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Winch power cable routing?

ShadowsPapa

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To get from winch (mine is Apex 12000) to battery area - what's the route most are using to get from A (winch) to B (Battery) ?
I see no direct route that I'm really happy with.
Right now the ground and pos cable are hanging under the truck, waiting for me to run them up a hidden, safe route to the battery.
(I WILL be using the disconnect switch supplied with the winch but STILL want to protect the cables and have them NEAT - remember, I do show cars, so neat counts for me and my OCD)
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Here's what I did. From the winch, follow the passenger side frame rail and go up towards the battery (best done with the airbox removed). Below you can see the cable hanging before I routed it. Anderson plug is my solar connection, winch cable routing follows that same path..

Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 2406B4E2-622F-4375-B2D9-7295820942B1


Battery connection. Keep it clean.

Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 25A579FB-F73C-4F0A-B011-AE1B3582CCFE


Completed.

Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 2FF8D7AE-C9F4-42FB-BD71-1788826983C6
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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As far as disconnect switches, I've mounted and wired many winches and have NEVER used one of those. I always direct wire my winch solenoid to the battery because of the amperage draw. This is the ONLY thing I recommend wiring without a fuse or anything else. This is also how WARN has it in their diagram.
 

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As far as disconnect switches, I've mounted and wired many winches and have NEVER used one of those. I always direct wire my winch solenoid to the battery because of the amperage draw. This is the ONLY thing I recommend wiring without a fuse or anything else. This is also how WARN has it in their diagram.
What bumper is that ?
As far as the disconnect it is a good safety precaution, if you ever have an accident and the power cable gets grounded it could cause a serious fire.
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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It's all right there. Nothing to it.
That's why I said it the way I did - it did turn out that things didn't show up on that computer (likely an internet issue) but ARE showing up now just fine.

There's a lot of winches wired with disconnects - and this one came with one.
I'm not worried about that part - some have even used solenoids as disconnects without issue.
I refuse to run hot/live cables up to the front. I've rewired cars and trucks because of fire and I don't care to do my own.
This WILL have a disconnect.
My only wondering was - without pulling things apart, there wasn't a clear path, but it seems several folks have pulled the air box and routed up through there (some do it without pulling that out, I may use my fish tape)
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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What bumper is that ?
As far as the disconnect it is a good safety precaution, if you ever have an accident and the power cable gets grounded it could cause a serious fire.
Yup - been doing auto electric since the early 1970s and I've rewired vehicles after fires - pickups, included. So far I've not seen any posts anywhere about a real-life issue WITH a disconnect, many use them without issue, but I have seen stories of fires with no disconnect.
The disconnect that comes with a winch should be fine. I don't get buried in mud so this winch if I end up using it will be loafing at best.

The bumper I am using is the eBay "third party MOPAR 3 piece steel bumper look-alike" LOL
So far, so good - will have photos and other info on it, later in another post/thread.
 

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I'm all about safety, but I also don't like to introduce added complexity.

The incident rate of a serious short is nominally low. I have researched instruction manuals for all the major winch brands out there and none of them (Warn, Ramsey, Simttybilt, Mile Marker, etc...) speak about placing a fuse inline to protect the system. However, the damage that can happen from a short on the winch can be tremendous so to each his own.
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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I'm all about safety, but I also don't like to introduce added complexity.

The incident rate of a serious short is nominally low. I have researched instruction manuals for all the major winch brands out there and none of them (Warn, Ramsey, Simttybilt, Mile Marker, etc...) speak about placing a fuse inline to protect the system. However, the damage that can happen from a short on the winch can be tremendous so to each his own.
No fuse. A cut-off switch.
Badland Apex winches (at least some of them) come with extra cable and a cut-off switch so you can turn the positive side off when on the highway. Not complex at all. In fact, among the most simple device I've ever wired up.
Accidents cause fires due to electrical grounds - resulting from pinched wires.
If my truck were to get hit by some drunk idiot, a sleeping moran bastard (like killed my father, hitting him and his truck at almost 60) or someone simply texting and figuring they are still paying attention but blow through a red - I can see that steel bumper being shoved back in a way against those huge cables, along with potential fuel spill.

Not here to debate that as it's been hashed out on this forum for over a year, pages and pages worth, and as a mechanic who's seen his share of vehicle fires and pinched wiring - it's not up for debate in this case.
(I think one of those threads reached out over 12 pages)
 

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As I said, to each his own. And you're welcome.
 

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To get from winch (mine is Apex 12000) to battery area - what's the route most are using to get from A (winch) to B (Battery) ?
I see no direct route that I'm really happy with.
Right now the ground and pos cable are hanging under the truck, waiting for me to run them up a hidden, safe route to the battery.
(I WILL be using the disconnect switch supplied with the winch but STILL want to protect the cables and have them NEAT - remember, I do show cars, so neat counts for me and my OCD)
The Installation Instructions for the Mopar Winch may help some.
https://store.mopar.com/accessories...oad_accessories-winches/winch_P5160095AC.html
 
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ShadowsPapa

ShadowsPapa

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As I said, to each his own. And you're welcome.
LOL - sort of laughing at myself as I WAS going to say thanks for the tip on routing - I found several other posts that agreed with the routing up near the battery - then my wife's aunt, who she hasn't seen in years but has lately begun stopping by every few days - came to my shop and demanded my attention for some yard art and I simply ended and hit post.
Then I forgot to come back after that distraction.

Cables run - didn't need to remove the air box or anything for that matter. A light under the truck pointing up, a light by the battery pointing down, and I found a path and used aluminum wire to run down from the top, tie onto the cables and pull them up.

I temporarily connected direct to battery just to test things and pull some of the rope back in after installation and all worked, then I disconnected again until I install the switch - need to make a solid bracket for that.
Before I get interrupted - thanks
 
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ShadowsPapa

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Interesting - will have to see how that compares. I had looked at that area as a possible path.
Thanks for the added info.
This is similar to my setup. Although I’m not sure i’m completely satisfied or done with it yet. I did a remote solenoid install. Dismantled the solenoid from the Apex housing and have it between the battery and fender. Doing it this way, I have 4 cables coming up into the engine bay. 2 routed like the Warn instructions and 2 under the radiator and up between the AC compressor and air box (these are the 2 i’m not completely satisfied with. They tucked in nicely and I used zip ties, but just had a gut feeling that I don’t like them there). No disconnect because that’s effectively what the solenoid is doing now.
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