4x4 Icon - WARN x8000i

Background
Expensive accessories such as a winch can be hard to justify and even harder to pay for. The good thing about a winch is that there are few "trickle down" issues and they are easy to install. I held off buying a winch for almost two years. I wanted to see what people used, how well they worked, and learn from others. I beefed up my suspension to support the added weight up front. I felt that my charging system and battery were adequate to get me started, and later replaced my factory battery with an Optima Red Top when it gave up the ghost.
	The decision to go with the x8000i was not easy to reach. There are quite a few choices out there. I decided I didn't want to spend the money for capacity above 8000 pounds because it is most likely more than what I need for the type of wheeling I do. I hope these do not become famous last words... I wanted save some money, even though that is something of an oxymoron when talking about winches.
I liked the M8000 and seriously considered it. The specs are the same as the x8000i, but the solenoid pack is not built into the housing. In a way, I like that better because it would allow me to mount it remotely inside the engine compartment. But the more I thought about it the less I liked it. I would have to come up with some 2 gauge cable with ends and have to route all that high-voltage cable. I would have to mount the control pack so it was accessible for use with the remote. This means opening the hood. And this would lead to additional expenses that I was trying to avoid. In the end I gave up the idea of a low profile look and went with the easy solution that the x8000i offers.

Front Number Plate Holder with Winch

Details, details... I knew that once the winch was in place, I was going to have to resolve a location for the number plate. Our fair state requires a front number plate. Running without one is looking for trouble, no matter what the excuse. I had heard people use Mag Lite flash light clips to snap the plate onto the roller fairlead so that's what I did. The clips are pretty beefy plastic so it looked like a good solution.
	The only problem is that when I assembled it, I tightened the nuts and bolts too much and cracked the plastic, ruining the clips. I bought another set of clips and used some washers to spread the pressure out some, and used lock washers and thread locker to allow me to just barely tighten the bolts to the clips and to a spare number plate that I used as a backing plate. I will also have to remember to remove the license plate from the roller fairlead by releasing the ears of the clip rather than just grabbing the plate and yanking it off...
I reattached the license plate frame, cover and license plate to the "backing plate" and clips using four stainless nut/bolts. It came out looking very clean. I may add a short length of chain or cable to tether the plate to prevent loss or theft.

Winch Kit

A winch isn't much good without a box of things to complete the picture. Let's face it, a spool of cable and a hook is a good start but in order to safely and conveniently connect it to an anchor point, there are a few things that are needed. As it turns out, I purchased a number of the necessary items as a package when I bought the Hi-Lift jack. There are only a few remaining items that I need beyond that (marked in the list below with an asterisk)

1 Custom Nose Attachment (for Jack)
1 5/8" D-Ring
1 8ft. Tree Saver Strap
1 Pair Hi-Lift Gloves
1 Carrying Case
2 3/4" D-Rings*
2 16,000lb snatch blocks*
1 20' 3/8" chain with hooks*

The 20-foot chain is for providing an anchoring point to boulders. The snatch blocks are for pulls when high strength or shortened/angled cable setups are needed. The D-Rings are used as an anchor point for the winch hook, attached to either the tree saver or the chain. In addition, I carry two medium-sized quilted moving blankets for multiple uses, and to dampen cable whip if it should snap during a pull. The gloves are required for handling the cable to prevent injury from loose cable strands. The custom nose attachment is primarily intended for use with the Hi-Lift jack when used as a winch so it may not come into play for power winching. The case consolidates all the items needed for winching or jacking operations.

Instructions

Although not an accessory in the strictest sense, I found that, not being born with built-in knowledge of safe and effective winch operation, I would need some instruction. I found a video from 4-Wheeling America and Bill Burke called Unstuck! that covers recovery methods and safety using a winch, Hi-Lift Jack, and nylon strap. Since my kids love to watch videos and love to go 4-Wheeling, we sat and watched the tape over and over again. I wanted to commit the advice to memory. They liked watching the recovery operations - something that they will probably be far away from in real life. And the scenery of the video is tantalizing - shot in the Colorado mountains. It's worth the few dollars it costs and is available on Bill Burke's site. And before I hit the trail with my new counter weight mounted up front, I spent some time practicing in the back yard.

Battery

It finally came to pass at the end of November 2002, while traveling, that the factory battery dramatically failed and exploded. I was fortunate to find a place where I could purchase an Optima Red Top, as planned. I do not recommend replacing your battery under duress like I did, but if you find yourself in such a predicament, I wish you the same good fortune that I had that day...

Update 7/7/07
While wheeling at Oakridge I had to replace this battery. I had drained it dead at least four times while I owned it, winched with it several times It owed me nothing. Definitely bought another new one to replace the one I had!

Specs

X8000i SELF-RECOVERY WINCH
This winch is the little brother of the XD9000i, with many of the same features. Its 4.8 horse power Series Wound motor and our proven three-stage planetary gearing helps it deliver a no-load line retrieval speed of 42 feet per minute. The full-load pull rate is over 8 ft. per minute. Plus, its integrated control pack and direct drive, cone braking system are reliable and quiet.

X8000i SPECS/PART NUMBERS:

Part Numbers: PN 28401 (12V DC), PN 284012 (12V DC, CE)

Rated line pull: 8000 lbs. (3630 kgs.) single-line

Motor: 4.8 hp, Series Wound

Remote Control: Remote switch, 12' (3.7m) lead

Gear train: 3-Stage Planetary

Gear ratio: 216:1

Lubrication: Aeroshell #17

Clutch (freespooling): Sliding Ring Gear

Brake: Automatic Direct Drive Cone

Drum diameter/Length: 2.5"/9.0" (6.4cm/23cm)

Weight: 74 lbs. (34 kgs.)

Wire rope: 100', 5/16" diameter (30m, 8mm diameter)

Replacement wire rope: PN 27110 (PN 38314, CE)

Fairlead: Roller

Recommended Battery: 650 CCA minimum for winching

Battery leads: 2 gauge, 72" (1.83m)

Finish: Argent Powder Coat

Nuts/bolts: PN 39625

CE winches: CE products are designed to meet European Standards. CE winches include CE labels, Manuals, Power Interrupt Kit, Safety Hook and Thimble.

12V DC PERFORMANCE SPECS:

Line Pull
Lbs.(Kgs.)
0
2000(910)
4000(1810)
6000(2720)
8000(3630)
Line Speed
Ft./min.(M/min.)
42(12.8)
16(4.88)
11.9(3.63)
9.79(2.98)
8.01(2.44)
Motor
Current
80 amps
200 amps
285 amps
350 amps
435 amps
Pull by layer:
layer/Lbs(Kgs.)
1/8000(3629)
2/7280(3302)
3/6670(3026)
4/6230(2826)

Above performance specs are based on first layer of drum

Winch Dimensions: 21.02" L. x 6.3" D. x 9.94" H.
(534mm L. x 160m D. x 252mm H.)

Mounting Bolt Pattern: 10.0" x 4.5" (254mm x 114.3mm)

Understanding the DC electric-powered WINCH

Specifications | How to Calculate Winch Loads | Winch Load Calculator (Excel Spread Sheet)

Understanding the DC electric-powered WINCH

Calculating Winch Loads

Total Weight = Vehicle Weight + Load weight

Winch Pull = ( <Slope degrees> * Total Weight /60)

Ground Factor Weight = Winch Pull * Ground Effect Percentage

Winch Load = Winch Pull + Ground Factor Weight

Example. Given:

Vehicle weight = 4,400 pounds

300 pounds of total load weight

winch up a 50 degree slope consisting of shallow mud

Total Weight - 4400 + 300 = 4700

Winch Pull - (50*4700/60) = 3917

Ground Factor Weight - 4,700 * 35% = 1645

Winch Load - 3917 + 1645 = 5562

Ground Effects Percentages
Ground Condition	*Effort Required
Pavement	2-4 percent
Grass	8-14 percent
Hard Packed Sand	10-17 percent
Wet Sand	15-20 percent
Gravel	10-20 percent
Soft, Dry Sand	25-30 percent
Shallow Mud	30-35 percent
Deep Mud	40-60 percent
Deep Clay Mud	50-70 percent
* as a percentage of total vehicle weight

Winch Load Calculator (Excel Spread Sheet)

(Right-Click and select "Save Target As..." to download)

Understanding the DC electric-powered WINCH

Remote Throttle
I later installed a remote throttle that enables me to run the engine at higher speeds to provide additional power and charging from the alternator during and after winching operations.