Which Winch

[BigBadDodge]

I need to mount a winch on the front of my gooseneck trailer to get the sled puller up on it in case I break something. The truck wieghs in at 8000lbs which size winch would I need? a 8000lb one? is it that easy? the truck would be free rolling up a incline should I go with a 9000lb? what are some things to look for when shopping for a winch? brand names?



Any help would be greatly appriciated



BBD

 

[COBRAJET]

That is pretty easy work as far as a winch is concerned. I would look for one with a fast pull speed. The WARN 8274 is VERY fast... may be the fastest. I have had one for over 15 years on a Scout and have replaced one solenoid in that time. It is rated at 8K but I have seen it perform near miracles with what I assume is an underated 8K. It is kind of pricey. Any of the name brand 8K's would work fine... just pay attention to amp draw. Some of the 8K's get by with questionable motors. Look for a high amp motor... it will last in the long run. You can always double up the line and increase the pulling power and speed but it is kind of a pain when it is not a short pull.

 

[McCRam]

My plan is to get a 9000 lb winch on portable mount so I can use it on the vehicles as well. But to answer your question you don't need one that big. I pulled a hayhand about 15k on to the trailer using a 1500lb winch. It did the job very slowly, and would only move it with a double line. I think it would pull a dodge up fairly well. However, if I were to get a dedicated trailer winch, I would go for a 2500 or bigger.

 

[HGreen]

Do a google search on winches, there are some formulas out there for calcuating your needs, I believe Warn's site contains some examples. The angle of the ramps figure into the formula. I have a small Warn 4000 lb UTE winch that I have used to load rolling cars and trucks on a gooseneck and my present car trailer. If I recall correctly, my Warn winch is good for around 8,000 rolling load up the ramps. My advice is to get the largest you can afford, you never know when the load may not be rolling, like locked axles.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

check out TDR#47, p. 14.