What winch for a heavy tow pig?

BigClay

BigClay

Knower of useless ZJ things
Joined
Sep 24, 2008
Location
Winston-Salem
I want to put a winch bumper on the front of my tow pig, a 1996 Dodge Ram 2500, and I am looking for some suggestions of what winch to go with. The winch will be rarely used, but I want it to be strong enough in case it is needed. This is my tow rig, but it does see some time in the woods duing hunting season and to cut fire wood, so I want the winch there in case I get in a bad spot. So what would be a decent winch with a reasonable price for this application?
 
12k whatever. Warn if you can afford it, maybe used if you can find one. Harbor Freight or whatever if you feel the need to buy new and don't have much of a budget. I picked up an awesome 10k Husky worm drive last year for $400, which would be a great choice too if you could find one used.
 
Just for information, I own a 2001 Ram, CTD, 4x4, quad cab short bed, and it weighed 6,760 lbs on the scale here at work. I'd probably go with a 12,000 lb winch.
 
My ram is a club cab long bed with the V10, so this thing is heavy, so 12k lb it is. Thanks guys.
 
I have been very impressed with Smittybilt winches, I know they make a 12k and 15k. I would also keep an eye on Craigslist, I saw a Warn 15k on there not too long ago.

Duane
 
drkelly said:
Just for information, I own a 2001 Ram, CTD, 4x4, quad cab short bed, and it weighed 6,760 lbs on the scale here at work. I'd probably go with a 12,000 lb winch.
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That's a good chunk lighter than my 03, too. Mine's probably about 7300-7400# w/o driver.

You can do the job w/a smaller winch if you come across a deal. Just be sure to factor in the price of a new snatch block.
 
People like to go megasized on some of these truck winches. Your v10 will be closer to the 6000lb mark and you aren't going mud bogging or pulling out excavators. An 8k winch would work fine for what you need, but if you've got the money... Something else to keep in mind is that a lot of the 12k and up winches mount feet forward, your bumper choice might decide the winch size.
 
An 8k with a snatch block would probably do better since you would have to pull more line off the drum thus getting the max pulling power. If you get a 12k and only pull off 2 layers for a single line pull, you will still only be around 8-9k of power.
 
The V10-equipped Ram 2500'sView attachment 131004 dimensions varied depending on the model. The extended cab version had a 154.7-inch wheelbase and measured 244 inches from bumper to bumper. It was 79.4 inches wide and 77.1 inches tall. The frame cleared the ground by just under 9 inches. The front headroom was 40.2 inches and front legroom was 41 inches. In the rear, the headroom was 39.4 inches and the legroom 31.6 inches. The curbside weight was about 5,270 lbs. The long bed regular cab version featured a 134.7-inch wheelbase, a 224.1-inch overall length and 7.8-inch ground clearance. Its curbside weight was about 4,612 lbs. Front cabin dimensions were similar to the extended cab version.


Read more: The Specifications for a 1996 Dodge Ram 2500 V10 | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7482949_specifications-dodge-ram-2500-v10.html#ixzz2PUyHU7tN​
Rule of thumb has always been 1.5 X weight. That would put you at an 8K winch. Now what might you have in the bed? load of wood, four wheeler? what ever, factor in that weight also. Stuck on a hill, in the mud, real slippery, with a load. Whole other ball game. I would go with a 12K winch myself, and a snach block too.
 
I got the 10k engo, posted in your engo thread but it's for my xj. I imagine you know they have a 12k too. Got a rugged ridge accessory kit too that includes all the basics including snatch block for a good price. Got them all from jeepadons Chris ext: 1884 for less than anyone else would quote.
 
upnover said:
The V10-equipped Ram 2500'sView attachment 131005 dimensions varied depending on the model. The extended cab version had a 154.7-inch wheelbase and measured 244 inches from bumper to bumper. It was 79.4 inches wide and 77.1 inches tall. The frame cleared the ground by just under 9 inches. The front headroom was 40.2 inches and front legroom was 41 inches. In the rear, the headroom was 39.4 inches and the legroom 31.6 inches. The curbside weight was about 5,270 lbs. The long bed regular cab version featured a 134.7-inch wheelbase, a 224.1-inch overall length and 7.8-inch ground clearance. Its curbside weight was about 4,612 lbs. Front cabin dimensions were similar to the extended cab version.​
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Rule of thumb has always been 1.5 X weight. That would put you at an 8K winch. Now what might you have in the bed? load of wood, four wheeler? what ever, factor in that weight also. Stuck on a hill, in the mud, real slippery, with a load. Whole other ball game. I would go with a 12K winch myself, and a snach block too.
Click to expand...

I've always heard 2x, logic being that you neeed to be able to pull not only the weight of vehicle but also overcome "the stuck".
Now meeting that is such a heavy vehicle isn't easy, but chances of a tow rig being *that* stuck are pretty slim...
 
I just pulled the trigger on a XRC12, I think that will give me the power I am looking for.
 
Let us know how it works out. I'm looking at a 12K winch of some sort for my K30. It'll probably get used more for work than extractions, but if/when I ever get stuck I'm going to really test it out :D
 
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