I'm thinking the cables would be better protected running inside the rig under carpet versus zip tied underneath. Survey says? Thanks.
rear winch power cables...in cabin or under rig?
- Thread starter whereischadjones
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
Loom them and run them back along the frame. If you wanted to... P clamps or adel clamps and self tappers would be a good idea.
I ran mine outside along the frame and held them in place with rubber P-clamps.
Also connected the main power to a large solenoid under the hood, so the winch(s) and Anderson connector for the jumper cables only see power when I flip a switch under the dash.
Also connected the main power to a large solenoid under the hood, so the winch(s) and Anderson connector for the jumper cables only see power when I flip a switch under the dash.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks, guys. 98 Snake Eater, I was reading your build and was planning on using something similar...but smaller. You have two electric winches plus your jumper Anderson connector hooked up to that solenoid if I recall. You do great work!
If you were to run them underside, I'd make sure to use split loom, and a load of p-clamps, zipties only where it supplemented keeping the cable sucked TIGHT.
But really the safest way would be to keep as much of the run in the cab, both for protection & as mentioned, you could have a junction in a quarterpanel, then from there route out through a hole you use a good rubber grommet so as not to chafe the cable or even loom over time on a sharp metal edge where you drilled a hole.
I'd want a fuse/switch/ring-terminal & wingnut- close to the battery, one I could EASILY access to pull & only install / energize when I wanted to use it if I were to run the cable fully the underside of the body. That way the line was only 'hot' when needed. One stray stick or such poked up, a good rock or whatever could really mess up the works, not to mention replacement cable time & lack of use if needed.
If it were my 80 & my project, it would travel to the rear inside the cabin, and even then I'd have it secured the route it took, not just laid under the carpet - at a minimum in my 80 positive would have split loom where feet contact that section(s), and some of the zipties that have a loop head you can either use existing hardware to secure to (I avoid self-tappers, good for stereo shops, not for long term owners)-or ziptie that loop to something. As a guard for foot traffic those soundproofing sheets cut into ~6" wide strips & laid over cable in split loom are good, and it isn't dead permanent, you can still gain access (did this in a car I remote mounted the battery in the trunk) and the carpet just tapers laid over those sheets.
-Main point being a pack of ~20 loophead zipties would be in my install kit. They're just useful, once you get some you'll start finding all sorts of uses.
Something else to consider is if you have a CB antenna mounted out back anywhere, you need to keep that power cord as far away from that antenna line for interference.
If this is just for a rear winch & nothing more, I'd not even have it hardwired permanently - I'd just have one of those pigtail sockets (Blue Sea makes one, same thing some use as the socket to their jumpercables) -with a fuse wired in the battery area, and pre-plan a route to lay the winch line (you'd need to extend lines obviously, if this idea seems viable for you) -through the cab & maybe out a rear slider window on down to the receiver area (guessing you are talking a temp receiver mount winch setup, maybe even a receiver mount up front?)
Bonus of that socket is to make a set of jumper cables with socket 1 end / clamps on the other - nobody can walk with your cables if you help them out. 2-fer-1 use out of that socket.
@NLXTACY has a socket like I'm talking IIRC - does the jumper cable thing off his. Maybe he can chime in & either confirm or LYK I'm smoking some good stuff?!?
But then again, I tend to the train of thought that "anything worth doing is worth overdoing". Just no bare bones under-guaged cable, 10 zipties & no fuse routing it undercarriage!
But really the safest way would be to keep as much of the run in the cab, both for protection & as mentioned, you could have a junction in a quarterpanel, then from there route out through a hole you use a good rubber grommet so as not to chafe the cable or even loom over time on a sharp metal edge where you drilled a hole.
I'd want a fuse/switch/ring-terminal & wingnut- close to the battery, one I could EASILY access to pull & only install / energize when I wanted to use it if I were to run the cable fully the underside of the body. That way the line was only 'hot' when needed. One stray stick or such poked up, a good rock or whatever could really mess up the works, not to mention replacement cable time & lack of use if needed.
If it were my 80 & my project, it would travel to the rear inside the cabin, and even then I'd have it secured the route it took, not just laid under the carpet - at a minimum in my 80 positive would have split loom where feet contact that section(s), and some of the zipties that have a loop head you can either use existing hardware to secure to (I avoid self-tappers, good for stereo shops, not for long term owners)-or ziptie that loop to something. As a guard for foot traffic those soundproofing sheets cut into ~6" wide strips & laid over cable in split loom are good, and it isn't dead permanent, you can still gain access (did this in a car I remote mounted the battery in the trunk) and the carpet just tapers laid over those sheets.
-Main point being a pack of ~20 loophead zipties would be in my install kit. They're just useful, once you get some you'll start finding all sorts of uses.
Something else to consider is if you have a CB antenna mounted out back anywhere, you need to keep that power cord as far away from that antenna line for interference.
If this is just for a rear winch & nothing more, I'd not even have it hardwired permanently - I'd just have one of those pigtail sockets (Blue Sea makes one, same thing some use as the socket to their jumpercables) -with a fuse wired in the battery area, and pre-plan a route to lay the winch line (you'd need to extend lines obviously, if this idea seems viable for you) -through the cab & maybe out a rear slider window on down to the receiver area (guessing you are talking a temp receiver mount winch setup, maybe even a receiver mount up front?)
Bonus of that socket is to make a set of jumper cables with socket 1 end / clamps on the other - nobody can walk with your cables if you help them out. 2-fer-1 use out of that socket.
@NLXTACY has a socket like I'm talking IIRC - does the jumper cable thing off his. Maybe he can chime in & either confirm or LYK I'm smoking some good stuff?!?
But then again, I tend to the train of thought that "anything worth doing is worth overdoing". Just no bare bones under-guaged cable, 10 zipties & no fuse routing it undercarriage!
Last edited:
Without a doubt... Under the truck. I can't imagine trying to cleanly enter the cab with such a huge wire only to have it go right back out again. If you're paranoid put it in some flexible conduit or if your cheap, a old garden hose.
Overdoing or complicating the hell out of?
I'm with that cable dude, under the truck. Loom. P clamps and zipties. Avoid sharp things.
Running two lengths of 2/0 cable through a cabin would not be easy. If you're not using 2/0 you need to be.
I'm with that cable dude, under the truck. Loom. P clamps and zipties. Avoid sharp things.
Running two lengths of 2/0 cable through a cabin would not be easy. If you're not using 2/0 you need to be.
Run the cables inside the frame keeping them away from harms way. I ran rear winch power on my 60 this way for 10 years.
so it's open all the way down? that's interesting...
Yes I have personally use the frame channel on 60, 80, and 100 series for wiring.
I get my way isn't everyone's way - I just have a lifelong buddy who runs a local stereo store & so I've seen & heard every possible wonky or awesome thing people have "taken upon themselves".
I stick by the idea that if this is for a rear winch, that isn't permanently mounted - if there's no need for power back there all the time, the socket & having ~25' of power cord coiled & stored then temp laid for winch use would be smartest.
If we're talking a permanently mounted rear winch, or running a power block / keeping a fridge/compressor/whatever then having it hardwired is part of conversation.
Like Cable Dude said, we're talking some /0 guage lines, not just the far easier ~8 guage or whatever.
I have rear-remote mounted a battery, and also owned stock BMW's with rear batteries - they route that cable inside the cabin.
When you see some of the installs of _____ equip & how it eventually ages / weathered - I come back to the method BMW used.
The OP should chime in, the bottom line being slightly more than a fistfull of zipties is the way I'd want mine done if undercarriage permanently mounting is what he decides on.
The garden hose is a good idea, that beats split-loom - and not knocking Phil's way - any guy who is going to chassis mount this line right prob isn't going to ask on the forum, he has either got experience or Darwin will win!
I stick by the idea that if this is for a rear winch, that isn't permanently mounted - if there's no need for power back there all the time, the socket & having ~25' of power cord coiled & stored then temp laid for winch use would be smartest.
If we're talking a permanently mounted rear winch, or running a power block / keeping a fridge/compressor/whatever then having it hardwired is part of conversation.
Like Cable Dude said, we're talking some /0 guage lines, not just the far easier ~8 guage or whatever.
I have rear-remote mounted a battery, and also owned stock BMW's with rear batteries - they route that cable inside the cabin.
When you see some of the installs of _____ equip & how it eventually ages / weathered - I come back to the method BMW used.
The OP should chime in, the bottom line being slightly more than a fistfull of zipties is the way I'd want mine done if undercarriage permanently mounting is what he decides on.
The garden hose is a good idea, that beats split-loom - and not knocking Phil's way - any guy who is going to chassis mount this line right prob isn't going to ask on the forum, he has either got experience or Darwin will win!
I had a rear winch on an old pickup, I ran the wires on the outside and I'm glad I did because I ended up wrecking it and the winch got power and started a fire. Yes I should've fused it but I'd rather have a fire on the outside then inside. Plus I didn't want to run 1/0 in through the cab.
That's gonna take a big ass fuse to not pop with whatever draw the winch is going to pull. I had a rear mount battery in my old Honda. Had the starter on a circuit breaker. A winch doing any real work is gonna be a hell of a amp load.
I like @LINUS idea with the temp cables. Hook them up only when needed. You could use them for jumper cables too.
^this is the right way to do it. Anderson Plugs and make it simple and dual purpose.
For routing, nothing wrong with routing 1/0 in-cab and it's a very safe way to do so. Second would be INSIDE the frame as Phil mentioned because that is where most of the protection comes in. The only thing that could make running it interesting is packed mud. Been thru that. Mounting on the outside of the frame is so dangerous. I'd never recommend it.
As for fusing the winch...um I hope no one has done that or was recommended to do that. Fuse would be massive.
I took the easy approach. I found the heaviest guage jumper cables I could track down and then cut off the last 12" of it. The cables were 20ft if I remember correctly. I did zero wiring for the rear mounted winch. I added the quick release bull dog winch plug to the positive and negative leads on the winch. I then added the same plug at the end of the 19' section of jumper cable. I also added another plug at the 1' piece of jumper cable I originally cut off. I then plug the two ends of the jumper cable back together so I again had a 20ft functional jumper cable with a bull dog quick connect 19' down the line. I kept that in the back and used it as my jumper cables. When I needed my rear winch I unplugged the 1' piece of jumper cable and then plugged the 19ft section into the winch (which now had the same plug). I then popped the hood and plugged in my jumper cable. Ran a winch like that for multiple years without issue. I would carefully close the hood enough so I could clearly see what was going on around me during winching. Not sure if this is a terrible or great idea. I had not seen it done before but it always worked for me and gave me a functional winch and functional jumper cables with one set of wires. The cables even came in a nice little carrying bag.
Lmao, yeah not sure. Thought I read someone mention fusing it.
With a fuse? Like, a "fuse" fuse?!
I've seen high amp circuit breakers used with success, works until it doesn't. But it should be a 500A+ solenoid or perko type switch.
- Thread starter
- #20
I appreciate all the input. My kids and I will be searching for a dual battery, junction box, solenoid disconnect and non-fused solution for our application. The only problem with the junction box idea is that the winch would have to be energized at all times or anything off the junction box would not work. Or, install a solenoid disconnect after/behind the junction box and before the winch. If I use this set up, will the use of the winch somehow adversely affect anything running off the junction box when the winch is drawing alot of power?