Jeeps are often used for activities like off-roading in the countryside. Jeeps are designed to endure all the harsh off-road conditions[1] as you take the vehicle for mudding, cruise across a dirt trail or glide over sand. Despite how sturdy your Jeep is, it is essential to remember that it’s not omnipotent and will require additional assistance to get out of a difficult situation. It is crucial to equip your Jeep with a winch.
The bumper of a Jeep
Having you keep equipped with a winch can give you great peace of mind? If you have little or negligible knowledge about Jeep[2] and how to mount a winch on it, you should first know that most jeep bumpers are not suitable for a winch mounted on them. Therefore, you first need to check whether you can install the winch on your Jeep bumper.
If there are no possible ways of mounting the winch on the jeep bumper, you would need to replace the factory one with a suitable bumper and pair it with a compatible mounting plate. If you have decided whether or not you need to replace the jeep bumper, having a clear idea about the type of winch you want to install is very important, as the pulling capacity of the bumper and the winch should be compatible with each other.
In case the pulling capacity of the jeep bumper is less than the pulling line rate of the winch, the jeep bumper, when used with the winch, will break apart. So make sure you are buying right size winch for your Jeep
Installing Winch
Before starting the winch installation, it is crucial to ensure that the jeep bumper is compatible with it. Generally, for winch installation, a steel bumper is recommended. You should also install the bumper properly. A well-installed jeep bumper will act as an extension. When you install the winch, you will need to make sure that it is securely mounted on the frame of the Jeep and not the bumper of the Jeep. Mounting a winch on the frame of the Jeep ensures the sturdiest possible mount.
One should determine the type of winch you are willing to use beforehand. Choosing the best winch for jeep is the most important thing. Normally, an electric winch is preferred to be used with a jeep. When considering winches, you should go for those with a pulling capacity of at least 1 1/2 times the gross weight of the Jeep pulled. A winch with a 12000-pound pulling capacity will work fine.
When installing the jeep winch, there are certain precautions that one should take to avoid any kind of injury or accident[3]. Installing the winch adds some extra weight to the front of the Jeep, which leads to a suspension drop. It is important to take some height measurements to have an idea about how much the suspension will drop.
In case there are a lot of sags, you can adjust the height by adding a little coil spacer. To have a safe and smooth winch installation, you should have an idea about how your winch operates. One should stay focused and take extra caution during any winching situation. Also, wear heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands while you are winching. You can readily follow the steps below to install a winch in your Jeep.
Step 1: Preparing the Jeep
Prepping your Jeep is one of the first things you would need to do to install a winch. Before you get started, it is vital to clear the mounting area by disconnecting certain parts, depending on the type of bumper your Jeep has and any other additional modifications that you might have made. In some cases where the bumper and winch might not line up together, you are required to drill in holes to ensure that the winch is secured.
The most critical aspect of preparing the Jeep for jeep installation is to attach the fairlead to the jeep bumper. It is the area through which the winch line is fed. Most bumpers will have a slot covered by a removable plate. Some bumpers can also have integrated fairlead. It is vital to get a reinforced fairlead installed, as not having one can damage the winch line or the bumper.
Step 2- Mount the winch
Once the Jeep is prepared, you can start mounting the winch in the desired place. The ideal place to put your winch will be in the space between your grill and bumper. You might have to drill holes in that area. While you are mounting the winch, make sure to do it with utmost concentration, as the winch is heavy and can damage your grill or bumper if dropped.
You can use temporary protective material such as masking tape to prevent the Jeep paint[4] from getting damaged. Do not torque down all the screws at this point, or else you will have to keep doing and redoing things. To keep everything in place as you install the winch, tighten everything with your hand.
The way in which your winch and bumper are set up highly influences the sequence in which you mount the winch and thread the rope through the fairlead. Therefore decide that before you bolt things down. It is recommended first to sort out the cable as the winch will take up most of the space, making it more difficult for the cable to go through the fairlead.
Step 3: Wiring
After you have mounted the winch, you can start connecting the wiring of the winch. Electric winches drain the Jeep’s battery at a very fast rate, making it necessary for the winch to be connected to the battery’s positive terminal. Although, if you have a steel bumper, it will act as an efficient ground. Normally, all-electric winches have a wire that is connected to the negative terminal of the battery. Generally, the wires either have letters to indicate or are color coded for easy wiring.
Even though you can directly attach the wires to battery terminals, installing a fuse between the winch and the positive terminal is better. A fuse will prevent the battery from getting overloaded in case the winch shorts out. It is better to install a solenoid, or manual quick detach setup for the positive cable to ensure absolute safety. It will let the winch energize only when required. In case you are going for a professional set-up with AUX switches, it is essential to remember that the electric winch cannot be directly connected to the AUX switches.
Step 4: Finishing the Install
When you are done with all the above steps, you can finally torque down all the bolts to ensure that the winch is securely mounted. The winch would have to support all the vehicle weight, so it is always better to double-check everything. You can also mark the bolts to make sure they are not backing out.
Reinstall all the parts that were removed for mounting the winch. Make sure there is nothing in the way of the winch which can get caught while you are winching. Test the winch to make sure it is working as expected. Unwind the winch completely and then use it with only a few feet of cable left.
Therefore, the process of installing a winch on a jeep is relatively straightforward. You just need to make sure of a few things like the bumper, the type of mounting plate and the replacement bumper required. Once you have selected the winch best suited for your needs and have all the parts and proper knowledge about the steps, it will take an hour or two to set up the winch on your Jeep.
Summary
Jeeps are heavy vehicles and despite their rugged build, they can sometimes get in trouble. Installing a winch on a jeep can be slightly tricky if this is your first time, however the most important thing here is to figure out the weight of your jeep and then learn how to install the appropriate winch. We made sure to include all the relevant information that was required to mount a winch on the jeep.
References
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International Driving Authority. (n.d.). Off-road conditions: tips from experienced drivers. https://idaoffice.org/posts/off-road-conditions-tips-from-experienced-drivers/
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Gorzelany, J. (2016, July 15). 10 things you probably don’t know about Jeep. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/jimgorzelany/2016/07/15/10-things-you-probably-dont-know-about-jeep/?sh=4f641de55d82
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Barlow, N. (2017). How to avoid common winching mistakes. MotorTrend. https://www.motortrend.com/how-to/1708-how-to-avoid-common-winching-mistakes/
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B, B. (2021, December 13). Toughest Off Road Paint Protection – Scorpion Coatings. Scorpion Coatings. https://scorpioncoatings.com/toughest-off-road-paint-protection/
