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Winch connectors

CyberSniper

CyberSniper

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Let's pick the MileMarker 12,000lb electric winch. It has a 5.5hp motor. That's roughly 4100 watts. 4100 watts / 12.6 volts = 325 amps.

Many winches actually start to draw more current than that. Many of the ~5hp winches actually pull over 400amps at their rated load (I've seen a 400amp ammeter get pegged). Some of them approach 500amps just before stalling (going by what I've read on the internet).

Most winch disconnects seem to use the 175amp connectors.

Are these 175amp connectors sufficient? They seem to be pretty standard.

I'm going to be purchasing the wiring aspect of a winch pretty soon. I'd like to use the 175amp connectors because they're standard but I don't need cooked terminals or a voltage drop because of them. I'm going to have to buy 4 connectors as it is (which gets kind of pricey) and I don't really want to buy another 350amp one and a 175amp one to convert so my winch can be used on another vehicle. Depending on how the winch is wired I might have to buy 2 more connectors to swap polarity in case someone else wired differently than me.

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I used welding connectors, they aren't as weather proof but I just have the female set in my engine bay and a long - fat extension cord made out of welding wire to reach the back of the truck or the trailer. It seems to work pretty well and it was cheaper than the high amperage quick connectors. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
Is that 175 amp rating constant duty or peak? If its constant duty, that means for short periods of time, it can handle a larger load. That might be how they get away with it.
 
Continuous.

Yeah, I know for short periods they can handle it. However, there can be a voltage drop across the connector if it is the bottleneck in the system. You need a certain surface area to transfer a certain amount of current. Plus, when they get hot they get even hotter and hotter until something cooks. I was wondering if these connectors are underrated enough to handle the abuse of 400amps being put through them without losing voltage. A sure sign of a failed connector is if it gets toasty or has arcing marks.

Most of these kits were designed back when a 3.2hp motor was a big motor. That'd be 190amps.
 
Also keep in mind that the winch will rarely draw full current for more than a few seconds at a time. Most pulls are just enough to get the truck out of a tricky spot, so the winch may actually only be pulling at 15-25% of its rating. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
 
Wrath,
Where are you getting those from? I need some connectors similar to those for my quick-release jumper cable system I'm cooking up.
Thanks
 
Oooh, that's purdy /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif What fun is it if you don't do it yourself, though?

I already have everything I need, short of the quick disconnects. I got about 30 feet of #0 or so battery cable for free, so I'm gonna go with that. Thanks though.
 
Last time I checked, those connecters weren't exactly cheap. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
OK i got a crazy idea there cybersniper /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Bring some connectors into the lab in the basement of the EERC and see if we can run some serious power through them. We just need a prof dumb enough to let us wheelers in there!
 
That's the exact thing I have going, I got the cradle and cables from Mudzer, and I bought the MME1200. you'd have to ask Mudz for the particulars, but the winch fits on the cradle, and the cables are all some huge fine strand welderoo type stuff

I can get pics if need be
 
Well, I'm sure Mike or John will let me do anything stupid I want down there. After all, I have keys to just about anything in the EERC. The power lab has some bitchin' equipment but none of it is DC. We could steal the 175amp connectors from the Robotics team (they use them to connect their batteries to Veronica and whatever the new robot is called). /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Keep in mind that while math might put that 5.5 HP motor at 325 amps, nothing is 100% efficient, and that's why prior to stalling you've seen those high current draws.
 
Summit has that kit for $157.69.

I have ~40' of 2/0 welding cable I picked up for free. Locally you can get 1/0 for around $1.50/foot.

The connectors are going to be the most expensive part and that's why I don't want to redo it. The big connectors are pretty big, they're the ones you find on fork trucks.
 
Is the cradle the Warn multimount one? They make a passthrough multimount that you can use for loading a trailer too.

I figured I'd end up welding one up but I need some ideas. I'm surprised RezzyFab hasn't been marketing them. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Summit has that kit for $157.69.

[/ QUOTE ]
/forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif OhMyGawd! Someone at Painless is smokin' crack! /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif
 
A crappy "universal" electric motor is around 90% efficient. Synchronous motors approach the 99.5% area.

I believe the 5.5hp rating is how much power it produces at the rated RPM. As the RPM goes down current is more prone to flow through the motor like a short, especially a series wound one. Usually motors are rated based on how much torque at a selected RPM. Just like with gas motors, it's the horsepower that sells.
 
That is cool that Electric motors are that efficient. I had no idea.

However, all that heat comes from somewhere. I suppose when you're talking 400 amps though, there's going to be all kinds of heat anyway.

I have these visions of melting the insulation off the cables one day. /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
I figured I'd end up welding one up but I need some ideas. I'm surprised RezzyFab hasn't been marketing them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Rezzymetal/fab is sitting alone in the corner of a cold shop wondering what the hell he got into, I market nothing... *sigh*

ANYWAY, I belive Mudzer tol me it was a Ramsey? Not a Warn, I know that....

Imma have SIDE mounts on my flatbed for righting the flipped bugger, I'll just leave the cable to the rear a bit loose as to be moved around
 
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