How To Install A Winch

[Old.Tony]

I'll get under and have a look. Not sure that there even are any bolts, it looks like a single piece casting. Might be something on the inside face though - I'll poke around and will update the first post and bump the thread again when I've figured it out. Thanks for the tip!

 

[Old.Tony]

I've also purchased a 500A switch to turn the thing off. I'll post pics & part numbers after I've fitted it. I can see myself using some rescue tape on that thing, to seal up the connection terminals!

 

[heata]

Some good info here. Thanks for sharing. I just bought the 9500lb ridge ryder from SCA, to fit to my 2010 d22 with factory steel bar (50% off this week). Nobody has mentioned a 'winch mounting plate'. I think there is such a beast, I seem to remember Gary (nizzbits) mentioning it when I bought the bar from him. Do I need it?

 

[Old.Tony]

Thanks for bumping this, I didn't get the pics done, but there's hardly a need - the Jaycar 500A switch that I forgot to get a pic of is this one:

and yes, I used rescue tape to secure it.

The mounting plate is part of the bullbar on mine. Do you have a bullbar? There should be 4 holes matching the width of the winch in the front of it, the material should either be 6mm plate or two 3mm plates welded together. It may be behind your number plate.

If you don't have a bullbar, you'll need something that affixes securely to the chassis made strong enough to support the maximum pulling force of the winch (or a little better, to be on the safe side).

 

[heata]

yep, factory steel bar, has the 4 holes + reinforced steel behind, without verniers I'd say 2 3mm plates

 

[Old.Tony]

I'd say you're set then, just measure the bolts before trying to lift the thing into place. You should need 40mm on the top, 35mm on the bottom. Mine came with 30mm 8.8 grade high tensile bolts - I found out the hard way that it wouldn't fit.

 

[heata]

Tony, looking at your pics this is the same winch.
Looking at the positions of the holes, where the fairlead goes and such I can only see that the cable can under roll. And yes the clutch handle will end up in a very awkward place.

 

[heata]

Ahhh yep 30mm bolts too short, take two with correct length bolts. Anyone able to put up a pic of how they ran the cables?

 

[Old.Tony]

My control box is on the left chassis member, so my cables run up to the rail that runs across the middle of the radiator then behind the shielding to the battery.

 

[heata]

Winch on and winching!!!!!! yehaaw.
Still some tidying up to do, one cable is about 20mm short, meaning the control won't quite sit centered on the bar, where you would normally see it. So I'll either need to replace that cable with longer, or find a different spot for the control. I don't think I want it on the chassis member, (if thats what I think it is) I want it up out of the mud. Granted it invites tampering, however a switch like you suggest should negate this.
Also I note the loop in your cable, like mine, has no eyelet have you found one?

 

[Old.Tony]

Which cable are you referring to? All my power cables came with eyelets. I cut the positive power lead and added eyelets (available from Jaycar) so I could use the 500A switch.

 

[heata]

There are three thick cables (all with with eyelets all 300mm long) that run from the control box to the winch. One red and two black, one of the blacks has a yellow boot on it. It is the yellow one that won't quite reach. i.e it is more than 300 mm from that side of the control box to the winch terminal, when the control box is on the centre of the bullbar

 

[heata]

ok found a place for the control box and have it all squared away as per pics.
Pic one and two show winch mounting from above and below.
Pic three and four show the control box position
Pic five shows the mounting bolt positions, bolt heads are circled. My bolts sit horizontally.
Perhaps its my non trade trained brain getting confused but... I read posts about the importance of mounting the winch 'horizontally' does this mean the bolts are horizontal? or the plate the winch is mounted to is horizontal? because obviously the front of the bull bar is vertical, and the holes line up perfectly, so it logically looks as if I have it right. I also think that when the winch is under load the mounting bolts wont take the strain, the bullbar mounts/chassis will take the strain, which must be preferable.
Anyhow have a look, and if something looks wrong please let me know I wont be offended I'll be thankfull.

 

[Old.Tony]

Looks good to me. The winch mount section of the bullbar is designed to take the winch like that. Nice handy holes in the bar for the control box, too.

 

[lisazhang]

xdyna winch with a auto clutch motor

Hi Tony,

Another thing to think about...there should be drain holes in the winch motor (probably located where the motor mounts to the drum). You may need to unbolt the motor from the drum and rotate the motor on the drum (including resealing) to ensure that the drain holes remain as drain holes and not, in fact, holes which do a great job of working as funnels....

Similarly, the clutch lever on the gearbox - it may be necessary to undo the gearbox and rotate the gearbox to the correct location for your installation.

Usually these instructions come with the bullbar installation manual. Perhaps someone here with a Nissan bar still has the manual?

Often it is easiest to remove the bar, lay the bar "on its face" and install the winch that way. Not from a weight perspective, just from ease of access.

if the gear box with the auto clutch motor,,, you can control the clutch handle by the romote handle,, from Xdyna_Home

 

[ben85]

Do you need to have dual batteries to run a winch or can you get away with just 1?

 

[Old.Tony]

Do you need to have dual batteries to run a winch or can you get away with just 1?

Only the one battery in my D40's engine bay. I have place a battery in the tub as well, but it's a deep cycle and would not tolerate 400A of load on it.

The trick with any winch is to keep the engine idling over. You might even give it a few rpm (like 1500 or so) just to make sure the alternator is delivering a bit.

Winches are not supposed to drag the vehicle long distances or be operated for extended periods of time. The whole point of the winch is to allow for single-vehicle recovery to the point where the vehicle's normal drivetrain can take over.

That usually means the winch is actually operated for 20 to 30 seconds at the most. Keep your engine running - if you're self-extracting then you should be using the drive train to assist anyway - and keep your vehicle lights turned off (as much as you can).

Just a word on that last note: hopefully you're never placed in a situation where you need to recover your vehicle at night. I can understand night drives in forests, I can understand being caught in traffic/detours/etc that delay your journey that require you to travel during the dark on unsealed roads. I do NOT understand why you'd intentionally drive the vehicle at night on a challenging track that causes you to require a solo vehicle recovery. First of all that's so dangerous it's almost idiotic, and secondly - most importantly - it's too bloody dark to take good photos!

 

[Aido]

if you're self-extracting then you should be using the drive train to assist anyway

Thats a no no.


Raeson being that you will cause slack in the cable and should the vehicle then slide or lurch back against the slack cable you will put excessive load on the winch that may cause the cable to break or damage the winch.
Also allows for slack cable to spool onto the drum that may bind up.
Winch through or over the obstacle before trying to drive the vehicle.

 

[Old.Tony]

I think it must depend on the circumstances. I haven't had to do it myself, yet, but someone that seemed to know what they were talking about was telling me that applying some power to the wheels - particularly up steep inclines - was the right way to do it.

So much for "experience". Maybe they were just lucky. What you say makes sense - unloading the drum then snapping it up tight again could cause cable issues. The additional momentary loading might also cause mounting and/or chassis problems.

Actually, I also have a video of the Gall Boys winching AND driving at the same time. So it works in some circumstances?

 

[Aido]

wish i had money for a winch

Not sure it would fit your d40......