Winch sizing...

ut_prosim

Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2015
Location
Hillsborough, NC
The time's come for a winch on the JKUR, and I've made up my mind to go with a Warn. My only question is, for the kind of terrain we have in NC and VA, where in that "1.5x - 2x vehicle weight" range should I be looking in as far as winch capacity? I have an ARB stubby bumper, so I could just about shoehorn a 9.5xp in there, but a 9.5cti would require more cutting than I'm comfortable with.

If I went with an XD9000 or 9000i, would that be stepping down too far? Thanks!
 
Any of the 9,000lb + winches should be plenty. If you are concerned if it's enough, grab an extra snatch block for that added capacity when needed.
 
Already picked one up!

I do need to do some more measuring. Per ARB, the maximum motor length I could fit in there is 6.7", but if I've learned anything about ARB's instructions, they tend to lean on the side of caution and unnecessary suggestions...
 
obullfish said:
Just go with whatever looks cool. That's all that matters to most JK guys around here.
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I have no angry eyes, LED headlights, or even plans to change my factory wheels. I'm not sure I'm in the right crowd sometimes :p
 
rockcity said:
Any of the 9,000lb + winches should be plenty. If you are concerned if it's enough, grab an extra snatch block for that added capacity when needed.
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I agree. It's Rare that you will ever drag the full dead weight, not rolling, or sucked up to the axles in mud. Then a snatch block generally is sufficient.
 
NickMaul said:
I've seen more JKs with harbor freight winches than any other jeep platform. Just sayin...
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At my last half marathon in VA, I saw a double-cab Brute with a Smittybilt. Guess the truck killed the budget. :bounce:
 
My Dayton 6k wouldn't budge my Cherokee when it was mired to the frame (5k across the scales). I didn't have a snatch block but it probably would have recovered it with one. Winch & grand Cherokee tugging got it out. It was buried, axles high centered, wheels spinning, muck to the bumpers.. lesson: don't ask your buddy on the way out if you went thru that mud hole or not.
 
I Don't have a winch but IME with guys that do .....
Get a winch big enuff to winch the guys you wheel with, I've always been told most winch guys use them more for buddies than themselves.


Matt
 
Lizooki said:
I Don't have a winch but IME with guys that do .....
Get a winch big enuff to winch the guys you wheel with, I've always been told most winch guys use them more for buddies than themselves.


Matt
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I'm mostly looking at a winch because I go alone and have no friends :p

But definitely, it'd be nice to be able to recover something bigger if I come across it...although a stuck dually F-350 may have to wait...
 
Lizooki said:
I've always been told most winch guys use them more for buddies than themselves.
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We use ours mostly for dragging trees. :lol: I uprooted a 24" sweet gum stump and pulled down a 18" sweet gum with one of the 8274s a couple of weeks ago.

But they get used for self-recovery, too.
 
rodney eppes said:
I agree. It's Rare that you will ever drag the full dead weight, not rolling, or sucked up to the axles in mud. Then a snatch block generally is sufficient.
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Disagree. I snapped a steel cable on an 8,000lb winch with my 3,100 samurai.

I've always heard double your rig weight.
 
I have owned warn and snotty built and the last enchanted I bought was a harbor freight special. Truthfully unless your using it everyday the harbor freight is perfect. I was the go to guy for recovery when I lived in Alabama. About three or four times a week I'd get a call to come drag someone out of the creek. 80% of the time it was a dead pull as the truck had taken on water. My harbor freight winch 9k would pull anything I tried. And on the rare occasion it needed more a snatch block fixed it. Only time I couldn't get some one out lane was a f350 that was buried to the doors. Called a buddy. Two winches two snatch blocks and some anchor trees and he came out. Turns out the truck was on 42" tires. Learned to ask more about the truck be fore I hooked up after that one
 
ut_prosim said:
At my last half marathon in VA, I saw a double-cab Brute with a Smittybilt. Guess the truck killed the budget. :bounce:
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Everyone talks crap about Smittybilt, I've beat mine up and drug myself and another jeep a trail for a couple miles, pulled a 250 out of the mud pit at the flats. Anytime I ask it to pull something up or out it has done it.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
 
They're probably fine, but I used to work in manufacturing; in good conscience I can't spend that much on something Chinese-made when we have manufacturers here churning out excellent ones.
 
The Ms are, correct?

I knew about the VRs - at least some of the VR line.
 
keep an eye out for a sale and use a 20% coupon to pick up a 12k HF winch.
 
I'd feel dirty...
 
Check out the new VR Warns, they are cheap, new vr 8000 integrated with rope is less than $700, more amp draw than a zeon 8s. It's not a ctis or a 8274 but it looks like it will get the job done.
 
Going rate seems to be about $300-320 for 100' of 3/8" SK75.

Winchline.com, JM Rigging Supply, heck even Quadratec stocks Viking and Warn Spydura.
 
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