First major purchase - Lift Kit or Winch?
07-18-2012, 05:40 PM
#31
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you can have the highest lift manufactured but without diff clearance it doesn't mean much. You'll most likely still get hung up on a rock or a tree stump or something.
Get the winch, it'll save your ass more often than your lift.
07-18-2012, 05:47 PM
#32
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I think it depends on if you wheel mainly by your self or with others. The lift will get you over stuff a lot better then stock and your jeep will look better. Then if you do get stuck and you are with others, somebody will most likely have a winch or you could use recovery straps.
07-18-2012, 09:10 PM
#35
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you either offroad in the desert or have not been off road yet. A winch is used quite often if you dare to challenge yourself and your rig once in a while.
you can have the highest lift manufactured but without diff clearance it doesn't mean much. You'll most likely still get hung up on a rock or a tree stump or something.
Get the winch, it'll save your ass more often than your lift.
you can have the highest lift manufactured but without diff clearance it doesn't mean much. You'll most likely still get hung up on a rock or a tree stump or something.
Get the winch, it'll save your ass more often than your lift.
We try to never wheel alone out here but even if you are in a group it's good to have a winch cuz sometime there is just not enough room to get another jeep in position when there is a problem.
07-19-2012, 03:15 AM
#36
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Winch it is!
Sounds like the overwhelming support is for the winch. (Except for the TeraFlex guy! HA) I am alone a lot so that is a big consideration.
In South Arkansas we have a lot of logging trails with significant ruts that only an insanely lifted vehicle could pass though. So far I've been able to take proper lines and not get stuck. This past time, however, was after the rain and the mud was that thick stuff you just sink into. We had actually gone in to pull my daughter's 4-wheeler out. After we did my wife said, "Think I could make it through in the Jeep?" We all know how that ended.
As far as never getting stuck goes, some fellow Jeep guys were laughing at me at work the following Monday because I got stuck. One guy said he never-ever got stuck in his Jeep. My only thought to that for those that live around here is you either avoid the mud and heavy trails altogether or stay on the street. I bought the Jeep to drive it, not baby it!
There's a lot of great advice from all of you on this, I appreciate the participation in my first question! Hopefully it will help others thinking the same thing.
Does anyone have experience with the Quadratec winch, or know of a thread that discusses it?
Oh, and TeraFlex, you could convince me to go "lift first" with a great deal!
Have fun out there!
In South Arkansas we have a lot of logging trails with significant ruts that only an insanely lifted vehicle could pass though. So far I've been able to take proper lines and not get stuck. This past time, however, was after the rain and the mud was that thick stuff you just sink into. We had actually gone in to pull my daughter's 4-wheeler out. After we did my wife said, "Think I could make it through in the Jeep?" We all know how that ended.
As far as never getting stuck goes, some fellow Jeep guys were laughing at me at work the following Monday because I got stuck. One guy said he never-ever got stuck in his Jeep. My only thought to that for those that live around here is you either avoid the mud and heavy trails altogether or stay on the street. I bought the Jeep to drive it, not baby it!
There's a lot of great advice from all of you on this, I appreciate the participation in my first question! Hopefully it will help others thinking the same thing.
Does anyone have experience with the Quadratec winch, or know of a thread that discusses it?
Oh, and TeraFlex, you could convince me to go "lift first" with a great deal!
Have fun out there!
07-19-2012, 04:17 AM
#37
JK Enthusiast
This is a very good point . I think of my Jeep has a multipurpose tool. I keep a good toolkit, my air compressor, winch, jacks, towropes, etc always in the Jeep. Almost every week I'll be away from the house and pulling something out of the jeep to help someone out or aid in a job.
I've used the winch several times to remove stumps and am going to be moving a shed with it this weekend. Even used it to raise the mast on my Sailboat last year!
07-19-2012, 04:38 AM
#38
JK Enthusiast
Originally Posted by bobbyspaghetti
Thanks dshailey that was a good day. Broke about $500 worth of stuff including the winch fair lead but I had tools and had a great time just me and the dog. I laugh at the ARB locker comment cause I sure don't find me winching less now that I have a ARB locker. Must be different mud cause in 1' of mud where I live it doesn't matter how many tires are spinning if 90% of your vehicle weight is on your axle tubes on top of the mud. However gator muck does sound a little thinner then what we have here. However gator muck also sounds like the kind of stuff that leaks in your door seals. Either way sounds like a great time. Lots of good info here for the OP though. I still say winch but I do half agree with Teraflex. So get a winch first and then get a lift. However there really is no mistakes 'cause every time I go out I have a blast because I am in a JEEP.
07-19-2012, 06:01 AM
#39
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FYI....The people on this site are the 1% that would possibly need a winch.
Ide be willing to bet that if you looked at 9 out of 10 jeeps you see on the road with a winch you would see that the cable hasent even been unspooled except for the first few weeks until the novelty wears off or to show it to their buddies.
That said, I have owned 6 different jeeps over the years and never had or needed a winch on any of them. Ide spend my money on lift anyday before a winch. Ive been stuck in situations from WV mud to OBX sand and my 60$ high lift and a couple of straps have always gotten me out.
It always amazes me that people think that a winch is what they "need". When in reality they only really need a high lift to move then a few feet to solid ground.
Ide be willing to bet that if you looked at 9 out of 10 jeeps you see on the road with a winch you would see that the cable hasent even been unspooled except for the first few weeks until the novelty wears off or to show it to their buddies.
That said, I have owned 6 different jeeps over the years and never had or needed a winch on any of them. Ide spend my money on lift anyday before a winch. Ive been stuck in situations from WV mud to OBX sand and my 60$ high lift and a couple of straps have always gotten me out.
It always amazes me that people think that a winch is what they "need". When in reality they only really need a high lift to move then a few feet to solid ground.
07-19-2012, 07:43 AM
#40
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We had the Hi Lift in the back but it didn't even occur to us to use it when we could just use the winch and be out in a minute. BTW, my husband drove it like he stole it on the way out and didn't get stuck so I guess that means I need to work on my boggin' skills. This was outside of Savannah so I think it qualifies as gator muck. I do love my Jeep.