Mile Marker Winch Setup

[wkpoor]

Today I got the winch set up on the trailer (No Pics of it yet). It is a 12,000 pound electric that I decided to do with advise from the forum over the hydraulic. My test pull was a Ford 3/4ton extend a cab with 460 engine and a welder in the back and an air compressor. So this was probably a very heavy truck. On a straight line pull the winch really pulled down alot. Motor got real hot too. Next we installed a snatch block. Even though that should have cut the load in half it still appeared to struggle. So far I'm not really all that impressed with the electric. It did make for an easier installation but I question the power issue. One thing is for sure. It would not work without a minimum of a 12,000lb winch. A 6 or 8 would be a joke. My winch tower was also a disappointment. There was a surprising amount of flex in the front of the trailer. There is a 10" with a 6" C channel welded on top plus bracing underneath and I couldn't believe the force trying to bend it over. I have already called the fab shop to remove what I have and start over with a new design for the winch mount which I'm sure will include lowering it some.

[kenmac]

I would call mile marker and ask about the winch. I had a mile marker 8000 lb that would pull anything I connected to. I even used it to pull good size trees out of the ground . roots and all. I once loaded a 3/4 ton chevy with a 454 on my trailer with ease

[kennyd]

How did you have it wired? What size and how long where the power cables? If the size is to small, then you could have voltage drop causing the excess heat buildup in the motor.

[Deerlope]

You need have at least #4 and maybe #2 wire all the way from your battery to the winch.I don't know why you didn't go with a hydraulic winch, you must have a power stering pump on your truck.

[kenmac]

I ran #4 welding cable from the front of my truck to the back with a quick connector . When I need to use my winch (on the trailer) I just plug in.

[Willl]

Originally Posted by Deerlope

I don't know why you didn't go with a hydraulic winch, you must have a power stering pump on your truck.

Would he not have to run hoses from the front of the truck, all the way back to the front of the trailer ?

Do you know of anybody with this kind of set up ?. If so, got pics ?

[Willl]

I'm also curious about your wiring setup wkpoor.

I'm running 4 gauge with a 3700 Warn Works on the end and have had excellent results.

[mwb]

Originally Posted by Willl

Would he not have to run hoses from the front of the truck, all the way back to the front of the trailer ?

Do you know of anybody with this kind of set up ?. If so, got pics ?

There is lots of info on the hydraulic set up available. Do some searches of 4x4 sites; I think Mile Marker even has some info on receiver mount winches, etc. the set up is fairly simple, the lines are simply tee'd to the front and back. You have to remember that this system is an open center (like most tractors) so if you disconnect the winch hydraulic lines then PS flow is stopped. You would have to shut off the vehicle to disconnect the lines from the winch, then connect them together to create a loop.

Hydraulic is so nice; you can work the piss out of it and it will not heat.

P.S. I do not have a milemarker but I built my own hydraulic winch using a Barnes log splitter pump and a high torque hydraulic motor. I also like the hydraulic because it runs (nearly) the same speed regardless of load.

[mwb]

Originally Posted by wkpoor

There was a surprising amount of flex in the front of the trailer. There is a 10" with a 6" C channel welded on top plus bracing underneath and I couldn't believe the force trying to bend it over. I have already called the fab shop to remove what I have and start over with a new design for the winch mount which I'm sure will include lowering it some.

Can you post a pic of your tower? Why don't you mount the winch flat on the deck (as low as possible) and then use a pulley to run the cable over if you need to clear something? If your tower is tall it will create a lot of torque on the base.

[wkpoor]

To answer a couple of questions.
I am using the cables supplied with the winch. They are at least 4 gauge and the battery is only about 2ft away from the motor.
I was going to power my hydraulic off a power pack until many here suggested an electric would be just fine. I did consider powering it off the steering pump but thought running hoses clear to the back might prove a maintenance hazard down the road.
Winch tower is coming down! That was not my design. It was put on at the dealer. I'm going to have it mounted low and have rollers installed at the rear to guide the cable.
I loaded an S10 Blazer tonight and the winch did just fine. Pulled it with ease. Must have been that truck I tested it on was real darn heavy. Maybe about 10,000lbs. Its hard to say from one situation to another about winches. I'll bet the situations can vary greatly as can the results. I don't think there is anything wrong with the winch. I was plain and simple asking it to really work hard to pull that much weight up onto a deck over trailer.
I'll post pics this weekend.