What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

question on winch ground

BobK

BobK

1/2 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Oct 5, 2000
Posts
1,613
Reaction score
10
Location
Petrolia,Ontario,Canada
Does a winch ground NEED to be made at the battery or can you ground it to the frame.
I have a 2g ground strap going from the battery to the frame already.

I'm redoing the route of my winch cables and it would clean things up a little if I could ground it to the frame.
 
All most forgot.........Nice Rig /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif /forums/images/graemlins/k5.gif
 
I think by bouncing around he means from connection to connection and so on.

To the battery is the best place to ground the winch. A frame makes for a terrible wire.
 
[ QUOTE ]
What do you mean by bouncing around?

[/ QUOTE ]

What I mean by is that current takes the path of least resistance. That isn't necessarily up that bare wire when you've got 450 amps flowing to that winch. That means that current is flowing all over the place on your truck, looking for a path back to the battery. That doesn't even mention the voltage drop on the additional connectors.
 
[ QUOTE ]
That means that current is flowing all over the place on your truck, looking for a path back to the battery.

[/ QUOTE ]

Current will not flow all over looking for a path to the battery as it has no ability to turn around and look elsewhere. It will only flow where there is a potential difference, where it knows for sure that work can be acomplished. If the electrical requirements are satisfied by the framerail there will be no potential difference and thus the current will not deviate from that framerail.

Would I ground a winch to the frame? No. Not because I fear current traveling all over my truck, but because the resistance created by connceting terminals to the framerail would require the battery to supply much more amperage than what the winch would draw, especially after these connctions become corroded.
 
Little bit of a hijack here but just curious how yall got your starter motor grounded?
 
[ QUOTE ]
Little bit of a hijack here but just curious how yall got your starter motor grounded?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's bolted to the engine block.

A starter pulls about 150 amps though, not 500.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
That means that current is flowing all over the place on your truck, looking for a path back to the battery.

[/ QUOTE ]

Current will not flow all over looking for a path to the battery as it has no ability to turn around and look elsewhere. It will only flow where there is a potential difference, where it knows for sure that work can be acomplished. If the electrical requirements are satisfied by the framerail there will be no potential difference and thus the current will not deviate from that framerail.

Would I ground a winch to the frame? No. Not because I fear current traveling all over my truck, but because the resistance created by connceting terminals to the framerail would require the battery to supply much more amperage than what the winch would draw, especially after these connctions become corroded.

[/ QUOTE ]

#1, there is a "potential difference" aka voltage everywhere. Every piece of metal on your truck is a potential ground until either enough current flows through it to burn it up. Ask my how I know.

#2 We'd like to think that the electrical requirements would be fulfilled by the frame rail but the reality is that the current will find elsewhere to flow.

#3, With more resistance, LESS current will flow, not more. That is simple ohms law.
 
I have my Ramsey RE12000 grounded to the frame and haven't had any problems during winching or normal operations.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Little bit of a hijack here but just curious how yall got your starter motor grounded?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's bolted to the engine block.

A starter pulls about 150 amps though, not 500.

[/ QUOTE ]

Every vehicle I work on from now on will end up with a battery cable going directly from the battery ground to the bolt that holds the starter on. It makes a big difference in my experience. Hijack off.
 
I guess I'm lucky--I grounded the winch on my trucks crane directly to the frame and it works ok,a bit sluggish perhaps,but its always lifted whatever I hooked to it--I bet it would work a lot better if it had a nice welding cable to both ground and positive--but I dont have unlimited funds for that stuff,especially when it gets used only ocasionally --crazy:
 
Besides, I don't know about the other winch companies, but warn will not warranty a winch if both cables are not on the battery. Others might be the same way /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
I got it all completed,works like a charm.
I went directly to the battery.
Replaced the orig. ground and power wires with 2g welding cable.
Crimped and soldered on some new terminal ends and that was that.
Routed the wires out of the way and secured them to the rad. core.
Here's a couple pic's
DSCN1547-vi.jpg


DSCN1535-vi.jpg


DSCN1538-vi.jpg


DSCN1546-vi.jpg
 
One thing you might want to Consider on your set up, have you ever seen Batterys on a Electric tow motor? they use a big plug in connector from the battery pack to the power cables. when I get my winch mounted I am going to buy these connectors and install them by the winch. Would be a great thing for saftey in case on an Emergency.
 
That's where my friggin winch went. Ha. Seriously though. looks good. Let me know how you like that model. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Little bit of a hijack here but just curious how yall got your starter motor grounded?

[/ QUOTE ]

It's bolted to the engine block.

A starter pulls about 150 amps though, not 500.

[/ QUOTE ]

Every vehicle I work on from now on will end up with a battery cable going directly from the battery ground to the bolt that holds the starter on. It makes a big difference in my experience. Hijack off.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll try it. Sounds like a good idea to prevent voltage drop between motor and the wire.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom