A winch is a device used for lifting and pulling heavy loads or to pull out your truck on off-road adventure. Winches are like heavy-duty spools, frequently seen on the back of towing and off-road trucks. A basic winch features a horizontal rotating drum around which a rope is wound. In order for the winch to work ideally, its wires need to be connected to the truck battery.
Things to Keep in Mind when Wiring a Winch to a Truck
Wiring a winch to the truck can be a tricky affair. Therefore, knowing the steps and other related factors can make the process easy. Below we have discussed factors that should be considered when wiring the winch to your truck.
A gauge of the wire
One of the fundamental factors to consider is determining the gauge and quality of the wire you will use for your winch. It is imperative to ascertain the gauge of the wire as it depends on the winch you are using. Generally, winches require a four or eight-gauge wire. Determining the gauge of wire will allow you to select the size of the fuse and holder.
Secure the Battery
As we know, an off-road vehicle is subjected to strong vibrations and shocks. Due to this reason, it is very important to make sure that the truck battery is secured and correctly placed. Securing the battery will prevent it from bouncing around, eliminating any chances of coming loose while driving. Once you have guaranteed that the battery is secure, you can connect the positive terminal of the battery to the winch. You can readily use plastic zip ties to secure the wiring.
Quality of the wire
When wiring your winch, using a good quality wire is a must. For wiring purposes, you should use a wire which is evenly covered with good-quality insulation and has tough wire strands. Such wires can be expensive, but don’t go for cheap wires as they are inferior in quality. A high-quality wire will protect the truck winch and lessen the risk of an electrical fire.
Inspect the Device
Inspecting the winch before installing it will save you from a lot of problems in the long run. Before you start with the process of wiring, check whether all the components, such as the cable, controls and the motor of the winch, are intact and in working condition. A defective winch can cause many problems and safety hazards. Therefore, checking the winch before using it will ensure smooth operation and the safety of the person working.
Do not install a Fuse
The process of winch wiring does not require the installation of a fuse. It is always recommended to install a fuse in the power line, but that is not the case during winch wiring. Winching requires an enormous amount of power, such that it is likely to burn the fuse. Since the fuse cannot be installed, the winch wiring needs to be perfect to prevent shirts in the system.
How to wire a winch to truck ?
Before you start with the wiring, you have to install the winch. For this, you need to decide where you would like to mount the truck winch, your vehicle’s bumper or fender. Mounting the winch requires a mounting plate, bolts, a drill machine, an angle iron and an angle cutter.
The mounting plate and angle iron should fit the size of the truck (make sure you picked the right size truck winch) and can be placed on the bed of the truck or in front. Tighten the bolts once they are in place and place the winch. Once the mounting is done, you can initiate the wiring. To wire a winch to the truck, you can follow the following steps
Step 1
To start with wiring, you would need to take the power cable of the battery to the winch. The cable should be long enough so that it can reach the winch from the battery without any slack. Once the cable has reached, the positive terminal of the cable is connected to the positive post of the winch, which is red in color.
Step 2
Once the positive terminals are connected, you would need to course the battery’s power cable through such openings in the vehicle so that it reaches the back area of the mounting region. Be careful while doing this step, as there are chances that the cable can get pinched or damaged. It should be organized to the engine section and should be kept away from friction and heat generated in the truck.
Step 3
Once the power cable has reached the desired mounting area l, passing through all the openings, you can start securing it to the angle iron. To attach it to the frame, you can use similar plastic zip ties or fasteners. It is vital to ensure that the wires are not loose or damaged at any point so that they don’t come loose during winching.
Step 4
After the power cable has been secured to the vehicle’s frame, you can connect one end of the ground wire, which is generally black or brown in color, to the bare metal on the vehicle’s frame and then secure the other end to the winch motor housing. For this, you can use lugs and ring terminals and then secure them with nuts and bolts. Thus, the wiring will be complete.
Front mounting and Back mounting
To install the winch, you need to choose the area where you would want to mount the winch. You can either mount it on the rear side or the front of the vehicle. If you want to place the winch on the rear side, you can install it on the bed of the truck, or you can also mount it on the bar. If you do so, bolt the bar to the sides of the truck bed. The bar will prevent the winch from being damaged in case of accidents.
If you mount the winch on the front of the vehicle, the wiring can be done directly to the truck’s battery which has a minimum of 440 CCA and a 60-amp alternator in case of light or medium usage. Another way front mounting can be done by using an auxiliary battery to power the winch in case of heavy duty.
More on truck winch
Summary
Thus, if you want your winch to function smoothly, make sure to wire it properly. Wiring a winch to the truck can be a difficult task. In case you are not sure how to do it, you can follow the steps mentioned above.
