2022 F-350 DRW diesel.

It came with a warn winch factory installed. I've come to find out it probably got to the dealership with the winch in a box and was farmed out for installation. It was a custom order in another town. I found it online at a dealership in yet another town, so I don't know who installed it.

I've never had a vehicle with a winch so pardon any ignorance.

Everything I've read in the Warn manuals says the winch rope should wind onto the drum on the bottom side, in order for the safety brake to work. When I picked up the truck, the line was wound over the top of the spool, so I pulled it all out to wind it (loaded) properly per the manual.

Both the wired and wireless remotes seem to be working backwards. Retract/wind-in makes the spool rotate so the rope unspools from the bottom, and vice versa. I can work the controls backwards, but for the price, I'd like it to work correctly

The connections at the battery are correct; I don't know if the connections at the winch body are correct. I don't even know if if can see those without removing the bumper cover.

All that said, it looks like it would be better if the rope retracted and wound over the top of the spool. As it is now, to retract the rope onto the bottom of the spool, the rope rides over the lower lip of the fairlead at a pretty harsh angle. I'm sure that would put unnecessary stress on the rope . Also, every photo and video I can find shows the rope winding over the top. Which way is correct?

I have an appointment at the dealership tomorrow, and I'll probably call Warn before I bring it in, but does anyone here have any wisdom for me?

 

I've always understood it should wind on the bottom. I just installed a winch on my 450 and it winds on the bottom. This might be a stupid suggestion but could they have it installed 180 degrees off?

 

First thing I would've guessed is that the winch wiring is reversed at the winch (mistake during installation). But, after reading this thread on a Jeep forum, post #20 makes excellent sense.

Get the serial number off the winch, contact Warn, and see if it should indeed feed from the top.

https://www.wranglerforum.com/thread...kwards.229754/

Oh, one other thing that was brought up, was that the labeling on the winch was wrong from the factory. So, might not be a bad idea to snap a pic of the spot on the winch where the cabling attaches (if possible), to confirm with Warn, as well...

 

Thanks...how does the rope line up going through the fairlead to the drum? Does it go straight in or does it ride the lip?

As for 180 out...the motor/spool/clutch look properly aligned.

 

I'll check the SN and give them a call. I'll also try to see if I can tell if it's wired right at the winch (dark and rainy now...).

That Jeep post details exactly what I'm worried about. It sounds like it you don't wind it correctly you could get a nasty surprise.

Thanks guys. I'll follow up when I know more.

 

is all the mounting brackets and fairlead factory parts ? for sure you want the rope in the center of fairlead opening. whats going on with the winch ive no idea

 

I'm not suggesting this is wisdom but I just went down to the garage and looked at my 2020 F350 with the Warn winch option. I purchased the kit from a Ford dealer. We installed it without any modifications. The winch came in the box with the rope feeding onto the top of the winch drum. I've had no operational problems with the winch or the remote.

 

@hrkdrivr

Observe this photo from @LMychajluk who has the Ford "factory" Warn winch:

 

The cable on a winch should spool from the bottom. While it works from the top, you risk damaging the winch. The question is, how is the winch mounted.

 

And a probable answer is, with three members so far with this factory winch set up finding that the rope is spooled off the top of the drum, that this hidden mount winch is intended to be wound that way due to the space constraints and low height limitation of its mounting.

 

Yes, all the parts are Warn factory parts. From what I've seen online, it's a kit Warn builds and the dealers send it out or install it themselves when they take delivery of the vehicle.

I copy what you say about the rope entering the fairlead without rubbing. That just seems to be a better way, and it looks like it's how it's built to work. I just can't see putting unnecessary stress on the rope, on purpose, by running it over the fairlead lip.

I just talked to the dealer again and they have a tech with the same truck and winch and his is set up over the top too. Every picture and video of this specific setup I've found shows it over the top.

Yep. Everything I find online looks like this.

Yes, the manual is very specific about this. The problem is the manual is generic in the sense it applies to all their winches. It shows the winch being mounted with a bracket above or below the winch. This setup has the mounting hardware behind the winch. The installation instructions don't mention anything about the rope. Grrr

 

I suspect and hope you're right. I can't see the SN but I have confirmed the wiring is correct at the battery and the winch motor. I'll be calling Warn shortly.

 

Here is a link to the instructions for replacing the rope on the Super Duty Winch.
https://performanceparts.ford.com/do...TWR_041322.PDF

Please note this warning:

WARNING: Always wind the winch rope on top of drum. Super Duty application only.

Our winch is a custom unit to fit behind the SD bumper. And I can confirm that mine is wound on top of drum and that that direction corresponds to the “reel in” direction on the winch controller.

 

EXCELLENT REFERENCE, Steve, thank you!

AND...I just got off the phone with Warn...further confirmation: In essence, the "factory" installation on SDs mounts the winch upside down, so spooling onto the top of the drum IS actually doing it correctly. Running the rope at an angle over the fairlead lip at full tension would be a very bad idea.

He said normally when you face the front bumper the clutch lever is on the right. On this installation it's on the left = updside down winch.

Thanks for all the quick replies!

 

Yeah, I saved the file because it has good info on spooling the rope onto the drum correctly.