Options when an electric winch is not possible

[Lindenwood]

I honestly think you'd be better served by practicing with your hi-lift winching kit, and learning what kind of techniques (...like winching backwards...) and accessories you could get (winch extension, a snatch block with a separate winch rope, etc) would be most useful. Otherwise, you'll spend $500-$1500 on this custom winch setup and probably use it once a year.

I have openly admitted to somewhat eating my words on this subject, but I am still generally "anti-winch." Out of I think 9 or 10 recoveries I've done in offroading, I have used a winch only one of those. The time I used it was on my most recent recovery, and 1) I was absolutely asking for it ("hey Skeeter, watch this!," and 2) I could have used my recovery boards or hi-lift winching kit but chose to use the winch because it seemed easiest for that particular situation (which it was). Of course, I do have a winch, but I absolutely think they are over-rated.

In any case, if you end up getting something that rides in the back until you need it, just be aware of the dangers of trudging around in deep mud or over loose rocks while carrying 100lb of bulky steel. Seems like a great way to end up with a broken foot or a big, bleeding shin gash.

 

[Cpyonker]

You could also use one of the trailer hitch winch plates, providing you have a hitch receiver, then you could put it wherever in the rig when not in use.

 

[WILLD420]

I am biased toward having one. We are a little different in our wheeling choices though. In the wheeler, we go places we should'nt quite often. We also wheel on snow, so a winch is something that gets used every trip, sometimes many times per day. For exploring, a stuck that takes hours of shoveling and stacking can often be undone with a few minutes. Most of that is hooking and unhooking.

I am such a believer in a winch, I would carry a portable mount and configure a way to have it attached only with straps or chains if my ride couldn't have one permanently mounted.

I lived most of my youth without one and let me tell you, after you dig for most of 2 days and blow up expensive parts trying to get out of a hole you didn't know was there (underground spring.) A winch would have saved us thousands of dollars in lost time and effort.

The history of man is full of expedition stories that turned into rescues. So far, I've never needed to be rescued but I have seen many who were.

 

[Darthwj913]

In the 12 years of offroading I have had to be winched 4 times but I can not tell you how many times we have had to winch others in very hairy situations in nasty mud, on rocks, or in snow. Traction Boards are great, Comealongs/Highlift winching works good. Nothing is superior to a trusty winch and line when your by yourself and just push a button and save hours of digging and moving and etc. Put a winch on your jeep you will not regret it. IF funds are the issue Take a look at ENGO winches. I have a SR9000 on my 01 WJ and have used it for several things. Only 400 bucks with synth line. Its a cheaper option and I will probably get some frowns for saying that but I couldn't afford a warn when I got my Engo. It does come with a lifetime Mech warranty and a year electrical warranty. What i'm saying is I would not want to go out in the back country without it. You never know when you will need it.

 

[Smileyshaun]

I think something to consider is the amount of stuck your going to get , stuck in a renegade is going to be a different stuck then say a jeep Rubicon. In all actuality a good quality atv winch and a snatch block will drag that renegade out of most any situation it will get itself into . Look into a good atv winch like a Superwinch Terra 4 or a WARN Vantage . It will be easier to hide up behind the factory bumper and keep weight down to a minimum .

 

[4xFar Adventures]

I'll be teaching recovery classes at Off The Grid this weekend, with a focus on the electric winch, Hi-Lift, and Maxtrax.

Do not buy an ATV winch for your vehicle, unless your vehicle is an ATV!!!

If money is the biggest concern/hurdle, then wait a little longer and save more money. It doesn't sound like you are in desperate need of a winch, so take your time and buy the right equipment for the job. Buy once, cry once! My recommendation is always the same for recovery equipment, buy the highest quality gear you can afford (that doesn't mean the most expensive). I would recommend a used Warn or Superwinch from Craigslist over a brand new winch from an obscure company. How many brands offer a full catalog of replacement parts? Not many. If your random $350 winch breaks, you're pretty much looking at buying a new winch. Are you going to buy the same winch or a better one?

Synthetic rope is awesome, but don't feel you HAVE to have it on the drum when you get a winch. If it adds 50% to the purchase cost over a winch with steel cable, make the upgrade later.

Some basic info when selecting a winch:

*Your battery should have at least 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and the electrical system should be in good running order.
*The winch should be rated at least 1.5x the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). No need to go overboard though!
*Try to get a Series wound motor instead of a permanent magnetic motor. Permanent magnet = light - medium pulls, can overheat easily so check duty cycle, over time and use magnets lose their field strength. Series wound = heavy duty pulls, higher amperage draw but runs cooler, more efficient, field coil does not lose strength over time and use.
*Wireless controllers and electric clutches are the latest tech, but you still want something that can use a wired controller and has a manual clutch lever.
*Mount the winch (or winch tray) to the frame and use automotive grade hardware.
*Make sure you have good visibility of the drum from a distance. Discreet mounted winches make this impossible, and getting to the clutch lever can be tricky.
*Respool the winch under tension before using it for a real recovery. You want about 500 lbs of pulling force when doing this. A small incline works well. If the ground is flat, use a little foot (or parking) brake to get some tension on the line.
*Get proper training before using the winch! This is the most overlooked part of buying a winch. There's a lot to know when using it and setting up the rigging. You don't want to learn lessons the hard way.

 

[Lindenwood]

Oh! FWIW. I put a 3000lb winch on my ~2100lb Suzuki Samurai and it was pretty much useless in any mud that was also thick enough to get my otherwise-capable Samurai stu k (2100pbs on 31" MTs with a rear locker!). This was due to a combination of the super-short 30ft line, and the still-low pulling capacity. I had to save for months to get the winch in the first place, so buying winch extension lines wasnt an easy option at the time.

 

[Boostpowered]

I use a 8000lb hand winch from harbor freight. Works way better than a hi lift only cost me $25 on sale. I dont need to worry about a winch motor going bad or the weight on front end, i also wanted to keep my stock bumper until it gets ripped off.

 

[Fozzy325]

So getting a winch on my rig is not a feasible option. I won’t get into the all the reasons for this, as there are several but the main one is weight of the winch and a bumper on my front end (my rig is a Jeep Renegade Trailhawk). I already have a Hi-Lift with winch kit, but I am wondering if I need something more. I have been looking at a winch-in-a-box (link below). These things are really designed for use on ATVs (4000 lbs pull) but since my rig has a curb weight of only 3,500 lbs I’m thinking this might be workable. Especially with a snatch block. Other benefits would be the capability to winch from any direction since it’s not hard installed. Thoughts?

https://superwinch.com/collections/superwinch-portable-winches/products/superwinch-winch2go-synthetic-rope-1140232

I have just purchased this as I can’t mount a winch at this moment. If I can not directly pull it I will use pulleys to do what I need.

SUPERWINCH WINCH2GO SERIES
https://superwinch.global/products/superwinch-winch2go

 

[Fozzy325]

I'll be teaching recovery classes at Off The Grid this weekend, with a focus on the electric winch, Hi-Lift, and Maxtrax.

Do not buy an ATV winch for your vehicle, unless your vehicle is an ATV!!!

If money is the biggest concern/hurdle, then wait a little longer and save more money. It doesn't sound like you are in desperate need of a winch, so take your time and buy the right equipment for the job. Buy once, cry once! My recommendation is always the same for recovery equipment, buy the highest quality gear you can afford (that doesn't mean the most expensive). I would recommend a used Warn or Superwinch from Craigslist over a brand new winch from an obscure company. How many brands offer a full catalog of replacement parts? Not many. If your random $350 winch breaks, you're pretty much looking at buying a new winch. Are you going to buy the same winch or a better one?

Synthetic rope is awesome, but don't feel you HAVE to have it on the drum when you get a winch. If it adds 50% to the purchase cost over a winch with steel cable, make the upgrade later.

Some basic info when selecting a winch:

*Your battery should have at least 650 CCA (Cold Cranking Amps) and the electrical system should be in good running order.
*The winch should be rated at least 1.5x the GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating). No need to go overboard though!
*Try to get a Series wound motor instead of a permanent magnetic motor. Permanent magnet = light - medium pulls, can overheat easily so check duty cycle, over time and use magnets lose their field strength. Series wound = heavy duty pulls, higher amperage draw but runs cooler, more efficient, field coil does not lose strength over time and use.
*Wireless controllers and electric clutches are the latest tech, but you still want something that can use a wired controller and has a manual clutch lever.
*Mount the winch (or winch tray) to the frame and use automotive grade hardware.
*Make sure you have good visibility of the drum from a distance. Discreet mounted winches make this impossible, and getting to the clutch lever can be tricky.
*Respool the winch under tension before using it for a real recovery. You want about 500 lbs of pulling force when doing this. A small incline works well. If the ground is flat, use a little foot (or parking) brake to get some tension on the line.
*Get proper training before using the winch! This is the most overlooked part of buying a winch. There's a lot to know when using it and setting up the rigging. You don't want to learn lessons the hard way.

I understand what you are saying for direct pulling for a winch. For me to get a winch I will need to replace my full front end. This means that I will need to wait about 10 months prior to having a self rescue kit.
I could buy a 2 ton hand winch for the same price but I would still be using pulleys to achieve the same result.

What do you think about this?

 

[Boostpowered]

just get a hand winch that will pull more than the max load weight for your vehicle. My trucks max load out without a trailer is 7700 lbs so i chose a 8000lb hand winch. Some of the benefits of the hand winch are, not having 300lbs of metal on the front end, you can winch in any direction, the winch doesn't sit out in the elements. The downsides are the cable is normally only 10ft so get stuck close to a tree, probably the bigget pitfall is having to winch by hand but if you dont mind growing muscles its not a big deal.

 

[Plasmajab]

^ This is ideal, I have one of these, used use it on my vitara more often then what I'd like to admit. Dont forget some good towstraps/ tree straps!

 

[Salvat]

What are some options to extend the cable length? I know you can’t just add more cable to the spool, but is it feasible to put a tow strap onto the cable hook and then to your rig/tree?

 

[Boostpowered]

What are some options to extend the cable length? I know you can’t just add more cable to the spool, but is it feasible to put a tow strap onto the cable hook and then to your rig/tree?

yep either extra straps, chains or use a land anchor

 

[MtnManAlex]

So I think I found what I’m going to do. Apparently the Daystar winch Mount can be removed when not needed, leaving only the recovery point brackets. These brackets attached directly to the factory recover hook mounts. This will allow me to take a winch when needed and not carry around the extra weight on a daily basis. Thanks to all that offered advice!

If you go with this Daystar winch bumper I'd be curious to see a review. The Renegade suspension seems robust enough that I don't think the added weight would be noticeable up front (but I could be wrong). To me it looks like a semi-permanent add-on; I wouldn't want to unbolt and unplug the winch for every trip.

Keep the updates coming! There isn't a lot of good information or reviews for Renegade mods and I'm starting to build one.

 

[Salvat]

If you go with this Daystar winch bumper I'd be curious to see a review. The Renegade suspension seems robust enough that I don't think the added weight would be noticeable up front (but I could be wrong). To me it looks like a semi-permanent add-on; I wouldn't want to unbolt and unplug the winch for every trip.

Keep the updates coming! There isn't a lot of good information or reviews for Renegade mods and I'm starting to build one.

I know a few people that have had the daystar winch mount for a few years now and they love it. I just didn’t know it was removable! I’m probably still a few months away from getting this done but when I do I’ll give an update.

 

[scalman]

hi lift jack will be your best manual winch if needed. just need extra straps, chains , etc .

 

[4xFar Adventures]

hi lift jack will be your best manual winch if needed. just need extra straps, chains , etc .

And a sucker, err I mean, assistant to operate the handle!

 

[JungleSkunk]

You are better off with a manual "come a long" type hand pulled winch than attempting to winch with a jack.

Have you ever been stuck by yourself and had to use a hi lift as a winch!? It is no fun at all. I am a veteran pushing 6'1" and 240lbs and it is not an easy task. Yes it is possible to use your hi lift as a winch but if you have ever been in a position where you had to it never goes as smooth as the demonstration videos. There is never an anchor point in the right spot and off angle winching with a hi lift can get dangerous.

A hi lift will work but If you are looking for a hand tool for winching a come a long is your ticket.

 

[scalman]

bought come along before hi lift like that but it broke frist try and later when i fixed it couldnt move car from stuck position. so those just for light winching, hi lift is for hard stuff. but first lift car with hi lift not tow.