Dbathke

I got a call from a buddy of mine many states away. Some dickwad free-spooled his winch line out, put it over his hard top and connected it to his rear bumper. They then powered the winch up and retracted it, turning his hardtop to a mangled mess of shit.

In any case, I talked with a couple guys in the Jeep club I go wheeling with and they suggested using a power interrupt kit so that the winch is only powered when the ignition is on and an interior switch is set on. I got this link for a kit by Warn and wanted some feedback from the forum here. Any thoughts?

Thanks

Link to interrupt kit: http://www.4wheelparts.com/Electrica...&t_pn=WAR62132

mhockey9090

I have seen numerous kits out there for quick disconnects. I like the one warn uses. Ive heard of guys using marine grade kill switches.


Warn Industries - Electrical Accessories for Jeep, Truck & SUV Winches: Quick Connect

These have multiple kinds as you can run 1,3, or 4 position. Below it shows how you can run the positions with a diagram.

http://www.bluesea.com/products/3002

Mark Doiron

Whatever he did that got someone to do that to his Jeep--whether he actively did something that pissed them off, or just parked in the wrong spot at the wrong time, putting some type of kill switch on his Jeep winch would likely not have prevented them vandalizing his Jeep. They'd have just done something else. What will you do to prevent them keying the paint? Taking a hammer to the hardtop? A knife to the softtop or tires? You're just wasting money, adding complexity and, IMHO, adding more possible failure points to a critical piece of recovery gear.

FDHog

Absolutely!
If some A-hole wants to screw with you, they'll find a way.
No substitute for good insurance, except a .357 mag. But then you'd have to catch them in the act.
Also a good reason to use a Thimble instead of a Hook on the winch.

Stephens2r

That is a good point!!

rozzman10

Bad things can happen when you have a soft top too, doesn't mean I am going to run my hard top in the summer. Driving a Jeep comes with many risks, because they are so simple and accessable. To own, and drive a Jeep, I believe you have to be very trusting of people, patient, and forgiving, or you will be one unhappy person most of the time.

CombatDiver

Unfortunately there's no kill switch of A holes, trust me, I have looked into it. It's the price we pay for our freedoms. If we are to make it perfectly safe and so that A holes can't exist we will only sacrifice our own freedoms to do so. I feel for those who take pride in something (us Jeepers it is our Jeeps, but often not limited to just that) and another come along and feel they have the right to abuse or destroy it. Too many idiots think the world owes them something or that some one else doesn't deserve what they have and it's their right to intervene. They define the word scumbag for me. But having them in existence is a good indicator that we have rights and freedoms. In the countries I have lived that didn't have them were under dictatorship or similar control and there were worse things to worry about (the scumbags were those representing the 'government').

syn-ack

Ever heard of a crime of opportunity? It happens all the time, that kids just find some easy/entertaining way to screw with someone, regardless of whether that person did anything to piss them off. I've seen you post in a couple threads this same argument, and unfortunately it doesn't always apply.

If adding a kill switch makes it a little more difficult for some random person to commit some random act, then I say do it. The "added complexity and failure point" are minimal. A kill switch is a very basic design, and there are plenty of quality ones out there, used in much more critical applications. As well, it is always advised you carry a small tool kit in your Jeep, in the event it does fail, rewiring it direct to the battery, is a 5 minute job.

hair2831

That sucks. How did they operate the winch without the controller?

Mark Doiron

I just don't see how it made it a little more difficult for him to commit a random act. What hasn't changed is his desire to commit some random act, nor his opportunity to commit that random act. It just changed the random act he did. I guess we'll just have to disagree on that point.