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Winch power cable routing?

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ShadowsPapa

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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.
Yup - and I had though of that, but who knows what else I may want under the hood later, and didn't like the top of the winch exposed, I dunno, just didn't hit me as how I wanted to do it personally. Maybe the extra cables played a part in my choice but I've looked how others did the relocate like you did and it does look nice - no issues there. Looks good, and yes, it means no power out to the winch, so you have that issue resolved as another plus for your choice.
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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.
Did the eBay bumper come with a winch plate?
 
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I believe I routed cables just like @Forum NOOB did. Take out the air box and I think it almost becomes self evident how to route them. Just to the left (looking at front of vehicle) of the bottom of the radiator you can fish the wires just inside the inner fender liner and into the area below the air box. From there you can follow some existing wiring/tubing up to the battery area.
 

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Yup - and I had though of that, but who knows what else I may want under the hood later, and didn't like the top of the winch exposed, I dunno, just didn't hit me as how I wanted to do it personally. Maybe the extra cables played a part in my choice but I've looked how others did the relocate like you did and it does look nice - no issues there. Looks good, and yes, it means no power out to the winch, so you have that issue resolved as another plus for your choice.
I didn't start off wanting to go that way, but the JCR plate didn't leave me enough clearance between the winch and grill. I had to remove the bottom grill trim to make it work and I still scratched the hell out of it. I like the lower profile look and I'm working on fabbing up a flat cover plate. I also have thought about other accessories I'll want under the hood, but guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there.
 

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I didn't start off wanting to go that way, but the JCR plate didn't leave me enough clearance between the winch and grill. I had to remove the bottom grill trim to make it work and I still scratched the hell out of it. I like the lower profile look and I'm working on fabbing up a flat cover plate. I also have thought about other accessories I'll want under the hood, but guess I'll have to cross that bridge when I get there.
I was really close to relocating it when I found my bumper didn't clear that part of the winch, and the power cable was going to rub against the grill. So, I redid the winch end of the power cable to allow me to flex it more, give it more "bend" and I used a strap to pull it to the winch and hold it away from the grill.
I cut off the original heat shrink, trimmed about 1" off the plastic loom tube, then put new heat shrink on it (industrial stuff I got from years ago)

Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 20201014_161828_HDR
 
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The Installation Instructions for the Mopar Winch may help some.
https://store.mopar.com/accessories...oad_accessories-winches/winch_P5160095AC.html
OK, I have questions... looking at the installation instructions, I am a bit confused:

1) Steps 4 & 5 not sure what these are being removed for
2) Steps 7 & 8 say to loosen but not remove the nuts that hold the bumper in place, slightly pull the bumper forward
3) Step 16 shows that you can slide one side of the winch then slide in the other with the bumper attached
4) Step 24 & 25 reinstalling parts removed in steps 4 & 5, still don't understand the purpose
5) Step 26 & 27 show inserting the mounting nuts and tightening them down

My confusion is because at no point do the instructions call out or say anything about a winch mounting plate. To add further to my confusion what exactly are the instructions having you mount the winch mounting nuts to? Is it the bar that is shown in steps 4, 5, 26 & 27? That doesn't look like it has holes for the four mounting nuts. Are you supposed to assume a winch mounting plate is used?

I recently got the MOPAR Winch Mounting Plate (MOPAR 82215128AB) and plan to install it this week, I don't have a winch yet so I will be putting the bumper back on with the winch plate installed and no winch for a while. But, if according to the instructions, I can squeeze the winch in WITHOUT removing the bumper, that would definitely make getting the inner two bumper nuts re-tightened easier.

Basically I am asking if anyone has installed a winch in accordance with the MOPAR instructions without fully removing the bumper? Also I assume a winch plate was used in your installation correct? If I am missing something please feel free to let me know. My plan is to get a winch and try the method in the instructions. If it does not work, then off the bumper will come. Thanks for reading my long post.
 

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I can't really say. I installed a front receiver and used a receiver mount for the winch. The winch plate does have to be attached to the frame. It can probably be done without fully removing the bumper, but it appears to be much easier to do if the bumper is removed.
 
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I can't really say. I installed a front receiver and used a receiver mount for the winch. The winch plate does have to be attached to the frame. It can probably be done without fully removing the bumper, but it appears to be much easier to do if the bumper is removed.
I have not seen ALL winch plates (as the old scientific thing goes something like this - all ravens I have seen are black does not thus mean all ravens are black - or words to that effect)
but those I have seen all attach via the frame horns - the flanges that the front bumper mounts to.
And since the factory type bumpers with the tow hooks mount using bolts pressed through and into the tow hooks which go backward through those frame horn flanges, you MUST remove the bumper - as those tow hooks must come forward - pulling the bolts out of the frame.
Then you line the holes in the winch plate up with the holes in the frame flanges, and put the tow hooks bolts back through and nuts on the back side - all holding the bumper on as well.
In short, you have to pull the bumper forward away from the frame, put the winch plate in place, then put the bumper back so the tow hook bolts, which also hold the bumper on, go through the holes in the winch plate.
  • IF YOUR BUMPER has winch mounting provisions, then you would not have to totally remove it.
  • IF there's a winch plate there already, you would not have to totally remove the bumper.
  • IF there is no winch plate and/or your bumper doesn't have a place to mount the winch to - you'll probably have to remove it and install a plate for the winch.

    Factory-style bumper mounting - those bolts to through the tow hooks, through the bumper, and into the frame horn flanges. That's what holds some, if not most, or even all, winch plates in place.
    Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 20201014_161852

Here's my winch plate. Some use just the two holes closest to the winch, this one uses all 4 on each side. I have zinc bolts in there to hold things for mock-up. But those silver colored bolts come out, and the bumper (shown above) mounts back on with the 4 bolts you see on each side of the bumper pictured above going through the 4 holes on each frame rail end.
In other words, my bumper had to be off to get the winch plate in place.
Your setup may vary! But I can't believe this isn't at least sort of typical.

Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 20201014_161814_HDR
 

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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.


Help me understand something with the power interrupter please. If you wire the winch to the aux switch and set the switch for ignition on, does that not eliminate the potential hazard with constant power going to the winch. My understanding is that is the purpose of the switch.
 

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Help me understand something with the power interrupter please. If you wire the winch to the aux switch and set the switch for ignition on, does that not eliminate the potential hazard with constant power going to the winch. My understanding is that is the purpose of the switch.
The winch can pull over 400 amps, the first two aux switches can handle 40 amps and the other two 15 amps. The winch has to be wired with the huge battery cable to the battery. For power interrupt to the battery cable, you can use the aux switches to manage the power isolator. Once, you switch off the power isolator, that long run to the winch has no power to it. See pic below. The short power cable always has power to it. The long power cable after the isolator only has power to it if the aux switch is turned on and lets the isolator pass the power to the cable. This is a safety feature in case the long battery cable gets damaged.

Jeep Gladiator Winch power cable routing? 2VdJve
 
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Like the man said -
It's a heavy-duty, continuous duty, solenoid. Power only to the solenoid under the hood. The aux switch powers the coil in the solenoid under the hood.
There's no power to the winch, outside of the engine bay, until you turn that switch on and power the solenoid.
Any problems, hit the aux switch and turn it off again.
 

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Like the man said -
It's a heavy-duty, continuous duty, solenoid. Power only to the solenoid under the hood. The aux switch powers the coil in the solenoid under the hood.
There's no power to the winch, outside of the engine bay, until you turn that switch on and power the solenoid.
Any problems, hit the aux switch and turn it off again.
ok so this makes complete sense to me now. With the solenoid powered from the switch, the switch energizes the solenoid to supply/cutoff power. Doing it this way, there is no need for a manual disconnect switch. Thanks for the help!
 
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ok so this makes complete sense to me now. With the solenoid powered from the switch, the switch energizes the solenoid to supply/cutoff power. Doing it this way, there is no need for a manual disconnect switch. Thanks for the help!
You got it.
I went with the manual disconnect because it came with the winch, and my truck doesn't have the AUX switches.
If my winch had not come with the manual switch, I might have done something different.
So you only need one - OR - the other, like you said.
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