Choosing The Correct Winch For Your 4WD
We thought it would be a good idea to write a post on what to consider when choosing a winch for your 4WD to ensure you purchase the correct winch so that you do not run into any problems further down the track. Fitting a winch is fairly straight forward, but it can be time consuming especially if you need to remove your bull bar (which we needed to do) so you want to ensure you are choosing the correct winch as part of your 4WD build.
We have written a fairly detailed post on the installation of our Runva 13XP Premium winch which you can read here to see what is involved.
What size winch do you need?
Let’s start off by looking at the size of winch you need to ensure you are choosing the correct winch for your 4WD.
It is recommended that you get a winch that is rated to 1.5 times the weight it will be pulling. So if you are going to be towing a trailer or something else this needs to come into consideration. Unless you don’t plan to be in a situation where you’ll need it towing, but where’s the fun in that.
This is where your GVM comes into consideration. Our 76 Series Land Cruiser has a GVM of 3,060 kgs stock standard without any upgrades. DOT373, our trailer, has a GVM of 1,900 kgs. With our Cruiser we are pretty close to GVM at 3,000 kgs loaded and with two passengers. We are way under GVM on the trailer at 1,600 kgs with 160 litres of water and all our gear – this will change over time as we add a few more things to the trailer like a rooftop tent. All up our total weight is around 4,600 kgs but at max GVM that would be 4,960 kgs. We are going to be in situations where we will need to use the winch with both Land Cruiser and trailer, so this total weight needs to be considered.
1.5 Times the Pulling Load
So what are the total weights at 1.5 times our Land Cruiser and DOT trailer?
76 AUS & DOT 373 – Current – 1.5 x 4,600 = 6,900 kgs
76 AUS & DOT 373 – Max GVM – 1.5 x 4,960 = 7,440 kgs
Pretty crazy at 6,900 kgs and 7,440 kgs at current wight and if both fully loaded to their max GVM’s.
So what about the Land Cruiser on it’s own at max GVM, where does this come in at?
76 AUS – Max GVM – 1.5 x 3,060 = 4,590 kgs
Winch ratings vary on brand and then each brand usually has a lower and a higher rated winch. For example, we have a Runva winch and they come in a few different options from 9,500 pounds to 13,000 pounds – 4,310 kgs to 5,900 kgs. So their highest rated winch can pull 5,900 kgs which is more than enough for the Land Cruiser on it’s own and kilo for kilo it’s plenty for both. But at 1.5 times, the Runva 13XP Premium is technically not enough for both. So what to do when towing as you don’t get many options with winches at more than 13,000 pounds and then you need to consider the winch size, weight and draw on your battery?
Using a Snatch Block
Because of the 1.5 times weight predicament we have with our 13,000 pound winch when taking into account our 4WD and trailer being at 1.3 times the winch load capacity, to get around this we will use a snatch block when we are towing.
Using a snatch block (a pulley) is a good option when towing, as this halves the load on the winch and doubles the pulling power. On that premise then, at 1.5 times the GVM on both the Cruiser and trailer halved is just under 3,750 kgs. Double GVM halved is around 5,000 kgs. So using a snatch block with the trailer in any serious winch recovery would definitely be required to ensure we don’t damage our winch.
Just remember though that using a snatch block will double your winch time, so your recovery is going to take a lot longer.
Our winch for our 4WD
In choosing the correct winch for our 4WD we decided on a 13,000 pound winch based on the above calculations as it gives us enough pulling power to do a single line pull on the Land Cruiser on it’s own, and a double line pull with the trailer, DOT 373.
Double line is when you use a snatch block as you have the two winch lines – the line going out to the snatch block and then coming back to your 4WD. If using a snatch block make sure you are securing to a rated recovery point. Winch rings are also popular now with soft shackles as they are so much lighter and more compact for packing away in your 4WD.
When it came to brand we went with Runva. Most of the main name brands are all around that $900-$1,200 price range. There are much cheaper options as well. We know of people that have done really well with cheaper brands, we had one on our previous 4WD but didn’t use it much, but we also know a few that have had lots of problems. So for reliability and ease of spare parts if needed we chose Runva as they have been in the Australian market since the 80’s and get really good reviews. They might not market as well as some other brands out there, but they are a really good winch and come with everything you need.
We fitted the Runva 13XP Premium winch with a synthetic rope. You can read our post on how we fitted the winch here.
Other things to consider
When choosing the correct winch for your 4WD, here are a few other things you should probably consider.
IP rated / water and dust ingress
You want to make sure your winch is IP rated. The IP Code (Ingress Protection Code) will tell you how it is rated for ingress of dust or water. Basically how well the casing protects the internal mechanics and electrical components of the winch.
The number 6 means it has been tested and that you should not get any dust ingress. The number 7 means you can submerge it in water up to 1 metres meaning you should not get any water ingress inside the winch housing. Then the number 8 means it can be submerged up to 3 metres.
Most winches will be IP67 rated, meaning they should not get any dust or water ingress (up to 1 metre) inside the internal casing of the winch. Most manufacturers will recommend running the winch after submerging it in water.
Payload, compatible bull bar & suspenion
Don’t forget that winches with synthetic ropes weigh around 30 kgs and some can weigh a lot more. Therefore you need to make sure you have the payload to take this additional weight.
One of the reasons we chose a 76 Series Land Cruiser was because of its payload for a wagon. It might not have the same payload as a 79 Series, but then we don’t like utes and prefer a wagon with a shorter wheel base. Even with our decent payload we are pretty much on our GVM when you add up the weights of all the accessories we have fitted. It is crazy how quickly you get up there.
You also want to ensure your front springs can handle that extra weight up front. When we did our suspension upgrade, we chose Kings front springs rated for the weight of our bull bar and the winch. We didn’t have a winch at that time but knew we were going to fit one. With that extra 30 kgs plus the bar all the way up front, the front of our Land Cruiser sits perfectly maintaining its 50mm lift, and the ride is super comfortable.
Then obviously you want to have a winch compatible bull bar. Different bull bar brands have different mounting points as well. We have an ARB big tube bar and it has to be removed to fit the winch as it sits up in side the bar and is bolted to the front. An Iron Man bar on the 70 Series Land Cruiser also has to come off but the winch is mounted to the chassis and not the bar. In our Jeep Wrangler, previous 4WD, we had an Uneek 4×4 bar that allowed you to mount the winch from the top of the bar so it did not need to be removed. If your bar is not winch compatible you will need to have some modifications done to ensure you can fit one correctly.
Warranty and reliability
Having a winch that comes with a good warranty by a reputable company that will be here in 10 years we believe is a good idea. A good warranty means the manufacturer backs their product and you can feel comfortable that if you have any problems you’ll be covered.
Our Runva winch comes with a limited lifetime warranty and they have been around since the 80’s, so we are confident that this winch will stand the test of time. Limited lifetime is more like 5 years on most of the parts. Other brands out there have 5 year warranties and others less. Something to consider when making that expensive purchase.
Spare parts
Making sure that you can easily get spare parts if needed is another good consideration when choosing a winch for your 4WD. Most reputable brands will be able to provide spares as well as being able to get parts from other suppliers.
Does it come with everything you need?
Most winches come with everything you need but be careful as there are some brands where you need to buy a bunch of other things like a winch hook and so on. You might also need an offset fairlead depending on your setup. We needed one as the standard one provided by Runva didn’t cover a small part of the bar and this would lead to the rope being frayed after a few uses.
Check out our blog post on what we got with our winch and how we fitted it into the ARB bar on our 76 Series Land Cruiser.
If you would like to read more posts about our 76 Series Land Cruiser build then check these out here.
If you have any questions or comments then please comment below or send us a message on Instagram. Also follow us on Instagram if you want to keep up to date on our adventures and Land Cruiser build.
Thanks for reading legends!
The thoughts of Peter.
This is not a sponsored post, just our thoughts.
