[OneMoreTime]

I have a 12 volt electric winch that I picked up and need the switch gear for it..I need to have one button for in and one button for out..Actually the schematic so I can wire up the switch gear..

Thanks
Sam

[47dodge]

What brand of winch is it? How many pins does the connector have? If the connector only has 3 pins like Superwinch it is simple to wire up. All you would need is a Momentary on-off-on SPDT ROCKER SWITCH like the one in the picture. I can take pictures of how I did mine. If yours has more wires I don't really know how those wire up.

[OneMoreTime]

Actually there are only two wires to the motor..when you reverse the polarity to the motor the motor reverses its direction..


thanks
Sam

[47dodge]

Does your winch have the solenoid assembly on it or is that part missing? Something like this is how i have seen most of them controlled. You can find much cheaper ones, this is just for an example. I think most winch motors work the same way it is just a difference in the solenoid assemblies that makes controls different. I think one like the example wire up with + & - from battery to two of the terminal lugs the other two lugs go to the two windings of the motor. The three spade terminals would go to the switch.

Brock

[OneMoreTime]

H'mm thanks..for that price tho I could put a couple of bucks with it and get a whole new winch..the one I have had a switch on it but it was so I was hoping that I cold get a couple of push button switches and wire up something similar to what was there..

Keep on thinking..

Thanks
Sam

[47dodge]

No I wouldn't buy that either it was just the first one I found for an example. On yours did all the power run through the switches with no relays or solenoids? Were the controls right on the winch? How big is the winch and what do you plan on using it for? That seems like a lot of power going through the switches unless they are really heavy duty or the winch is very small.

I do have a couple ideas but I want to make sure I am picturing it right. I have my trailer with my winch on it stored in a friends barn so i cant really look at it right now. I will try to grab my winch off the trailer tomorrow to look at it if I get a chance.

Brock

[OneMoreTime]

The winch is similar to this one:

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=92860

maybe I should just get one of those..

Sam

[timothale]

The little harbor freight unit would have a hard time pulling a boat on a trailer. The switches need to be rated for the load. How many pounds pull will indicate the switch you will need. I have 3 big ones on my equipment trailers. 7 to 10 K pull They use relays that look like Ford starter relays and I think they have 4 per unit with crossing connector bus bars to connect for foreward and reverse. the tailgate lift on one truck uses a 3 terminal motor and they are a lot easier to fix.

[OneMoreTime]

Good info..We are building a pit cart and if you have ever had to move one of those puppies full of tools you know how heavy they are..we propose to use the winch motor as a motive power source to save our backs. I did some calcs and the gearing on a winch gives us close to the ground speed that we need..

The winch cable drum will be replaced with a chain drive pulley and linked to the drive axle somewhat like a go=kart..

Thanks
Sam

[47dodge]

Originally Posted by timothale

They use relays that look like Ford starter relays and I think they have 4 per unit with crossing connector bus bars to connect for foreward and reverse.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I think it could be wired up with 4 Ford type starter solenoids. If you buy them new I think they are about $10 a piece but I think if you go to a salvage yard you could get them dirt cheap.

I think it would wire up like the picture I drew up. If you push the switch one way it activates solenoids 1 & 2 turning the motor in one direction. Pushing the switch the other direction would activate solenoids 3 & 4 turning the motor the other direction.

Sorry it's so sloppy, I drew it up in a couple minutes.

[OneMoreTime]

Thanks guys..I am going to try that..looks like what I had but better...

Sam