Jeep has always been one of the best off-roading vehicles. The shorter wheelbase along with its featherlight weight helps in driving dynamics by a huge margin. Jeep Wrangler has a winch that can make a cable tight or loose. It is driven by a motor and is a rotating spool. So what size winch for a Jeep Wrangler do you need?
There are several sizes of Jeep Wrangler. The fact that winches are expensive and are a big decision to buy is true. Therefore, buying the perfect size winch for Jeep Wrangler matters. Let’s discuss them below for what size winch for the Jeep Wrangler you need.
What Size Winch For Jeep Wrangler?
You should consider the cable length for your winch. The common winch size is between 80 – 100 feet. The Different winch come with different pulling capacities. Moreover, most Jeep Wrangler owners prefer the 8,000 – 12,000 pound pulling capacity.
However, how do you know the best-suited winch for off-road needs?
Jeep Wrangler Winch Weight Capacity Size Dependent Chart
| Jeep wrangler capacity | GVW | Minimum winch |
| JL Wrangler Rubicon, 4-Door | 5,800 lbs | 8,700 – 11,600 lbs. |
| JL Wrangler Rubicon, 2-Door | 5,350 lbs. | 8,025 – 10,700 lbs. |
| TJ / YJ Wrangler | 4,500 lbs. | 6,750 – 9,000 lbs. |
| CJ-5 | 3,750 lbs. | 5,626 – 7,500 lbs. |
Determining best-suited winch size
One of the best ways to determine the winch size for Jeep Wrangler is:
- Take the gross vehicle weight rating.
- Multiply the GVWR by 1.5.
You can also locate the rating on the Jeep Wrangler’s side door sticker. Moreover, you can find the sticker on the side B pillar of the driver’s side. However, you can also see the sticker on the A-pillar.
For example, the Jeep Wrangler from 2017 has a 5,400-pound gross vehicle weight rating. Therefore, if you multiply by 1.5, the result comes to be 8,100 pounds. Note that 8,100 pounds is the least amount of winch-pulling power.
This is how you can find the pulling power and what size winch for Jeep Wrangler. It depends on several factors such as model, build year, etc.
Also Read: Jeep Wrangler years to avoid
Approximate Pulling Strength Of Winch For Jeep Wrangler
There are three types of winch on the market such as light duty winch, medium duty winch, and heavy duty winch.
Light duty winch has a rated pulling size of 5,000-7,000 pounds. This size is impeccable if you have a low-weight Jeep Wrangler.
Medium-duty winch has a rated pulling size of 8,000 – 12,000 pounds. This is perfect for medium terrain usage.
The ultimate winch size is 13,000 pounds+ with which you can go for ultimate adventures. However, a bigger rating will always be an upper hand in order to stay safe during challenging conditions.
So these were the answers for what size winch for Jeep Wrangler.
Factors to consider when selecting a winch size
Length
There is a common misconception that it is better to use the maximum amount of rope you can onto your drum for your winch. This is not true for various reasons. The first is the issue of pulling power.
Every winch is rated starting with the first wrap of the drum, which is where the winning force for the drum is most powerful. As each drum wrap is added the pulling power of the winch diminishes since the winch has to push harder to turn the drum as its size grows.
In most cases, Master Pull recommends choosing a winch with a shorter length than the synthetic or wire that came with the winch. For most off-road winches, this is recommended to be 10′ to 20 inches shorter.
This will not only make your winch perform more efficiently, but it will also reduce the risk of damaging the winch by improperly spooling lines during difficult winching processes.
Diameter/ Strength
The size of the winch is based on the quality of the winch. Master Pull suggests that you use a 1.5:1 or 2:1 security factor for the winch.
This means that the line must be able to break at 1.5 to two times the pulling capacity of the winning device. For instance, if you own a winch that has an 8,000 lbs capacity for pulling The line must have a breaking force that is between 13,500 to 18,000 pounds or greater.
Related Towing: Jeep Wrangler’s towing capacity
FAQs
1. Are winches worth it?
If you are doing any off-roading whatsoever, whether for work or recreation, then yes winches are worth it. Also, if you own an industrial truck and a winch, it can be an excellent addition. A winch can assist you in escaping very poor roads.
2. What size winch for jeep wrangler unlimited?
Models with four doors Wrangler Unlimited are typically the best when they have a weight of 10,000 lb. Your winch ought to be able to handle a minimum of 1.5 times as much weight as your car. It is calculated by taking the vehicle’s gross weight and then multiplying that by 1.5.
3. What size winch do I need for my jeep wrangler?
A range of 8,000-9500 is the most commonly accepted size that is recommended for Jeep Wranglers.
You should do your own research and speak with those who frequently use their equipment. Talk to people around or find out the people in your area who perform professional recovery, and take the time to learn about the equipment they use. They’ll definitely give you an honest review of their experiences.
Try to avoid the people who pull their buddies out of the fields on the only occasion they are off-roading every year.
5. What size winch for UTV?
For winching anything from 850cc to 1000cc UTVs, you must make use of a winch that has 2000-to-4500 pounds of pull power.
6. What Size Winch For ATV?
A good guideline to consider when choosing an ATV winch is selecting one with a pull capacity of approximately 1.5 times the mass of your vehicle. An ATV winch that has the capability of pulling 1,500 lbs. is a good choice for a vehicle that weighs about 600 lbs. However, the actual capacity of a winch is usually less than stated due to the fact that there is some friction in the system and the rope will stretch or creep under load.
7. What size winch do I need for my JKU?
A heavy-loaded JK could weigh 6500 pounds. That’s quite a heavy beast and on the upper limit of what the majority will weigh. Even if it was, 1.5 would put you at 9500 pounds winch.
8. How big of a winch do I need?
if you’re towing a 3,000-pound trailer, you’ll need a winch that pulls at least 4500 pounds. You should also have enough cable on hand to reach your destination. Calculate the weight of your trailer, and then add some extra weight for the towing vehicle which is 1.5 times greater.
Conclusion
Now you know what size winch for Jeep Wrangler. There are several winch-size loads, but you need to figure out the winch size by figuring out the GVWR and multiplying it by 1.5. This will set the minimum pounds of load that your winch is required to have.
Furthermore, there are other factors such as do you need heavy duty, light duty, or medium duty winch.
Each has its own size rating but selecting a higher-pound winch will always give you the upper hand in case of extreme situations. However, a normal street Jeep Wrangler requires an 8,000-pound rating of winch size and now you know the rest!
