Topic: Added winch...wiring upgrade?

[czjeeper]

So my wife bought me the Harbor Freight 8k (please no HF bashing) yesterday for my b-day. Thanks sweetie!
I'm pretty excited...never had a winch before.
Last winter I upgraded to a 140 amp alternator, Taurus fan, and an Optima red top battery (I know, shoulda boughta yellow top). I remember reading that I should upgrade to a larger gauge wire for the alternator, but can't seem to find much info on this. Any help?

[chrisfranklin]

Hey I'll take that HF 8000.  I heard those were Mile Markers anyway.   

[czjeeper]

I compared it to a guy's Mile Marker, and besides the stickers, I couldn't tell any difference.
Got it on sale for $299, and the guy threw in the 2 year warranty ($80) for free!

[sharpxmen]

So my wife bought me the Harbor Freight 8k (please no HF bashing) yesterday for my b-day. Thanks sweetie!
I'm pretty excited...never had a winch before.
Last winter I upgraded to a 140 amp alternator, Taurus fan, and an Optima red top battery (I know, shoulda boughta yellow top). I remember reading that I should upgrade to a larger gauge wire for the alternator, but can't seem to find much info on this. Any help?

not sure what year is your YJ but on mine ('95) the alternator is connected to the battery thru two 50 amp fuses at the PDC in front of the battery - i think the stock alternator was 90amp - like you i got the 140amp off a Gran Cher (i think) and the first time in needed all those amps I blew both fuses - adding a second wire in parallel to the existing one directly to the + of the battery with a 50amp inline fuse on it will solve this problem - your total will be 150 amp at that point (make sure the other 2 are in good working order). there are other solutions but this is the easiest way i think.

of course, all this in case you have the same type of wiring as i do - i've been told that some years don't have a fuse on the alt output and that it goes directly to the battery (or on the main feed at the starter motor rather).

[aw12345]

 I would leave the wiring alone for now and install the winch make sure you secure the large cables to the winch so the insulation doesn't rub on anything. Then see where it goes, I have used the snot out of my winch and the stock wiring to the alternator holds up fine, as a matter of fact the later stock alternator keep up fairly well if you keep revving the engine on long pulls. When doing trail repair work and building a rock garden  as well as pulling trees to block bypasses we used winches for long periods on end till the got seriously hot, yet the charging system kept up enough to not deplete the battery or make the charge wire to hot. So just try it as is, I am pretty sure you will be fine. Oem wiring is often better than add ons

[czjeeper]

not sure what year is your YJ but on mine ('95) the alternator is connected to the battery thru two 50 amp fuses at the PDC in front of the battery - i think the stock alternator was 90amp - like you i got the 140amp off a Gran Cher (i think) and the first time in needed all those amps I blew both fuses - adding a second wire in parallel to the existing one directly to the + of the battery with a 50amp inline fuse on it will solve this problem - your total will be 150 amp at that point (make sure the other 2 are in good working order). there are other solutions but this is the easiest way i think.

of course, all this in case you have the same type of wiring as i do - i've been told that some years don't have a fuse on the alt output and that it goes directly to the battery (or on the main feed at the starter motor rather).

I've got a '92 YJ.
I've poked around at the wiring, but it's wrapped in a loom. Before tearing it apart I wanted to know what needed replaced.
OT: is that a Dana 35 brace?

[neale_rs]

Stock should work fine as long as you have a good battery.  Many local jeepers just hook them up and don't even bother to upgrade the battery.  With occasional use, this works just fine too.

[Jeffy]

YJ's stock alternator is 65amp with an option for a 90amp.  Stock TJ's are 90amp with a option for a 117amp.  Big difference between them.

I haven't had any problems with my 170a and stock wiring so far.

[sharpxmen]

Stock should work fine as long as you have a good battery.  Many local jeepers just hook them up and don't even bother to upgrade the battery.  With occasional use, this works just fine too.

i don't necessarily disagree with you but it happened to me to blow both fuses - the most you can put out if you don't upgrade the connection between the alternator and battery (in my case on a '95YJ) is 100amp - the point in having a 140amp alternator is to make use of those amps if needed, if i don't upgrade then might as well stay with stock alt (90 amp in my case) as it will blow the fuses otherwise. If you are under the 100 amp then you're fine but that's the most you can use out of the 140.

not sure how his alternator to battery connection is so this could not even apply to him.

EDIT: and in case he's alternator output goes straight to the battery or starter then you're absolutely correct, the stock should be fine - in my case it's fused so limited to the size of the fuse(s)

[sharpxmen]

I've got a '92 YJ.
I've poked around at the wiring, but it's wrapped in a loom. Before tearing it apart I wanted to know what needed replaced.

don't tear it apart, you can identify the wire that comes out of the alternator and goes to the PDC (fuse and relay block) close to the battery. The goal is to add another wire with another 50 amp fuse on it so your total is 150 vs 100 - replacing the wire that goes to the PDC from the alternator will not solve the problem. Again, that is in case your harness is similar to mine and my personal opinion, other guys here are saying that is not necessary but i still think that if you have it makes sense to be able to use it to the full potential.

OT: is that a Dana 35 brace?

yeah, check my drivetrain upgrades thread in the member's projects section - there's more on it there (close to the end) - hope to have some more done on it this weekend or next.

[jfrabat]

I just added a wire to the stock one on mine; no fuses, just ran it directly from the alternator to the battery.  I also kept the stock wire; I figured there is no need to remove it, and it was easier to just leave it in...

[neale_rs]

i don't necessarily disagree with you but it happened to me to blow both fuses - the most you can put out if you don't upgrade the connection between the alternator and battery (in my case on a '95YJ) is 100amp - the point in having a 140amp alternator is to make use of those amps if needed, if i don't upgrade then might as well stay with stock alt (90 amp in my case) as it will blow the fuses otherwise. If you are under the 100 amp then you're fine but that's the most you can use out of the 140.

not sure how his alternator to battery connection is so this could not even apply to him.

EDIT: and in case he's alternator output goes straight to the battery or starter then you're absolutely correct, the stock should be fine - in my case it's fused so limited to the size of the fuse(s)

I wasn't considering a higher output alternator, just the stock one.  I didn´t even know about those fuses!

[sharpxmen]

I wasn't considering a higher output alternator, just the stock one.  I didn´t even know about those fuses!

i see - he said he upgraded his alternator to 140amp so that's what my post was related to. I didn't know about those fuses either, i found out when i blew them - thought it was a straight connection to the battery like on other vehicles i had but i was wrong :)

[czjeeper]

Well, what I did was run a 4 gauge wire piggybacked on the alternator stud to the battery.
Seems fine.
I took a reading with all my accessories running, and I'm getting 14.5 volts at the battery.