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Last Updated: 4/17/2010
Resources
Heavy Duty Winch
T-Max Products Pty Ltd
Address:
Aunger Carcraft Pty Ltd
55 Brownlee Street
Pinkenba, QLD 4008
AUSTRALIA
Postal Address
P.O.Box 1076
Eagle Farm QLD 4009
Phone: 07 3622 8200
FAX: 07 3622 8201
Email: debbie@aunger.com.au
Click here to visit their website:
Summit Racing Equipment
Address: P.O. Box 909
Akron, OH 44398-6177
Phone: 800-230-3030
Click here to visit their website.
Blue Sea Systems
Address: 425 Sequoia Drive
Bellingham, WA 98226 USA
Phone: 1-800-222-7617
Fax: 360-734-4195
Email: conductor@bluesea.com
Click here to visit their website.
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Disclaimer
| The fabrication, modifications and designs you see on this web site are completed by myself. If you duplicate these modifications you do so at your own risk. I do not endorse or make any claims to their safety, performance, On-road or off-road worthiness. Any "Product Reviews" are my sole and personal opinion. These reviews are on items purchased from or provided by reputable aftermarket suppliers. All registered trademarks belong to their respective owners. |
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One of my primary goals was to integrate into my Durango special abilities, like a Recovery & Support Vehicle offers because I have been stuck in remote areas and it sucks when no one is around to help out. Installing a heavy duty winch is the first step towards my goal. It is an ideal choice for an occasional-use recovery option with enough heavy duty power and reliability to handle the toughest jams if it becomes neccessary.
I soon learned through my research on the web that there are many winch types from dependable name brands like Mile Marker, T-Max, Warn, and others available. I could choose an electric or a hydraulic winch, a winch with steel cable or synthetic rope, even an assortment of especially designed competition winches are sold.
I ended up buying a T-Max EW-12500 Heavy Duty Winch (Part#ATMEW 12500) which offered all the power and reliability I needed if I should have to get myself out of a bind in a hurry.
At the time of purchase, this T-Max winch was available from Summit Racing Equipment and other retailers. The cost for the winch was about 725 bucks.
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Manufacturer Specifications:
| Rated Line Pull |
12500lbs (5665kgs) single line
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| Motor |
6.6HP/12V Series Wound
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| Control |
Remote Switch, 12 lead (3.7m)
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| Gear Train |
3-Stage Planetary
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| Gear Ratio |
265:1
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| Clutch |
Sliding Ring Gear
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| Brake |
Automatic In-The-Drum
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| Drum Size |
Diameter 2.52" x Length 8.82" (64mm x 224mm)
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| Cable |
Diameter 3/8" x Length 94' (9.5mm x 28.5m)
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| Fairlead |
4-way roller fairlead
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| Remote Control |
Included
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| Recommended Battery |
650CCA minimum for winching
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| Battery Leads |
35mm2 72 (1.83m)
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| Finish |
Dark Grey
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| Weight |
93lbs (42kgs)
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| Overall Dimensions |
(L W H) 21.3" x 6.3" x 8.6" (541 x 160 x 218mm)
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| Mounting Pattern |
10.00±0.015 x 4.50±0.010 (254 x 114.3mm)
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Line Speed & Amp Draw - First Layer
| Line Pull |
Lbs |
No Load |
2000 |
4000 |
6000 |
8000 |
10000 |
12000 |
12500 |
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Kg |
No Load |
907 |
1814 |
2722 |
3630 |
4532 |
5440 |
5665 |
| Line Speed |
Ft/min 12v |
23.5 |
12.6 |
10.3 |
8.7 |
7.2 |
6.3 |
5 |
4.3 |
| Line Speed |
m/min 12v |
7.2 |
3.85 |
3.15 |
2.65 |
2.2 |
1.9 |
1.5 |
1.3 |
| Motor Current |
Amps 12v |
70 |
145 |
210 |
275 |
345 |
390 |
405 |
415 |
Line Pull & Cable Capacity
| Layer of Cable |
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1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
| Rated Line |
Lbs |
12500 |
11375 |
10410 |
9731 |
| Pull per Layer |
Kg |
5665 |
5155 |
4718 |
4410 |
| Cumulative |
Ft |
17 |
38 |
65 |
94 |
| Cable Capacity |
m |
4.8 |
11.5 |
20 |
28 |
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It seems that this partically T-Max model has either been updated with a new control box or discontinued alltogether in favor of the Westin Automotive T-Max 47-1412 Winch available here at Summit Racing Equipment , thus, my winch with the older style box may no longer be available entirely.
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I also needed a good cut-off switch which allowed me to control the power to the winch from under the hood. This is a feature I have learned to implement for safety and to avoid misuse. The bests witch for the job was a 600Amp continues rated single circuit switch from Blue Sea Systems. Their PN 3000 - HD-Series Battery Switch Single Circuit ON/OFF fit the job perfectly!
I was able to get a brand new switch for 20 bucks and free shipping on ebay.
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Manufacturer Specifications:
| Cranking Rating: 10 sec. |
2,750 Amps |
| Maximum Voltage Rating |
48 Volts DC |
| Intermittent Rating: 5 min. |
900 Amps |
| Terminal Stud Size |
1/2" (M12) |
| Continuous Rating |
600 Amps |
| Terminal Stud Torque |
220 in-lb (24.86 N·m) |
| Mounting Holes |
Accept 1/4" (M6) Screw |
| Cable Size to Meet Ratings |
4/0 AWG (95mm²) |
| Terminal Stud Torque |
220 in-lb (24.86 N·m) max. |
| Cable Clearance For 4/0 AWG Cables |
1.10" (27.9mm) |
| Cable Size to Meet Ratings |
4/0 AWG (95mm²) |
| Cable Quantity to Meet Ratings |
Two Cables |
| Weight Lb (Kg) |
1.30 (0.59) |
UL Listed - UL 1107 Electric Power Switch Meets UL 1500 and SAE J1171 external ignition protection requirements. Meets American Boat and Yacht Council (ABYC) requirements for battery switches. Ignition protected - safe for installation aboard gasoline powered boats. Case design allows surface or rear panel mounting. Accepts two 4/0 AWG (95mm²) battery cables. M12 tin-plated copper studs for maximum conductivity and corrosion resistance, accepts 1/2" and M12 ring terminals. 7/8" (22.22mm) stud length to accept multiple cable terminals. Tactile textures indicate knob position by feel only. Case design allows surface or rear panel mounting |
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| I wanted to achieve a professional install and look and therefore I had to put another 70 bucks out for heavy gauge cables, wire loom, and solder type terminals. |
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It's a lot extra stuff nobody really thinks of when installing a winch, but the supplied cables and install gear which comes with the winch is just not up to par in my opinion. All-in-all my entire setup came in just under $850 including the winch and all shipping costs.
The cost will raise even more so at the time I am able to install a secondary winch in the rear bumper. I also upgraded my battery because of the planned winch install and I am looking seriously into purchasing a high output power alternator like the ones from DC Power Engineering Inc. which can handle the big load on the system when I am out there winching. |
Installation:
The install of the winch itself was pretty simple, 4 bolts from the underside of the bumper into the winch base has been all what was needed. The steel winch harse mounted on the face of the bumper with two bolts and after careful alignment was also completed without any effort.
The wiring was more complex, though. I took off and disassembled the solenoid box from the T-Max winch and installed all components under the hood by making a special mounting plate for it and everything mounted as a unit onto the inside of the fender. I fabricated a top panel, installed the Marine Battery cut-off switch, made a bunch of labels with my PC and a Label writer for a more professional look, and installed a small amber control lamp which indicates if power is present on the solenoids. I can now enable or disable the winch completely with the use of the switch which when moved into the off position will cut the main current (+) from the battery.
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The cables leading to the winch I wrapped in wire loom and I used a good amount of die-electric grease on the soldered terminals. The winch looks a lot cleaner and is also easier to maintanance, I feel that this setup is a much better solution than the original plastic box on top of a winch has been.The entire install was completed on a Saturday and took about 8 hours. It all worked out great and I love the new winch and the cool setup I made for it!
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This project was completed 03-11-2008
Update February 2010:
I am truly surprised how well this winch has held up through the three long and brutal Michigan UP winters it has experienced in it's life at this point. The winch works great and besides the occassional maintance (mainly unspooling the cable, oiling it, and putting it back on) it just sits there and is ready when I need it. There is a small amount of rust on the chrome clutch handle but otherwise the winch is rust free.
Planned upgrades to the winch:
I will take care of the rust on the handle as soon as I get my powder coating setup in my shop done, hopefully before spring arrives. I am also planning on purchasing a wireless control for controlling the winch, maybe a synthetic rope to replace the steel cable, and I really want to install a switch into the cab to operate the winch from the inside.
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