What size winch for JLR 2dr?

[dragoneggs]

Been researching winches and have pretty much decided on an 8000lb rating with synthetic rope for my 2dr. Got eyes on both the Warn VR Evo and the Zeon. I know 8K is the recommended size for 2dr but is there any reason to step up to a 10K rated winch?

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[BruceA78]

Everything I've read is that an 8k winch should be good for a 2 door, but I added metal bumpers, skid plates, rock sliders, etc. so I wanted to make sure I had enough pulling power and went with 10k just in case but honestly it is probably overkill but at the same wasn't much more money.

 

[jcslax17]

I went with a 10k warn evo vr just because most of the other vehicles I go wheeling with or see offroad are bigger SUVs or trucks. Cant hurt going up to a 10k.

 

[jaardappel]

I put the Warn Zeon 10S into my JLR and although it’s an insanely tight fit, I don’t have to worry about self of buddy recovery. I’d second the opinion that you should go with a higher rating if you can afford it…you never know when you’ll need it but you’ll be glad you have it when you do.

 

[SH556JL]

I went Warn Zeon 12S it was what was in stock.

 

[Jjirish]

Go big or go home... if you're actually going to use it!

 

[AcesandEights]

Your two-door will weigh approximately 4,500 lbs. Winch size philosophy has traditionally been 1.5x the weight of the vehicle it's on. That puts you at 6,750. An 8,000 lbs winch rating should be plenty. Remember when people are saying bigger is better that physics (I'm not a physician) will pull you, or the lighter vehicle. If you're pulling a 9,000 lbs Super Duty with your two-door Jeep...well, you're not, you're pulling your 4,500 lbs two-door Wrangler toward them. So, a big winch doesn't mean much, depending on what/where you're pulling.

Winching technique is more important than winch size.

I have a Warn Zeon 8.

 

[Jeffery]

Back when people considered winches big money, 5000 was sufficient.

I use an 8k, never needed more.

 

[Kreepin1]

Well, @jcslax17 gives a good reason to move up a size since he wheels with bigger vehicles. But there are downsides to going bigger especially when you get to the 12k and 16k winches you will notice that line speed drops.

I feel that no load line speed is second to only load rating when it comes to winches. Some will say "if I'm stuck who cares how long it takes to pull me out." This is true for wreckers where the vehicle is unoccupied during recovery, but for recreational use it is very common to "help" the winch by driving the vehicle during recovery or to make a tough climb. In this case the winch line can go slack and get fouled in the winch or be driven over by the tires.

Personally I'm running an ancient Warn HSI 9500 on my JLR, an 8,000 lb Warn M8274 on my big dog CJ-7 and a Warn M6000 on my Samurai (which has pulled a diesel K5 Blazer out of the mud).

 

[qnet]

I'm learning things after the fact. I have a Smittybuilt X20 10K because that's what I thought I needed.

 

[At Risk Ute]

Went with a 10K that saved my bacon at Stony Lonesome last week!

 

[AnnDee4444]

Don't forget that your winch plate has a rating also.

 

[fdFifty]

I'd think you should be fine with anything between 8k and 12k. Especially from Warn. I opted to try a 10k from Smittybilt and it has performed great so far.

In my mind, the biggest potential benefit to sizing up in pull rating is how it correlates to duty cycle. (How long you can run a pull before giving the winch a break.) If you are pulling a lesser percentage of the winch's load rating, you can typically afford a longer pull time and sometimes less power draw on the battery.

This isn't always a guaranteed rule as different motor/ gearing combinations and component specs directly drive this. On top of that, some manufacturers don't readily publish a duty cycle figure- But in many instances an increase in load rating, can likely mean an increase in duty cycle at a given load figure.

You should be careful and take your time with any pull. It's key for safety as well as the longevity of the winch. But having some extra duty cycle (and staying well within it when operating) can have a positive impact on long term reliability.

 

[dragoneggs]

Your two-door will weigh approximately 4,500 lbs. Winch size philosophy has traditionally been 1.5x the weight of the vehicle it's on. That puts you at 6,750. An 8,000 lbs winch rating should be plenty. Remember when people are saying bigger is better that physics (I'm not a physician) will pull you, or the lighter vehicle. If you're pulling a 9,000 lbs Super Duty with your two-door Jeep...well, you're not, you're pulling your 4,500 lbs two-door Wrangler toward them. So, a big winch doesn't mean much, depending on what/where you're pulling.

Winching technique is more important than winch size.

I have a Warn Zeon 8.

I do not have any true winch experience but thinking along the same lines wondering if it make any sense to go bigger and whether that would actually help pulling out a bigger rig?

 

[AcesandEights]

I guess I don't know. Does it matter where the motor/winch is located, or will the lighter vehicle always be pulled to the heavier vehicle (conditions being equal)? Is the fixed object (heavier vehicle) really pulling the lighter vehicle (Jeep with winch)?

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