Remote mounting Winch control box.

[nstacey]

I've got a 9000lb Runva Winch and want to get the control box out of the way as its a bit vulnerable to the weather/mud where it is (the switch has decided to be intermitant). How its mounted, the main heavy control wires are underneath the winch. There is not enough length in these to get it into the engine bay. I have heard you can rotate where the wires are 180 degrees which I guess would give me about another 150mm. Is there much to this?

The other option would be to get some longer cables. How much am I looking at for these and where can I get them?

[axel]

The second option is the best. Thats what I did with my 12000lb Runva. I'm not sure how much cables would set you back as I got mine from work. If you know a sparky he might be able to get you an off cut for cheap. Or you could just buy some from your local industrial electrical parts supplier, not sure what the minimum length purchase would be tho.

[tgaguy1]

BOC for cables. 35 mm welding cables and you will pay about $90 for enough to put the box on the inner guard just in front of the brake master cylinder. You will have terminals to add on top of that cost as well.

[chevrolux]

jaycar will charge 10/meter for 4AWG. but then you need to crimp the new cables. 4 guage is pretty hardto crimp without a decent tool lol. so you could just go to an auto-sparky and they should be able to make up the cables to suit

[gimmemud]

You want bigger than 4AWG, that's only about 16mm2.
I've run 50mm2 Flexible marine cable in mine. Used about 5m and put the solenoids on the firewall. Bought mine from the electrical wholesaler for about $60 (I'm a sparky so got it a bit cheaper). If you got it and some lugs from them, I'm sure they'd lend you a crimping tool which most wholesalers hire out. Or ask a sparky in the car park to do it for ya.

[SV1K]

Talk to Sig, he has all the stuff you need even the crimping tool... and you never know, he may even show you how to mount it on the firewall

[Dace]

Having had mine completely apart to sort an issue, yes, ya can just turn the casing around 180 degrees, not a major at all really.

mine has std cables and has the box mounted behind the drivers side battery

gimme a pm if ya want more info

[skid]

Talk to Sig, he has all the stuff you need even the crimping tool... and you never know, he may even show you how to mount it on the firewall

or the next time theres a working bee at Sigs monster garage, bring the hilux and all necessary stuff and it will probably get done

[DieselBoy]

We always pull that plastic cover off the solenoid pack, which in turn gets rid of that switch. Run the wires for the switch back into the cab and mount your own lock out switch on the dash.

There is no need for the plastic cover if you mount it in your engine bay.

With out the cover on it is easier to keep a check on the connections at the solenoid pack to make sure they are tight, clean and not corroding etc.

This is how its mounted in the Weapon:

[Heath]

If I run a remote switch (instead of the silly flat red one) in the cab, does the wiring need to be heavy gauge. Probably relocate everything under the hood one day, but just looking at removing the easy to reach switch from meddling hands.

[DieselBoy]

Just use the same gauge wire as is already attached to the switch. About 20a I think.

Might aswell get rid of the remote connection and run wires into cab for control there.

[UBZ]

You can buy the right sized crimp lugs from an electrical wholesaler, ie ideal electrical, coreys , j a russel etc
If you can't access use of a proper crimper a cold chisel will do the same job. 3 good indents across the lug will hold the cable real good . Then slide some heat srink over to make look pretty.

Have a crimper myself but done plenty of connections like this in the past.

[T-Boon]

Mines in the engine bay, lay some rope to measure how much you need, then take em to a sparky(or even a marine supplies shop).. easiest option

[Heath]

Just use the same gauge wire as is already attached to the switch. About 20a I think.

Might aswell get rid of the remote connection and run wires into cab for control there.

Can't see everything from the cab. Although if I moved the socket to the cab and plugged in there I could still get out to winch stuff (and see the cable laying on etc)

[darinz]

Get the biggest cable you can. I always use 95mm cable from BOC. It is double insulated and made from really fine wire so really flexible. You then get the end crimped and soldered on, then seal with waterproof (glue filled) heat shrink.
Basically every winch comes with undesized cables. They may be alright for a few very short pulls but as soon as you load the winch they will start getting warm. If you can feel the cable getting warm then the motor is getting too many amps and will start getting hot.
Look at it this way, everyone worries about batteries for a winch when even the smallest car battery can supply more power than the cables you have.
The thing that kills winch motors is lack of power supply, not the load! If you can supply good clean power to the motor then it will take a very long time to heat up. Restrict the supply (ie voltage drop) and the motor draws more amps so gets hot. The hotter it gets the more voltage drop so the more amps it draws so gets hotter still until it melts something.
And don't forget the earth! Power is a circuit so no point getting it in if it can't get out! Earth should be the same as the supply and also direct to the battery (s).
Last time I did a set of cables it was $28m for 95mm welding cable. There is basically nothing off the shelf that is big enough to power a winch motor.
The switch to control the winch takes about 5 amps to run so pretty much any wire is big enough for the controls. On my twin motor winch I just ran 5amp wire and it switched to sets of solenoid with no worries at all.
Do all this and you are ready for a winch comp.

If all else fails search as this has been written on here so many times it is stupid!