I plan on picking up a Smittybilt XRC 8k lb winch. I'll be attaching it to a multi mount type carrier probably a Mile Marker. I've been doing some reading and it gets confusing on how to wire it up. I understand there are wires run to the battery (power red and ground black) but from there it gets sketchy. There is a solenoid as I understand. I know that I run a switch in the cab from the solenoid as a power on/off for the winch. Then I kind of get lost. Does the controller connect to the solenoid? What other wires run to and from? To add more confusion I'll be adding wiring to the rear of the truck as well. Do I also have to run the rear wiring to the battery or does it all run to the solenoid? I may sound crazy but I'm not a wiring guy and I can't find much on this. Pics would be a great help showing the solenoid and what wires connect to it etc. The link below is the best I've found with pictures. It shows wiring running to a fuse panel which is also confusing. Anybody that can simply explain how my set-up would be wired would be greatly appreciated. I know it comes with instructions but understanding the outline beforehand will save me a lot of time. Thank You


http://jeeperz.tenmagazines.com/arti...ticle&aid=3857

 

lol, no need for pics i have the same solenoid sitting behind me. looking at it for the first time was a little daunting.. but its not bad.



If its gonna be a multi mount deal i don't think you can wire a switch into the cab can you? I haven't looked to see how those dash mounted things are done up.

 

I don't know about the switch thing. The link I posted used an on off switch in the cab.

Matt, so the solenoid isn't too confusing? What runs to and from it? Any idea on the rear connection stuff?

 

well see, if you buy it(or win it in my case).. it comes with this handy little thing called an owners manual that tells you everything you need to know


ok, yea holding it in my lap w/o the book is confusing.

I know that one of the blacks goes to the bottom of the winch, along with the ground wire. the solid black bolt, on the bottom.
The big red one goes to the battery
the small red one goes to the bolt on the winch thats got red paint on it
the yellow one goes to the bolt with a little black on it?
and the other black one goes somewhere else

 

I knew some smart *** was going to say something like that.

I guess I'll wait for the next person to try and help me out. I can't pick it up until Friday or Saturday so until then I like thinking about it and what all is involved. Then when I get it there aren't too many hang ups and I know what to look out for and what not.

 

looking over the pics, and reading a little bit. Having the switch in the cab just seems like such a pain in the *** to wire up in order to have it removable.. then when you plug it in you have to plug a bunch of other junk in..

I would just run the controller on a wire until you hard mount one.

 

Yeah I was thinking that cab switch was a waste.

 

its pretty cool, and a good idea.


I may get around to doing it some day.. but at the amound I'll be using the winch I can just jump out and plug in the controller, or just leave it plugged in all weekend.

 

I assume it comes with a disconnect, hence the solenoid. If not, you may want to add one. It's a safety thing that you do not have to wire. The solenoid is like a huge relay that cuts power to the plugs where you plug the winch in. I had that on the old Ranger.

If you have it, both hot leads for the front and rear plugs go to one terminal on the solenoid. The neg form both of those go to a good ground, preferably the batt itself.
Another big lug on the solenoid goes to the pos of the batt, use LARGE gauge!
Another lug goes to a switch in the cab, this activates the solenoid.
There may or may not be a ground lug also.

That's it. It's a good safety thing, otherwise people could walk up to the plugs and use them/short them out, or wires get frayed and you you a truck fire on your hands. Downside is if the solenoid takes a crap you gotta rewire it. Not a big deal, but one more thing to go wrong.


This is Warn's, but a smaller one. They used to make one for winches, but I can't find it right now.http://www.warn.com/truck/accessorie...nterrupt.shtml

 

Thanks Buckgnarly! That help a lot. Knowing that I can run it all to one solenoid and that both pos go to the solenoid then one large guage pos goes to the battery....

I was dreading having to wire up two solenoids.