Winch/battery questions

Evening all, 
I know similar threads have been started before but after reading up here and other zuk pages I'm still non the wiser. 
Although I get by, my mechanical knowledge (particularly the electrical aspect) is novice at best so please bear with me...

I'm looking into adding a winch to my jimny (steel winch bumper fitted and upgraded suspension etc in place already so physical fitment isn't too much of a concern right now)

My main question is regarding battery/alternator power... 
And where the 'safe usable lbs limit/amp draw' is before I kill something in my current setup.

The winch will be for self recovery or at most, recovery of another jimny/vitara.
I won't be sat in pay n play clay swamps, up to the windows.

It's mainly a backup in the event I get caught short while out on my own and end up in a normal green lane  'stuck' situation... raised wheel, muddy rut, beached diff, no traction etc.

I currently have a dual 'parallel' battery setup under the bonnet in the jimny (already fitted by PO ready for a winch) with what I believe is the standard alternator still.

Main battery is - Yuasa YBX3057 (400CCA)
Second battery - Lion battery 038 (330CCA).

Will these batteries in this setup have the guts to power a reasonable enough sized winch if I'm not doing anything too daft? 

second question- It seems like we're limited on choice of winch size/availability in the UK. 

Can anyone recommend a brand/size that are actually available, are decent enough for the job and aren't going to give the Mrs a heart attack??

what size can i realistically get away with in terms of decent usable pulling strength/performance for the truck? 

Many thanks.
Tom 



 

Hi Go to TAYNA for batterys and I have the 096se Exide Excell EB712, on my 2 jimnys for the winch as it has a good 670A CCA , AND IT IS £53-

Your batteries are ok. For now. After alot of winching you will see if they fail or get the Job done.
Winch size should be your vehicle total weight times 1,5.
There are some 6000 winches available but most at 8000 pounds wich could be overkill. There is also some variation in how the capacity is measured as the winch pull force vary with how much line is on the spool.
And winch rope is highly recommended over steel wire.
And there is also speed, varies much between cheaper winches.
I have not bought a winch yet....

Your batteries are plenty for a general recovery winch. A 6000lb winch is plenty but there aren't many around that will fit your bumper. The next size up is 9500lb which is a bit overkill for a Jimny but that is most likely what your bumper was designed for.
Synthetic cable is a must. Steel is awful. If you are using synthetic you must use a hawse fairlead (the aluminium type with an oval hole). The roller type are not recommended for synthetic. If you buy the winch with cable it will come with a hawse fairlead.

One problem with front mounted winches is that they are often on the wrong end. If you are just green laning you often want to pull ourself out of trouble, rather than further into it. I use a 4500lb ATV winch that can be mounted on either end and is kept in the vehicle. 4500 is a bit low but it's done the job for me so far. A couple of times I've had to use a snatch block to double the pulling power. It's slow but it gets the job done.

For your application a cheaper brand will be fine, for example this one or this one . Another option is to keep an eye on eBay or Facebook marketplace. They sometimes turn up for a reasonable price second hand. A wireless remote is very useful, especially if you are on your own.

As well as the winch you'll need a tree strap. Wrapping a rope around trees damages both the rope and the trees. A snatch block can also be useful. Soft shackle snatch blocks are fairly cheap on eBay and weight very little. This is an example . Be careful when looking for these on eBay, many advertisers show a picture of the ring wit a shackle but if you read the listing carefully you find it's just the ring. Orange is a good colour. My soft shackes are black and they are easy to lose, especially at night.

With winching, bigger battery is better, and to upgrade your alternator is important too for pro longed periods of winching, that’s my advice. Also suzuki alternators are very small, they can’t cope with having to replace vast amount of energy into a battery. Also depends on what size winch your going to run ect.

Another option is to carry a small hand held winch with a nylon 3 strand 18mm dia. tow rope. This combination can pull you in any direction and that can prove invaluable in certain circumstances. Many times you are better off pulling yourself out the way you went in! Basic principle is to connect the winch cable to your motor, the rope to the winch and the other end of the rope to the anchor. Winch away until you have stretched the rope and then drive in or out. The energy you used on the winch goes into the rope as stored kinetic energy and that is what you use to help you get out of what you are stuck in. You may need to do it more than once but the system does work.

Roger