Winch Wiring Routing (1 Viewer)

[mod5csi]

I just want to make sure I'm not missing anything.

I am mounting my winch behind the stock bumper, between the frame rails. The contactor will be mounted in front of the USDS battery. This means I have 4 cables to run from the battery area down to the right side frame rail area.

How has everyone else routed their wiring?

The best solution I have found is down from the battery tray, forward from lower radiator support, along the outside of the front body mount, then up and over the left frame rail, behind the winch.

Thoughts?

 

[hammerheadfistpunch]

I would like to know what winch, what plate and how hard it was to get it behind the factory bumper.

 

[mod5csi]

I would like to know what winch, what plate and how hard it was to get it behind the factory bumper.

Engo 9000, a custom 3/16 plate, but the harbor freight and I think the smitty Built Jeep plate work also. Lots of threads about installing the winch. That's been the easy part.

I found a couple 2" holes thru the lower radiator support. I'm going to use those.

 

[nuclearlemon]

i just ran it through the gap between the grill and condensor. through one of the headlight bulb holes to the battery. short and sweet

 

[greentruck]

I think nuclearlemon has you covered if you've got just the DS battery and want cables down to a solenoid box outside somewhere. There's really no place under the hood that's really good on the DS, so simple short run to it is good.

If you have the USPS second box, then you can work the box in on or near it at several locations. This is mine and the cables do straightdown, then curve forward, but are a little hard to see here.

The splash flap between fender and rail provides a useful exit.

The then drape over the frame rail and hook up to the connections on the PS of the winch.

The arrangement of the splash guard on the DS is similar, but without a good place to mount the box, there's little reason to use it vs through around the headlights.

 

[mod5csi]

I'm not sure I like the headlight holes. But I will try it out.

I don't have the second battery yet, but it's in the plan eventually.

@greentruck That's the route I was thinking, just on the driver side. Out and around the body mount then back up and over the frame.

I thought about putting the box on the passenger side, but everything recommended running the winch off the starting battery. I could run the power and ground back over the radiator to the passenger side I guess. If dual batteries share a common ground, can I ground the winch to the second battery and power to the box from the primary battery?

I also didn't want to run the controls up and over the engine. For whatever reason, I see myself standing on the driver side or in the driver seat when winching. I suppose that's easy to relocate as well. Or in-cab "antenna" control, for driver side and passenger side hand control if needed.

Maybe I need to go ahead and get the 2nd battery tray and relocate the washer bottle sooner than later.

 

[mod5csi]

I think this is where I will go thru. If I stay on the starting battery side. These are the 2 gauge cables that came with it, not the cables I am using. The hole goes thru right above the under engine cover. Then come up as seen here.

But really I am leaning toward the second battery side, still wiring to the primary battery. As described above.

 

[greentruck]

Sorry not back sooner, busy day...

If you do the second battery, you'll have some sort of switch to choose from either battery in most cases. Then your power goes to the winch. The switch is barely visible in the first pic. That's where my cables run from to the winch.

With a single battery set-up, no need for anything except straight to the solenoid and it close to the winch. So you have the right direction. But I think you need some looming to protect things. Maybe that happened after the pics were taken? In any case, you don't want anything directly connected to the battery to be grounded to the frame by failure. Fuses/breakers help, but big wires get crazy under such circumstances. So that's a reason to have some sort of switch to disconnect things when not be used.

The round Blue Sea switch is commonly used. When wired, you don't need the AUX battery yet to use it as a disconnect, as that's what it also does.

If the smaller wires were needed for clearance to fish through in the one pic, probably these are too small once you have them padded with loom? But you don't want you cables where they can rub through then ZAP!

Returning to your question about how the batteries connect, you can do either in front of the radiator or back around some other way. Plus and minus to both if you are really considering all you needs. But it is used by Toyota to run the cables for some of their diesels, so seems to be rated well as ease of install in my experience.

 

[mod5csi]

Thank you for all that information. I have been thinking about a disconnect. And a manual switch is probably the way to go.

I have some abrasion and heat resistant Techflex loom. And big enough heat shrink to cinch down on all 4 cables. I would also grommet the holes.

However, I have developed a new plan, and pretty well committed myself by cutting up the bumper.

The control box will be on the gear side of the winch in the bumper. And I will be able to operate the clutch and connect the controller thru the top of the bumper.

The longest cable will be 5 feet. From the motor ground to the negative on the starting battery. With the Armature, F1, and F2, being only 20 inches or so. +12v to the contractor and motor ground will get loomed individually and connected to the starting battery. I will use the holes in the previous post. A layer of heat shrink to cinch them together at key points, then another loom over both, and a second layer of shrink as needed should provide some protection.

I will have enough slack on the -12v near the battery to wire in a disconnect later. I will probably go pick one up Monday.

I need to re-clock the winch back to 12 o'clock still. I have about 1/2" clearance between the control box and trans cooler.

 

[mod5csi]

I'm sure this has been covered ad nauseum; but it's relevant here so I will pose the question.

I have been under the impression that a winch disconnect should be on the ground side.

@greentruck and Slee's dual battery with winch control PDF recommend the switching in the positive side.

I think I like the switching on the positive side. Less chance of hooliganism, and if a negative does chaffe the winch doesnt ground itself.

 

[ChaseTruck]

I've set it up so the positive cable is disconnected at the battery. I don't want a 1/0 wire supplying power to the front of the truck at all times while I'm on the road, and particularly not in case of an accident.

 

[greentruck]

Looking good
I like the peekaboo cutout. Nice compact install, which is really what you want if not going ARB or some other nose ring look

ChaseTruck's point is an important one. That to me is the only drawback to using the gallery in front of the radiator top/under the radiator top crossmember. There is power on that one wire across there from the primary battery to the Blue Sea switch on the PS, so in case of an accident...fortunately, it is up high. And mine is well-padded. In the big scheme of things, I can live with that. Lot less wire length involved than any other way and that's a very practical reason to keep things short, whether single or dual batteries.

 

[mod5csi]

Thanks guys. Helpful advice. I will take heed. I think I have all that I need.

I will update as the winch gets complete.

 

[toyotaspeed90]

On mine, with only the stock 1 battery, I ran mine from the winch up the vertical grill/cooler support, then along the underside of the radiator core support best I could, through the driver headlight hole, to the 500/700A switch (which is wired to a switch in the cab). Allows for a lot of places to secure the wires. When I went through the headlight hole I used my 5/8 radiator hose trick - cut a few inches of 5/8" radiator hose, then cut a lengthwise slice through it, then wrap the hose around the cables, zip tie the hose to the wires. Cheap and allows for a lot of chaffing.

This is the switch I used...

NVX BIR500 500 Amp Relay Isolator (BIR500) Amazon.com: NVX BIR500 500 Amp Relay Isolator (BIR500): Automotive

 

[tpham32]

Here's how I ran my cables. Just like you stated in the first post.

 

[mod5csi]

I like that relay @toyotaspeed90 thanks for sharing.

@tpham32 care to tell us more about the winch plate? Is that available somewhere? Custom? Want to make a second one? Are you running any kind of bumper or just open like that? Also, about how long is the black wrap you have around your synthetic line? Any problems? I've heard of it bunching up and what not.

 

[tpham32]

I like that relay @toyotaspeed90 thanks for sharing.

@tpham32 care to tell us more about the winch plate? Is that available somewhere? Custom? Want to make a second one? Are you running any kind of bumper or just open like that? Also, about how long is the black wrap you have around your synthetic line? Any problems? I've heard of it bunching up and what not.

It's just a custom winch plate I designed and fab'd. I can check to see how much it would cost to get it made for you because I am limited on time. I am running the stock "trim" bumper that I trimmed. I wanna say the black wrap is 10' and I have had no problems with it bunching up. Then again, I have not had to use it very much so far.

 

[mod5csi]

I like it. Thanks for posting.

Now I'm wondering why my control box wouldn't fit under the stock bumper and yours does.

Maybe I didn't try hard enough.

 

[tpham32]

It was a close fit. Here's the link to the build. My Custom Winch Plate

 

[mod5csi]

It was a close fit. Here's the link to the build. My Custom Winch Plate

Well I'm sad now. Took the wind right out of my sails.

Seriously tho, great job and thanks for sharing.