Hey everyone I am looking to relocate my winch solenoid box to under my hood on my 08 jk 2dr. I have a smittybilt x20 first generation. I was wondering whether it is better to use battery or welding cable for this. I would also like to know what gauge everyone is running to do this since ill be taking the length from a foot to prob 7-10 feet. I am not sure what the current gauge of the cable is for that winch and if anyone has input on that it would definitely help. According to a smittybilt rep the current cable is #4 AWG but if im extening the lines i was told to use #3 or #2 AWG. If anyone can confirm this it would be great. My plan is once i can get some input on what size gauge and type of cable i was planning on soldering the ends to ensure a good current. Also if anyone has a good website to get by the foot cable for cheap please add it to the response. Thanks again everyone

 

I didnt relocate my solenoid but i did change all the cables to #2 welding cable.

I prefer it as it gets really cold up here in the winters and the welding cable stays flexible. Thats very important for me as i ran my winch with quick connects. Every year i end up boosting dozens of peoples vehicles so i use custom made booster cables (again welding cable) with the same guage quick connect.

When it feels like -60c with the wind, every second counts and the quick connects make sure i have instant power without any messing around cleaning ice buildup off my battery terminals.

 

I hear ya, windchill is a ******, we had near -100F last winter, I got frostbite in my lunges from breathing it in. Thanks a ton for the welding cable quick connect jumper cables tip, will come in very handy!

p.s. did not mean to thread jack!

 

If you are going to be in there and doing the job, go to the 2 as it will be better electrically for your power and heat.

My 3 cents.

 

Just thinking out loud, if you are putting the solenoid in the engine compartment, then the cables between the battery and the box are shorter but the cables between the box and the winch are longer. Since the motor is a series motor, then the current runs through every cable before returning to the battery. So overall length is = Bat_positive_terminal_to_box_length + (3 X Box_to_winch_length) + Return_cable_to_bat_negative_terminal.

Normal install: 8+(3x1)+8 = 19 feet
Box under hood: 3+(3x8)+8 = 35 feet

The load capacity of a 2 AWG cable is 181 Amps, 4 AWG is 135 Amps (conservative numbers). As the cable gets longer or the temperature goes up, those numbers get smaller and therefore the winch power goes down.

The longest and smallest cable in the set will determine the minimum gauge that you need. If the cable going to your battery is 4 AWG and 8 feet long, then you would be wasting effort changing the cables between the solenoid and the winch to 2 AWG. Also include your winch in the analysis. If the winch is an 8000# vs a 12000# it will have different ratings on the windings. If the windings are small then, again, increasing the size of the cable is not going to help. You have to look at the whole system, not just one part. If you are upgrading any, then upgrade all.

Most of the winch cables that I have used/seen are usually 2 AWG.

Are you moving it to the engine compartment for looks or for security? If security, maybe a switch under the hood would work as well but involve less difficulty.

 

Nice write up maxspongebob.

I relocated mine above the break booster with welding wire. Shop around for the wire before you buy. I went to elec stores and got a very wide range of prices. If I had gone with the first place I would have spent double.
One thing to keep in mind is that heavy wire can be a pain to work with- especially considering the size of some of the end connectors you need to bolt onto the solenoid. Depending on the stud orientations it may be a tight fit. I should have paid more attention to this when I purchased my connectors. I had to cut out part of the solenoid cover to make it fit back on (and not that great at that). Not that it can't be done but be prepared that it may take more time than it appears.

 

Thank you.

When I installed my winch, I had heard the stories about folks who parked their Jeep and when returning they found the cable wrapped over the top and hooked to the rear bumper with the window and hood crushed. So initially I wanted to put the box on the inside also. Unfortunately I had no space to do that with dual batteries, train horn, Air compressor, ... So I did the next best thing. I moved the connector to the inside and added a power disconnect switch. I have an AEV bumper, so the Warn 8000 winch fits well within the height of the bumper. Then I made a plate to cover the hole in the bumper and mounted the relay box (i made a new one) on the top of the plate.

View of winch controller with disconnect switch (with key)


View of winch controller with disconnect switch (without key)


Controller connector mounted inside next to drivers right foot


Front view of winch control box and bumper cover plate

 

Who did they make mad?

 

The reason I am moving the solenoid box is because the front of my car kinda looks messy and i like the idea of having it out of sight. At this point I am most likely going to go with 2 AWG. That seems to be the general consensus on here so far. Does anyone have a good place to get it by the foot. And are there different types of welding cable to look for. Ive seen class k and class m so far. looks like class m has thinner strands which makes it more flexable. Also did you guys crimp your connections or did you use solder pellets?

 

I soldered my ends. Had to put a lot of heat into them with the torch to make sure the solder didn't give a cold joint after I plunged the wire into the molten solder. Since I used huge wire I found that the mapp gas torch worked a lot better than propane. The wire insulation can take a good bit of heat before it really starts to degrade.

Then solder wicked up the wire and made the next inch or so rather stiff. Hence part of the issue fitting them back in the solenoid box.

I used fine strand wire - is very flexible - you will like it.

--------maxspongebob------
Your winch is really buried in the bumper nicely. I can't even see the free spool lever. Here is what I do if I feel I am going somewhere where people like to mess with things. Not a huge deterrent but something quick I can do if need be.