I would as they look as they were made for the truck (as they were by Garys Garage )
I'm sure someone else would like to make and put a set on there truck too.

 

I'll do that when I pull them off to powder coat them. I can draw them up in CAD and put the drawings on my web site in the Projects area. But I'll also try to find out from Westin what bars and brackets I have.

 

Great thanks

 

First the bad news: Was turning left at a high-traffic intersection and killed BB. Hit the starter and it struggled to turn over, and on the second try smoke billowed from under the hood. Popped the hood and found no sign of anything amiss, so tried it again and it started perfectly. I'm thinking battery cables, but wanted your thoughts.

Second, the reason for bringing BB into Tulsa was to look at winches. Looks like any of them will bolt into the existing Warn bumper, and the fairleads will bolt to it as well. So, that leaves me deciding:

1. Brand:I'm looking at both Warn and Smittybuilt. A 12k Smittybuilt with synthetic cable is $650, and a comparable Warn is well over twice that. Anyone have any experience with either?
2. Capacity: The sign at the shop says multiple the GVWR by 1.5, but the salesman said to multiple the weight by 1.5. He guessed BB at 6k so suggested a 10k winch, but 1.5 x the GVWR of 8600 is 12.9k. I tend to think 10k is enough, but...
3. Cable Material:Synthetic runs $150 more initially, or $300 buy it outright to switch. Anyone have experience or thoughts?

 

A battery cable coming loose shouldn't kill the truck.
have you checked the horseshoe or the distributor plug?

 

Sorry, I confused you. I killed it, and it didn't want to start.

 

Did it have anything to do with the process of turning left? Could a bind have been placed on the power steering which caused the engine to die? Did you straighten the steering wheel before attempting to restart?

 

Don't think the turn had anything to do with it. I just came out on the clutch too quickly, and was in 2nd as 1st is granny gear. And, I didn't straighten the wheel. But magically it turned over well on the third try. I'm confused, but when I pull the engine I'll replace the cables with custom ones. Especially since I'll need to make new ones for the 2nd battery and winch.

 

Have you done a "twist and tug" test on the cable connections as they are now?

 

Synthetic cable is desirable because it doesn't stretch like metal cable. So if the syn cable broke under load it would just drop the ground, unlike a metal cable that will whip/spring back.

The drawback to syn cable is that it can be cut more easily. You need to be sure it is not pulled over any sharp edges. Roller fairleads are a must.

Also a syn cable is not prone to being damaged if it is wound back over itself (whereas a metal cable needs to be "spooled" back onto the drum.

 

Warn = winch
Smittybuilt = bumpers & bars
You get what you pay for!
I have only used a way under powered/sized Super winch on a Toyota L/C
Also only had steel cable on any winch be it the super or hand winch on my car trailer.
Remember if you go with 2 or 3 lines thru blocks you would not need as big a winch.
Dave ----

 

David - I have done the stretch and pull, but obviously need to do some more investigation.

Mike - I would have guessed that synthetic would stretch and metal wouldn't, but everything I've read and been told says otherwise. So, that's a big plus for safety.

Dave - Yes, ****** blocks really help if you have enough line. I used one getting Big Blue on the trailer in Florida when the borrowed winch just wasn't going to get it done otherwise. So, when wheeling I'll take one or more with me.

As for "Warn = winch", the bumper appears to be a Warn and has the decal on it. Would be a shame to put something else in it.

 

I just put a winch on my Bronco (receiver mount, check out my Bronco thread if you want pictures). I looked into the less expensive winches and decided on Warn. Nothing horrible about Smittybilt or Badlands, most people who had anything to say about them thought they were great at half the price. But there were a few people who found that it didn't work when they needed it. Is a Warn that much less likely to fail? I don't know. But I decided it was worth it.

Warn does have different lines at different prices. I decided against their VR line (least expensive). It seemed like it was trying to compete with Smittybilt and Badlands, and if I didn't want one of them I didn't think I wanted their competition either. I went with the M8000, the next lowest price. In hind sight mounting and wiring the solenoid box was one of the more difficult parts of the whole process, so going with a higher end Warn with integrated solenoids might have been worth it, but I'm not sorry I did what I did either.

Capacity: If you bury it in real mud you'll want at LEAST 1.5x what it weighs when you bury it, so if MUD is in your plans, go big. Or if you want to plan for needing a winch when you're fully loaded, then definitely go with the heavier one. For what it's worth, I went with an 8000 lb winch on a ~4500 lb Bronco because it seemed like plenty and I couldn't see a point to going lower.

Rope: I agree with most of what CountryBumkin said (see exception below). Synthetic rope is also lighter weight (good) and can be damaged by heat and sunlight (bad). But the safety that CountryBumkin mentioned vs the cost you mentioned is the main tradeoff. I went with wire rope for cost. (although after lugging my receiver mount winch around a little I kind of wish I'd gone for the lighter weight of synthetic)

Yes synthetic rope is more prone to damage, but no winch or rope manufacturer recommends a roller fairlead with synthetic rope. They always recommend a hawse fairlead, and I think always made from aluminum. It seems rather counter-intuitive to me, but I certainly wouldn't go against the experts on something as safety-critical as a winch.

 

It's probably not accurate to say that the synthetic line doesn't stretch, but it at least doesn't store as much energy as wire rope when under tension (again rather counter-intuitive). Also, since it doesn't have much mass, even if it does get shot at you it will slow down faster and not hit as hard if it does hit you. It's definitely the safety choice (if you don't let it get damaged and become unsafe that way).

Related to that, it's not such a good idea to use a "recovery" strap (also known as a ****** strap) as a winch rope extender. They make "tree-saver" straps that look like ****** straps, but they don't have the stretch that ****** straps are designed to have. Again, stretch = stored energy is bad.

 

Bob - I forgot the fairlead thing. Yes, both Warn and Smitty use hawse fairleads with synthetic and roller with metal.

I'm comparing the , with the . Huge price difference, but the peace of mind that it'll work in the roughest of conditions may be worth it.

On the other hand, the Smittybilt has a wireless remote and I don't know if the Warn does. That needs more research.

Oh, and I agree on the mass and stored energy.