Battery Relocating

The Luke · Jun 28, 2019

Like normal, i think i'm over thinking this. But I want to move the battery out from under the hood, to the back of the jeep.

Here's what i'm thinking, remove all cables currently on battery (Main, winch, aux fuse block) and relocate to battery posts under the hood. Then two cables(pos/neg) ran back to the battery with a disconnect in the middle near the center console.

The only issue i see here is the winch cables tied to the posts instead of straight to the battery. Thoughts? Past experience?

617_Racing · Jun 28, 2019

I run my winch power lead to the starter terminal. Just use adequate wire, I use some large welding lead cable/wire I got off of amazon. I don't remember the gauge right off hand though.

I've also wired up a friend's the same with no issues. So I don't see what you've got in mind being an issue as long as the wiring is up to task.

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waggener1 · Jun 28, 2019

In my previous buggy, I had my batteries mounted just behind the seats. I too ran one large cable up to the starter and piggy-backed my winch cable at the starter solenoid stud. I never had any problems, and if I recall correctly, I used 1AWG welding lead.

Wirebarn.com has an easy-to-use calculator to help you determine wire gauge based on circuit length and amp draw.
https://www.wirebarn.com/Wire-Calculator-_ep_41.html

The Luke · Jun 28, 2019

Wire size shouldn't be an issue. I just recently went through and upgraded everything from the stock 8-10 gauge to 2-4 depending on what/where it was. Sounds good to me though. I'll get a couple posts ordered and get to moving that thing.

TBItoy · Jun 28, 2019

I used a 300A continuous (900A for 30 sec rated) Bluesea disconnect on the Gremlin to hook the winch to.

No issues, and that thing was always on the hook

FlatlandFSJ · Jun 28, 2019

Most of the stuff I wire will use a pair of posts up near the center of all the wiring to cut down on multiple heavy gauge runs back and forth. I tend to wire winches straight to battery, large fuse if you wanted.
Thought behind hooking winch up separate is that if harness is broken, or something burns in the main wiring you would still be able to winch the buggy around without having to put power into the fusebox,computer,switches and risk burning up more ****.

waggener1 · Jun 28, 2019

TBItoy said:
I used a 300A continuous (900A for 30 sec rated) Bluesea disconnect on the Gremlin to hook the winch to.

No issues, and that thing was always on the hook

What size winch? I have always thought a disconnect inline with the winch was a good idea just in case a solenoid sticks closed. But, based on Warn's published amp draw values for my 9.5ti, I haven't been comfortable with the possibility of passing 400+ amps of current through a disconnect rated for 300 - 350A. Granted, it wouldn't be for more than 5 - 10 seconds at a time... unless there was a solenoid failure.

The Luke · Jun 28, 2019

I read a thing somewhere about that happening. Solenoid stuck, winch kept going. Started shorting, melting wires, dang near burned the rig down because they couldn't get to the battery since the vehicle was moving toward whatever it was attached to and they had to have tools to remove terminal.

waggener1 · Jun 28, 2019

The Luke said:
I read a thing somewhere about that happening. Solenoid stuck, winch kept going. Started shorting, melting wires, dang near burned the rig down because they couldn't get to the battery since the vehicle was moving toward whatever it was attached to and they had to have tools to remove terminal.

I've only heard about it happening; never witnessed it. But, as you can imagine, that situation could never end well.

TBItoy · Jun 29, 2019

waggener1 said:
What size winch? I have always thought a disconnect inline with the winch was a good idea just in case a solenoid sticks closed. But, based on Warn's published amp draw values for my 9.5ti, I haven't been comfortable with the possibility of passing 400+ amps of current through a disconnect rated for 300 - 350A. Granted, it wouldn't be for more than 5 - 10 seconds at a time... unless there was a solenoid failure.

I think it was a xrc8 smittybilt. May have been smaller. I remember looking it up and it pulled 350+ A at full load.

That blue sea disconnect is rated 900A for 30 seconds and 500A intermittent (whatever that means)

We had a solenoid hang on a buddy's Jeep on Winchin Churchill at GMP.

It turned an easy pull into a scary situation really fast

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The Luke · Jun 29, 2019

TBItoy said:
We had a solenoid hang on a buddy's Jeep on Winchin Churchill at GMP.

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RIP

ForMud · Jul 2, 2019

The Luke said:
I read a thing somewhere about that happening. Solenoid stuck, winch kept going. Started shorting, melting wires, dang near burned the rig down because they couldn't get to the battery since the vehicle was moving toward whatever it was attached to and they had to have tools to remove terminal.

Happened to a friend of mine while winching out at the end of Your Turn at Harlan......Scared me enough to put a disconnect on mine.