In Cab Winch Switch (featherweight tech)

This isn't tough stuff here, but I have seen posts where people wanted to run in cab winch switches, and they seemed to think they had to get the whole remote inside. It's an easy mod, and I'm really surprised that more people don't do it. It is much easier than digging through a pile of crap to get the remote, then tossing it out to someone who drops it in the mud, or down a hill...



This is the winch that is going in. It's a REP6000 I got in a trade. It will be going into an AJ's bumper. I haven't got the bumper yet, but AJ is making it now.



The only location I found under the hood for the solenoid pack was behind the master cyl. on the inner fender. I just used an existing hole and mounted the entire pack, plastic case and all. I had to mount it upside down to isolate it, and to make connections of the 4 gauge wire easier. The zip tie is to hold everything secure until I can get a cover made.



It may be tough to see, but I cut the wires to the plug, added some length, bunched the 3 controller wires together, and ran them through the fiewall through the rubber grommet that the hood release passes through. I used some flex conduit to clean it up. Next I need to cover the solenoids and run the heavy wire to the battery and winch.



I ran the wires to a momentary (on) toggle switch mounted between the switches for my aux. lights.

It's tough around here to find good heavy gauge wire by the spool, but I ended up with this 4 gauge.



I have yet to run the wires because I want to get the bumper on and the winch placed so I'll know exactly how long to cut the wires. They will be connected to this Optima that I just picked up today. The wires will go to the front posts to keep everything clean. I had to ditch the factory battery hold down because it didn't fit the Optima.



For the incab (3 post) toggle with a 3 wire winch remote, you just wire the hot to the center post and one each of the 2 solenoid wires to the top and bottom posts on the switch. Sorry no picture.

That's it. When I get the bumper and winch on, I'll post up pics of the finished product.



My Stable. Can you tell I like Dirt?

did you say you are planning on running the winch off the side posts on the optima? Look in the manual from the optima, im pretty sure the winch has too much draw for the side posts. I could be wrong, but I dint want ya to ruin a new optima ($$$) over something like this.....


By the way, nice CJ...

Yup, you don't want to run the winch off the sideposts, the internal conductors are marginal at best for a winch draw.

I've also got a dual post Red Top in my XJ (XD9000i winch, ) and the factory hold down does work, just had to flip the standoff from the front clip.

ChiXJeff said:

Yup, you don't want to run the winch off the sideposts, the internal conductors are marginal at best for a winch draw.

I've also got a dual post Red Top in my XJ (XD9000i winch, ) and the factory hold down does work, just had to flip the standoff from the front clip.

Click to expand...

Interesting... I have a yellow top in the CJ and I run the winch off the sideposts in it. I never realized. I guess I'm lucky I haven't had any problems.

Thanks for the info on the battery hold down. What do you mean by flipping the standoff from the front clip? Not sure I understand.

Thanks!

I'll sneak out to the garage tomorrow morning and take a picture of my setup.

Something else: http://www.optimabatteries.com/publish/optima/americas0/en/config/product_info/technology/tips.html

It specifically references hooking a winch to the top posts instead of the side posts.

yellow tops and red tops are a little different in what the capabilities are, but I am unsure as to what the recommendation about running high draw components such as winches off the sideposts. Hell I run everything off the top posts. If I was worried about keeping things clean I would drive a ricer instead of a jeep.

LilRedRover said:

yellow tops and red tops are a little different in what the capabilities are, but I am unsure as to what the recommendation about running high draw components such as winches off the sideposts. Hell I run everything off the top posts. If I was worried about keeping things clean I would drive a ricer instead of a jeep.

Click to expand...

I never worried much about a tidy battery setup either until I had one catch on fire while on the trail. Now I look at it a little differently.