so my queston is about my smittybilt 8k winch, and I know some of you have relocated your control box into the engine bay but can't seem to find anything about it here, so I was wondering if there is a kit for moving that box or do you have to buy all the stuff needed separately?



Thanks in advance
JeepMonkey

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My Trips, Pics, & Build Thread w/ my 2011 KK

Mine on the 06, the solenoid is mounted in the grill area, i took it out of that huge bix

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2002 KJ Limited 3.7, 5.25" lift via coilovers, custom HD rear springs, 32.2" tires on moabs (soon 33s) 4.56/JBA diff, OX lockers front/rear, NP241OR, Parker Fab front/rear bumpers, rock rails and roof rack, Viair OBA.

2006 KJ sport 3.7, 4" Ironman lift, 32" tires, Parker Fab front/rear bumpers and rock rails.

I relocated mine under the hood a while back and even did the install for a member here on the forums.
The two big advantages of the project is the fact without the solenoid box, the winch sits lower, allowing more air flow across the radiator. Another advantage is that the solenoid is out of the elements, prolonging the life of the winch.

Basically what I did was mount the solenoid to the CAI firewall with a pair of self taping screws. Alternately, The member I did the project for did not have the CAI and we managed to mount the solenoid to the firewall back in that same area. Hopefully he can chime in and provide pictures of it.


From there I ran 8' battery cables from the winch body to the solenoid. There is enough space to run the cables in a gap by the passenger headlight. Then I ran the cables I already had from the solenoid to the battery. Unlike the photo above, I ran wiring loom making the cabling under the hood look much cleaner. From there you can stop. But I decided to go two steps further. Firstly, I decided to extend the cables for the "key" to the solenoid and run them inside the cab to the storage bin to the left of the steering wheel.


Secondly, I ran cabling from the key inside the cab to the my switch bank. That way I can use the "Key" if I am recovering myself and need to be out of the vehicle, or I can use the switches (one for power and one for in/out) if I am being spotted. Really the project was not that difficult, just a little time consuming splicing the cables for the winch key and switches

Thanks Texas, that's helps a lot. can you do mine for me also which gauge battery cables did you use? while I got you here Tex what did you get for doing your hood struts, I hate my hood stick thing that gets in the way and looks like it's going to bend in half from them weight


Thanks in advance

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My Trips, Pics, & Build Thread w/ my 2011 KK

I used the battery cables that are sold at Autozone. They are 4 AWG. Now that I think about it I think I used 5' cables, but I would recommend getting the longest ones they have. You could probably have them made from normal 4 AWG cable and terminating the ends, in that case I would recommend 6' or so.

The hood lift mod was the best under hood mod I have done to the Jeep, as much as I open the hood and work on it, that stupid rod got in the way and didn't hold it up enough. The struts lifted the hood en extra 4 inches or so over that rod. There is a thread over on Jeep forum that I will find and link it here.

Edit: I found a thread here on LOST from Digger: viewtopic.php?f=104&t=46981
And here is the thread from Jeepforum: http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f292/hoo ... d-2236193/

Make sure to read the comments on the threads, the most updated part numbers and purchase sites are in there somewhere. If you have any more questions or need any specific pictures about the hood strut mod or the solenoid relo, let me know.

Here is Diggers thread about the rods.
http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=104&t=46981
@Texasrugby911 that is a pretty cool way you did the wiring for your winch.

EDIT: Texasrugby911 looks like we were both posting at the same time. LOL

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07 KA Light Khaki, Manual trany.
2.5" Adjust-A-Strut JBA lift, Euro taillights,
Home made; Front Tilt Hood, Roof Rack, RAM Air, & CAI.
ESP Off Switch
Take a ride on the Trō side!

Haha Scar0 of course. Great minds think alike.
Thanks for the compliment. I really enjoy the look of it, and I think the way I did it in a KK may have been the first of it's kind.

Texasrugby911 helped me with the firewall install it was a bit of a stretch(literally) to get the battery cables back to the firewall. I second getting 6' cables if you can. A longer cable allows for more convenient mounting options. As for me. A couple self tapping screws and a little bit of time really cleaned up the look of my winch





Edit: I'll add some better pictures shortly

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2008 Black Liberty Sport 4X4 - Red and Black wheels and trim - Painted headlight bezels - Magnaflow Exhaust.

Thanks for the info Texas, Scar0, and TIJKK1220 ( can't wait to see more pics )

But Texas I'm a little confused on where you ran the cables through to get from the winch to the engine compartment do you by chance have a photo of that? Just because I am just running my current wires through the grill which I don't like just do to if I need to take the grill of which I am I then have to take the wires off the winch

Thanks again everyone

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My Trips, Pics, & Build Thread w/ my 2011 KK

The wires are ran through the passenger headlight area on mine. Tucked the wires under the lip at the back of the bumper for a cleaner install

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2008 Black Liberty Sport 4X4 - Red and Black wheels and trim - Painted headlight bezels - Magnaflow Exhaust.

I was cleaning up under the hood and wiping everything down today, and figured I'd take some pictures of the winch to solenoid run.


Up the back of the grill by the headlight


Up through the hold for the air intake


The inside of the air intake hole


Tucked in loom and run across the air intake area.


Solenoid box screwed to the back of the CAI firewall.


Solenoid with the cover off. I figure it is up high enough that if it gets ruined due to water with that cover on, I will have much more serious problems than the solenoid.