Relocating winch control box

MountaineerTom

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If I were to relocate my control box under my hood, would I need larger sized cables that go from the box to the winch?

Or just longer versions of the same sized cables?
 
Which winch really does matter, but might as well built according to max load for "most" 8000 lb winches.

At 8000lbs+ pulls 'most' (warn, smittybuilt, ramsey, etc) will top out at well under 500 amps in the very worst of conditions.

This will allow you use 3.5ft of 2awg cable with less than 2% voltage drop in any circumstance you can use the winch in.
About 4ft of 2awg at 450 amps.
 
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It's a WARN 1st Gen VR8000 with steel cable, but I just bought the WARN Control Pack Upgrade Kit. I don't know a lot of technical details, but know it has an Albright contactor. I'm pretty certain the cables from the control pack to the winch are no longer than the current wires I have on it.

Mine looks like the top pic (except steel cable), but the kit I bought looks like the bottom. I ultimately want to move that control pack behind the passengers side headlight.

1606285597884.png

1606285639417.png
 
I've read welding cable is a good choice because of it's flexibility, so I guess once I know the exact length and size cable I need, I might be able to get one of the local welding shops to cut and crimp some ends on. I haven't measured yet, but I'm guessing it would be around 3 feet needed, maybe slightly more.
 
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Why are you trying to relocate it? If it’s the newer contactor it is already going to be sealed from the elements. I would just install it per the kit instructions and use the wiring they provided.
 
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Why are you trying to relocate it? If it’s the newer contactor it is already going to be sealed from the elements. I would just install it per the kit instructions and use the wiring they provided.

I like the look without it. Cleaner looking front end.
 
I've read welding cable is a good choice because of it's flexibility, so I guess once I know the exact length and size cable I need, I might be able to get one of the local welding shops to cut and crimp some ends on. I haven't measured yet, but I'm guessing it would be around 3 feet needed, maybe slightly more.
👍🏻
 
Use the same size that “currently” run to your battery from the winch and you can’t go wrong.
I guess I never paid attention to them, but the positive and negative cables must typically be a bigger size than the ones from the winch to control box, is that correct?
 
I guess I never paid attention to them, but the positive and negative cables must typically be a bigger size than the ones from the winch to control box, is that correct?
They usually are. Now your pos+ will be shorter to the control pack but the leads to the winch will need to be the same size as it is.
 
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Welding cable is more flexible AND has finer and more strands of copper wire than battery cable. This will allow more current flow too. The jacket on welding cable is generally much more durable and abrasion resistant (chinese made excluded). Three good reasons to use welding cable.
 
I've heard that it's better to keep the controller with the winch vs. relocating it to under the hood where it's hotter and maybe too hot. Is there any truth to this? I've seen it done on many Jeeps so it's possible that what I heard was specific to certain vehicles.
 
It's a WARN 1st Gen VR8000 with steel cable, but I just bought the WARN Control Pack Upgrade Kit. I don't know a lot of technical details, but know it has an Albright contactor. I'm pretty certain the cables from the control pack to the winch are no longer than the current wires I have on it.

Mine looks like the top pic (except steel cable), but the kit I bought looks like the bottom. I ultimately want to move that control pack behind the passengers side headlight.


View attachment 205692

I'm 99% sure that kit uses 2awg cable.
 
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I've heard that it's better to keep the controller with the winch vs. relocating it to under the hood where it's hotter and maybe too hot. Is there any truth to this? I've seen it done on many Jeeps so it's possible that what I heard was specific to certain vehicles.
Probably not. The main heat/amp draw is generated by the solenoids, which have been mounted under the hood since the beginning of starters.
 
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Use the same size that “currently” run to your battery from the winch and you can’t go wrong.

So, it appears that what is on the positive and negative cables, as well as the 3 short cables from the control box that it currently on the Jeep (the 1st Gen VR8000) says 25mm2. When I looked that up online, it converts to 4 AWG.

So if I just got 3 cables about 3 feet long made in 4 AWG, that would be sufficient to relocate the new (on-the-way) upgraded control box under the hood behind the passengers side headlight? I measured and 3 feet is plenty long enough to work with.

Just to throw a wrench in there, what if I wanted to put it in the empty tray on the drivers side under the master cylinder?
 
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Just to throw a wrench in there, what if I wanted to put it in the empty tray on the drivers side under the master cylinder?
Not an expert, but I have read on other threads people wondering the same thing, and from what I remember, for the wires to span that distance they would have to be a lot thicker and that would make them very difficult to work with. Most people choose to put it behind the passenger headlight, or on a custom bracket the puts it next to the fusebox. This keeps the control pack in between the battery and the winch, which means minimal lengths on the wires.