Winches

[rylee144]

This winch came with a Cherokee I bought. It is a Warn. It has no model number, cable or remote. Is it worth buying the parts to make it work, about 150 bucks or get a new one from something like smittybuilt?

[88mjsally]

It looks like the x8000 or the m8000. Ive rebuilt a couple of older warns and they are pretty easy to work on. They also hold up on the trails pretty well. I have an older x8000i on my tj that I rebuilt and have used a pretty decent amount over the past few years. So if it were me I’d fix that warm before buying a new one

[rylee144]

Are the remotes universal? Any ol cable ok to use? Minimum length? 

 

I've never used one or had one. Here is a cable near me

 

https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1612484412260844/?ref=browse_tab&search_query=Winch cable&tracking={"qid"%3A"6844236641373931054"%2C"mf_story_key"%3A"3455268727816980"%2C"commerce_rank_obj"%3A"{\"target_id\"%3A3455268727816980%2C\"target_type\"%3A0%2C\"primary_position\"%3A-1%2C\"ranking_signature\"%3A0%2C\"commerce_channel\"%3A503%2C\"value\"%3A0%2C\"upsell_type\"%3Anull}"}

[derf]

Could also be an M6000 or XD9000 (not the XD9000i).

 

I'm not sure of the best way to tell the difference without the plate next to the engagement lever.

 

I've gone through a couple of 100ft cables on my ~18 year old XD9000.  I'm on a synthetic one now.  Pretty much any regular winch cable will work.

 

The remotes are pretty much universal.  The newer winches started using a newer controller with some smarts built in.  But the older ones are just straight 4 pin and you can easily get a new one.

[derf]

That would have come with a plate like mine.  Otherwise there should be some numbers stamped on it somewhere that you can decode.

[88mjsally]

Most of the older ones have the serial number stamped onto the housing near the clutch lever. I have a steel cable on mine and it’s served me well but I plan to swap over to synthetic in the future. The older warns use a 3 or 5 pin controller. You can look into the plus on your solenoid box and see how many pins it has and that will tell you which one you need. You have solenoids verses the newer contactor so you don’t need the newest 4 pin remote 

[rylee144]

Thanks! I'll find a remote first to see if it even works before I get a cable 

[MJCARENA]

Ask the seller of the cable what size winch it came off of. You don't want a cable not rated for your winch. 

[rylee144]

Good thinking! Thanks 

[rylee144]

Going to revisit the winch topic.

 

I am not a wheeler and have never used a winch. I want one because this will be my hunting truck and I believe it will come in handy. 

 

I don't want to spend a ton of money and I'd like to keep the weight down of possible. I was thinking something around a 9k with a synthetic rope. 

 

Is 9k enough?

 

Is a rope better than a cable? Or not worth the extra money?

 

Lastly are there brands to avoid? 

 

As always thanks for the advice. Throw in a picture of your set up too if you want. 

 

[Pete M]

I went with a Badlands 5k on my Liberty.  I'm never going mudding with this Jeep and the winch is used mostly as a tool around the property so I've got no need for a bigger winch.  Length of cable is the only real issue I've found and if I ever venture off the 2-track trails I'll be bringing extensions. 

 

fiber cable is lighter and safer and whatnot.  steel cable is far more cut/abrasion/mud/sunshine resistant. 

 

 

[BeatCJ]

A winch is a fantastic tool. It makes skinning a whole elk much easier. Wanna stretch field fence? A snap. We have 4 of them on work trucks, we use them all the time. 8000 lbs is plenty on a Comanche. I like rope, but steel cable is so much more durable. The main weakness in cable is the safety thing, it's a giant rubber band. Use it correctly, and it's manageable. I personally think you are better off rebuilding the Warn you already have, instead of buying new. Most of the budget brands give up speed to gain pulling power.

[FrankTheDog]

Any warn will be better than a smittybuilt. They tend to be fairly durable compared to the chicom winches.

[Eagle]

Keep in mind that in the early days of the Cherokee and Comanche, the factory Hidden Winch option was a 5,000 or 6,000 pound winch. (Don't remember which brand.) IMHO an 8.000 pound winch is plenty for an MJ.

 

[Mossmj13]

It was a Ramsey winch

[MiNi Beast]

I'm always ready to post pics of my setups.  i ran a ramsey 8000# with rope for the good part of its adventure workouts. slow but out pulled anything i could use it for. just slow due to thick gear lube packed in it and you get that with alot of them winches that are on the cheaper side. not as big a deal in warm climates but worse in the colder areas. no biggie just swap out to better lube. ramsey has my vote. with that said i got lazy and wanted a bit more reliability and faster line speed and this led me to go with warn as a reliable setup and now have versions more budget friendly with same reliability. so i looked to morris4x4.com as they had a decent online offering and i was able to pick a warn vr-8 up for under $500 and to my door in under a week. I'm very happy with decision. i was looking at the smittybilt x20 with wireless remote, which my buddy picked up just before i got mine. i was after the same but for about the same price i opted for the warn that i can add wireless remote to later on. he has been putting his winch to the test and have several pulls in vs mine. and i support his winch choice as have been tested well and proves reliable. so i suggest either option. rope is nice as i have enjoyed the safety factor and less the extra 10# from the cable. i however went with cable on the warn as cable is more reliable and holds up better with abrasive resistant, i use mine as a tool that sometimes pulls me out. so makes more sense to use cable with wrangling logs and muddy workouts. also cable holds up better to sunlight, uvs or something. so if get rope consider a cover. 

alot of info out there on winchs, did alot of research but was all about numbers and etc, i wanted real world applications of tested and proven. warn and smittybuilts are most common among those i wheel with and see firsthand. so id stick to them. other wise anyone will work. just a matter of it working when you need it to. some people can't justify 1k for a winch that gets used maybe once in a year, (but it works when you need it too) 

others say 350 is good if pulls you out once. lol either way having a winch is just something everyone should have as an all purpose tool on the shelf. 

 

[BeatCJ]

You could contact an Authorized Service center, they should be able to figure out what it is.

 

Northridge 4x4
7976 Rubicon Trail Place NW

Silverdale, WA 98383

360-340-0282

 

Warn parts are almost all available. If you decide not to mess with it, I might be interested, I am close to their headquarters.

[rylee144]

Sweet thanks! I'm currently trying to sell some of my stockpiled ammunition. Record prices right now. If I make a sale I can buy something 

[BeatCJ]

You must get a monthly allotment? Just remember, if you sell stockpile, you may never be able to replace it... I work with some LE guys, their stockpiles are amazing.

[rylee144]

Used to get a box a month which isnt very much. But we stopped that when covid hit to save money. I bought a few thousand rounds on my own. I'm not allowed to sell what I got from the PD. I don't shoot my .40 cal anymore since i got a 9mm and a 1911 .45. Figured I'd double my investment on the .40 cal ammo. 

 

I'm on the firearms training cadre so I get to shoot often.