I am thinking of purchasing a winch and mounting it to a 2x2 tongue and thus be able to use it by attaching it to the rear receiver on several different vehicles. Does anybody know of a quick connect for the very heavy welding cable I will have to run from the battery to the receiver hitch area on several vehicles? ANY suggestions on this entire procedure would be appreciated.
Tow truck drivers have quick connects for their battery jump cables. I think they cost about $100 per set plus wiring of course. A possible alternative may be connectors that are used by welders.
Sorry Grainger now longer offers them. Similar part numbers (not checked for availability) Anderson6321G1, Brad Harrison 48220, Systems material handling SY6321G1
I use the "blue" size which is rated at 350 amps and costs about $25. One is installed at each end of the JGC so I can use the winch on the front or rear receiver hitch. I also have a manual disconnect by the battery to cut off the power unless the winch is is use. the cable to the rear is fished thru the unibody frame rail.
The connectors used for the wrecker plug-in jumper cables are Anderson Powerpole connectors, and they are used on lots of heavy power connections. Jumper cables and electric forklift battery leads being just two. They are all universal, there are about six different sizes from 40A to 350A, and there are also knock-offs that mate properly. As long as you pick the right amperage class for all the items, they'll all work.
I did some Googling, and some Thomas Catalog looking, but they didn't pop into the first few hits. So here's a vendor:
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The welding style pin-lock connectors could be used, but in combinations of two or more they are NOT IDIOT PROOF! You can hook them up backwards, and that does wonderful things to the ECM computer and electronics of the car with a dead battery. Or you could jumper a hard short on the battery in the good vehicle...
In other words, they'll work fine as long as you are the only one that ever messes with them, and you never have a brain fart in the process. (Hey, we all have bad days.) But loan the car to Uncle Fred and they could screw it up in several inventive ways, the least destructive being to hook the power up backwards and tighten the winch when they hit the 'OUT' button and break the cable. Or strip a gear, pop the shear pin, drop a Buick on their foot... -->--
I have a Ramsey rep8000, I think I could pull my Wrangler up a tree with this thing. anyway I have setup the following which I have found works very well.
I used the Anderson powerpole 350a Connectors be sure to get all the same color connectors.
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to cables like
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a mount.
I hard wired one of the connectors to the front bumper Put 4 connectors on the jumper cables
What this gave me as a the best of all worlds. I can jump a car from my jeep without opening the hood. I can connect my wench directly to the front connector. When I hook up to the back I use the jumper cable (extension) I can put the wench on any anything with a 2 inch receiver and 12 volt battery. Since all my rigs have a 2 inch receiver, even my tractor. I have a lot of pull outside the house.
My suggestion would be to use the same kind of connectors used with a snow plow. They are plenty heavy duty to handle the amperage, easily connected and disconnected (push together and pull apart) and they are "idiot proof". You would be unable to cross connect the wiring. Use dielectric compound (electrical grease) and you should be good to go IMHO.
These came with my Warn multi-mount winch. I have one set on the front and one set on the rear of my F-350 and the same on my son's Dodge pickup, thus greatly increasing the utility of my winch. I'm in the process of adding them to the front and rear of my Rubicon. I also purchased jumper cables from Warn that use these connectors. Very useful.
I melted the alternator hot wire connection winching a stalled Bronco out of a mud hole...had to re-connected it with a small vise-grip to get myself back home.
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