winch?

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I have a winch on order and I'm currently shopping for install accessories

I want a main cut-off switch that's easily accessible, but one that has a removable key so no one mucks with it

On my Golf Cart, I have one of these little $2 bucks deals from HF

Works great, but it's only rated to handle 100 amps

Anyone know if there's a similar keyed switch rated for 350 amps of more?

The idea is to mount it on top of the front bumper and wired to the ground cable, so I can easily jump the terminals in case the switch craps out on me....

I don't want to mount a switch under the hood because I have limbrisers, which makes opening the hood a pita (especially when stuck in the muck)

Another idea is to use a large relay/solenoid with either a keyed exterior switch or just a standard switch in the interior





Rick

 

[rusty_tlc]

I just hide the winch control. Why do you need a cut off?

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I just hide the winch control. Why do you need a cut off?

I'll be running an OEM style secondary dash switch in conjunction with the main control box under the hood (just in case I need to plug in the handheld remote)

With the kids hitting every button in the rig, I'd feel much safer with a main cut-off switch

 

[Trollhole]

I'll be running an OEM style secondary dash switch in conjunction with the main control box under the hood (just in case I need to plug in the handheld remote)

With the kids hitting every button in the rig, I'd feel much safer with a main cut-off switch

Mount a battery cutoff switch under the hood. Forget the key. One more thing to loose. Better yet get an Anderson 350 connector and just leave it unplugged until you go wheeling. If you bring your kids wheeling with you and they are not old enough not to touch anything then they shouldn't be in the vehicle in the first place. Could also mount it on the bumper and add an connector to a set of jumper cables. Makes jumping your car or other vehicles very easy.

 

[FJ40_owner]

I have a winch on order and I'm currently shopping for install accessories

I want a main cut-off switch that's easily accessible, but one that has a removable key so no one mucks with it

On my Golf Cart, I have one of these little $2 bucks deals from HF

Works great, but it's only rated to handle 100 amps

Anyone know if there's a similar keyed switch rated for 350 amps of more?

The idea is to mount it on top of the front bumper and wired to the ground cable, so I can easily jump the terminals in case the switch craps out on me....

I don't want to mount a switch under the hood because I have limbrisers, which makes opening the hood a pita (especially when stuck in the muck)

Another idea is to use a large relay/solenoid with either a keyed exterior switch or just a standard switch in the interior





Rick

Why not just a simple control relay cut out? Install it in series with your solenoids.

 

[flintknapper]

I have a winch on order and I'm currently shopping for install accessories

I want a main cut-off switch that's easily accessible, but one that has a removable key so no one mucks with it

On my Golf Cart, I have one of these little $2 bucks deals from HF

Works great, but it's only rated to handle 100 amps

Anyone know if there's a similar keyed switch rated for 350 amps of more?

The idea is to mount it on top of the front bumper and wired to the ground cable, so I can easily jump the terminals in case the switch craps out on me....

I don't want to mount a switch under the hood because I have limbrisers, which makes opening the hood a pita (especially when stuck in the muck)

Another idea is to use a large relay/solenoid with either a keyed exterior switch or just a standard switch in the interior





Rick

The rating for that switch is 100 amps "continuous". It will handle much higher amps for shorter periods of time. I have one on my Early Bronco and haven't ever burned it up. I run an 8274 on it and dual batteries.


I use it on the negative cable.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Mount a battery cutoff switch under the hood. Forget the key.

Like I said, I don't want to mount it under the hood because I have limb risers

Better yet get an Anderson 350 connector and just leave it unplugged until you go wheeling.

I love Anderson connectors, however, an open connector on the outside of my rig spells trouble when the local hoodies feel like shorting it out with piece of metal

If you bring your kids wheeling with you and they are not old enough not to touch anything then they shouldn't be in the vehicle in the first place.

Regardless of how old my kids are, would you want an interior winch switch to remain "HOT" at all times on a daily driven truck

Any random person could jump in and say "hmm, I wonder what this button does?"

Why not just a simple control relay cut out? Install it in series with your solenoids.

With the interior switch, I'd still need to wire up a keyed switch to the dash, which will look a little out of place since I want all my switches to have an OEM look

I guess I could do this if I mounted a keyed switch on the bumper, but a keyed main switch makes it much simpler since I'd only need to run 3-wires to the interior switch

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

The rating for that switch is 100 amps "continuous". It will handle much higher amps for shorter periods of time. I have one on my Early Bronco and haven't ever burned it up. I run an 8274 on it and dual batteries.


I use it on the negative cable.

Thanx for the info

HF's site says 100 capacity with a 1000 amp surge, but I was kinda leery about those numbers

Any pix of your setup?

 

[Trollhole]

Like I said, I don't want to mount it under the hood because I have limb risers




I love Anderson connectors, however, an open connector on the outside of my rig spells trouble when the local hoodies feel like shorting it out with piece of metal





Regardless of how old my kids are, would you want an interior winch switch to remain "HOT" at all times on a daily driven truck

Any random person could jump in and say "hmm, I wonder what this button does?"







With the interior switch, I'd still need to wire up a keyed switch to the dash, which will look a little out of place since I want all my switches to have an OEM look

I guess I could do this if I mounted a keyed switch on the bumper, but a keyed main switch makes it much simpler since I'd only need to run 3-wires to the interior switch

I wouldn't have a hot winch switch in the cab. A plug in remote switch with a cord works very well. I've never heard of the switch going bad.

If the local hoodies are smart enough to short out an Anderson connector they are smart enough to put your winch in free spool mode and string it out around a tree and watch you come out and drive off.

Why not just wire the switch to where it is only active with the key on?

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I wouldn't have a hot winch switch in the cab. A plug in remote switch with a cord works very well. I've never heard of the switch going bad.

I'm glad that works for you, but I'd rather have an OEM style switch (just my preference)

If the local hoodies are smart enough to short out an Anderson connector they are smart enough to put your winch in free spool mode and string it out around a tree and watch you come out and drive off.

Just another reason why my winch will be hidden behind the OEM bumper

Why not just wire the switch to where it is only active with the key on?

That will still leave the interior switch "HOT" when I'm not using the winch

On a sidenote, I'm not the only one that drives her, so I need to make it as fool proof as possible

 

[Trollhole]

I'm glad that works for you, but I'd rather have an OEM style switch (just my preference)





Just another reason why my winch will be hidden behind the OEM bumper



That will still leave the interior switch "HOT" when I'm not using the winch

On a sidenote, I'm not the only one that drives her, so I need to make it as fool proof as possible

So if they cannot get to it to put it in free spool mode how will you?

I know Toyota made a winch for the 80. How did that function?

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

So if they cannot get to it to put it in free spool mode how will you?

I know Toyota made a winch for the 80. How did that function?

Through the access hole in the bumper after I remove the screws and plastic vent thingie


Not sure how the OEM winch works

 

[rusty_tlc]

If the kids are in car seats how can they reach the dash? You don't let them ride w/o seat belts do you?

You can use a relay with the control wire tied to an ignition hot voltage so the winch can only be run when the key is in ACC or RUN. That way the rig will be safe if the kids get in when you are not around.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

If the kids are in car seats how can they reach the dash? You don't let them ride w/o seat belts do you?

You can use a relay with the control wire tied to an ignition hot voltage so the winch can only be run when the key is in ACC or RUN. That way the rig will be safe if the kids get in when you are not around.

Only our youngest is in a booster seat, but they all spend quite a bit of time in there watching movies, playing videos games or singing karaoke, so they're not always sitting in the back seats

This is still all besides the point cause it can be ANYONE from the Mrs. to a random driver that touches the interior switch by mistake

That being said, I don't want the interior winch switch to be hot unless I'm actually using the winch

 

[GulfShoresFJ60]

You can use a second switch to cut power to the winch in/out switch. Maybe have your arming switch on the left side of the wheel and have the winch in/out switch on the other side of the wheel. The power switch could have a light to let you know the winch in/out switch was armed. But it could still possibly be turned on and then the winch in/out could be activated.

The only was to make it fool proof in my opinion would be an external arming switch or an even better hidden arming switch.

Just my two cents.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

The only was to make it fool proof in my opinion would be an external arming switch or an even better hidden arming switch.

EXACTLY what I'm hoping to do with a keyed external switch

With the external main switch on my golf cart, the key has to be inserted before the toggle switch on the dash can operate

Also, it would be on the ground cable, so in the event the main switch would fail for any reason (say corrosion), I can still jump the terminals easily without fear of getting zapped

 

[Trollhole]

Only our youngest is in a booster seat, but they all spend quite a bit of time in there watching movies, playing videos games or singing karaoke, so they're not always sitting in the back seats

This is still all besides the point cause it can be ANYONE from the Mrs. to a random driver that touches the interior switch by mistake

That being said, I don't want the interior winch switch to be hot unless I'm actually using the winch

Then mount the switch you have above with the 100 amp rating and just use it to control the power to the switch on the inside.

I've never seen a switch with a key that will hold 350-500 amps.

Try these people. Bulldog Winch Wiring Kits For Winches Quick Connects And Power Wire

Cole Hersee Locking Disconnect Switch, 1,000-amp Maximum Load : JC Whitney: Auto Parts & Accessories

It's just going to need to be a big ass switch and a big hole to mount something that has a switch.

Closest I could find.

m-Series (Mini) Battery Switch Single Circuit ON/OFF - PN 6005 - Blue Sea Systems

 

[hj60]

Put it in the glovebox and lock it.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Then mount the switch you have above with the 100 amp rating and just use it to control the power to the switch on the inside.

Yeah, I might go this route, but I was hoping for a main cable shut-off....

I'm so used to wiring up city buses that a main safety shut-off is the first thing that comes to mind when adding any accessory that isn't fused

 

[Trollhole]

I don't know anyone beside myself who has actually done one. Winches take a lot of amps especially under heavy load. I thought about adding a circuit breaker to it but I couldn't find one in the amperage I needed that was a good quality. Ended up going with a Blue Sea 600 amp switch.

And those limb risers. You might want to move the rear mounts up to the highest bar. The purpose of them is to do two things. Protect your windshield wipers from being ripped off as well as your lights. The way you have it your funneling everything to your lights. They will take a pounding. If you just put them there for looks or small branched I guess they will work fine for that purpose.