Ok I modified the jeep with the Smittybilt XRC-8 winch for now. One question I have is the concern for if the winch is going to kill the stock battery and if it's necessary to upgrade it to a Optimax or maybe a high end marine battery? I believe the stock battery is 600 crank amps.

When testing it it did seem like it was heating up pretty good.

 

Are you running off road lights too or anything else besides the what's stock and a winch?

 

I've got the 55w fogs and that is it so far. I'll add the cb shortly but that is the only elctronic mods that I plan on. Electronics and me = bad

 

Keep the engine running while you're running the winch; the alternator will offset some of the battery drain. If the winch draws 300 amps, and the alternator can supply 100 amps at idle, the battery only has to supply 200 amps. Yes, it'll get hot.

 

x2. I also try to give it a few RPMs instead of just idling when I'm winching. It'll be hard on it for longer pulls, because you battery isn't setup to do deep cycling. You should be fine stock for short pulls for the life of your battery, but if you do much winching you'll want to eventually upgrade.

 

When winching with our winch after 2 full pulls the battery light comes on and it dings. After this had happened i have been reving the engine about 2000-2500 rpm when we winch now it does not come on but i am sure it gets hot. we have plans on getting a yellow top Optima.

Kat
p.s. battery light is in the upper left hand corner