Originally Posted by TEEJ

What is the minium rated winch needed for JK weight?



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Well, typically, 1.5 to 2 x the GVWR, which for most JK's the GVWR is 5,400 -5,500 lb.

If we use the 5,500 lb GVWR, and say x 1.5 = 8,250 lb as the minimum winch capacity....so a 9K winch would cover that.

If we said 2x = 11,000 lb, more than the bumpers are rated for, mostly because the FRAME HORNS that the bumpers tie to are designed to crumple/absorb impact, etc...so they can only take so much force w/o buckling.

That means a 9,500 lb winch is as close as you can get to the rating of the bumper mounting system....and to the GVWR related winch rating.

It also means that an 8K winch is a bit light for a JK...but close.

Generally, for winch capacity, you need more power to drag a rig out of sucking mud than you'd believe....this is tow hook snapping time, etc.

To get a rig up and over an obstacle on a steep dirt/rock type trail....not that much power is needed as compared to sucking mud.



The 1.5 x - 2x rating rule of thumb also helps to compensate for the rapid drop in pulling power the winches tend to suffer as the line is taken in, essentially making the effective spool diameter larger, and the effective pulling gearing larger as well, so the more line on the spool, the less power the winch will have.

If you have so much line on the spool that you never play it all out on a recovery, you never pull at the winches rated full capacity.

The best line length compromise between reach range and power range is typically 100 - 125' for most combo's.

Get longer reach for mud, as you need the recovery rig clear of the slippery stuff to not simply be dragged in, etc.

For rock crawl competitions, where a pull may be less than 30', etc...50' of line is considered plenty.

If you wheel with knuckle heads, or are one....and need rescuing on a regular basis...get a tough, reliable winch.

If you wheel with people who have winches, and/or you/they almost never get stuck/need a tug free, etc....then a less reliable winch may be sufficient if it saves enough money to be worth it to you.

If you DO get a cheaper winch meant for occaisonal use...DO heed the cool down period warnings...or you'll burn it out prematurely....pulling to hard or long overheats, and destroys winches. The hydraulic units overheat the power steering pump fluid and the power steering pump stalls out instead of the winch itself in that case. So - if you are patient enough to wait the prescribed times between the prescribed pull periods...the cheapo can give you many years of winching, and be a good value. If you do the "Damn the Torpedoes, FUL STEAM AHEAD!!!!" routine, the winch will not last very long, and not be as good a value.

The T-Max 10K unit is very fast under load, cheap, and the people I know who have them, like them...and the 10k capacity drops fast enough that the little bit over the bumper's rating it pulls would be very short lived, if it did ever occur.



So - I LOVE my Warn 9.5xp.....its a reliable, fast partner....but, its not always the best choice for everyone, as not every one NEEDS that level of performance. (As in, your friends call you at 3AM on Sundays because they're stuck somewhere in the boonies...and need you to save their asses before they freeze them off, etc.)

Originally Posted by Northernmedic

I'd like to hear what people think of Champion winches. Costco has these for a good price. I've also heard mixed reviews on Superwinch. I'm very interested in this thread

Originally Posted by Northernmedic

I'd like to hear what people think of Champion winches. Costco has these for a good price. I've also heard mixed reviews on Superwinch. I'm very interested in this thread