What Is The Perfect Winch Size For A Truck [Know The Limits]

Hey there, are you a trucker? If you are someone who loves handling the wheels and off-road adventures, then decorating your truck with a suitable winch can be a valuable upgrade.

That’s handy! But here’s a catch. Choosing the right winch for your truck is not all that easy, right? We know.

Although there’s a wide range of winches available out there on the mechanical stores suitable for your truck, choosing the best one for yourself requires you to evaluate a few factors.

And one of the most common factors is the size of a winch. So, what is the perfect winch size for a truck?

Well, if you are also wondering about the same question, then this article is surely designed for you. Keep reading till the very end to gain detailed knowledge regarding it.

The Right Size of Winch for Your Truck

Since winches come in many sizes and capabilities, it is better to choose a winch by comparing your vehicle weight with the capability of the winch.

Remember, the rule is to simply multiply your vehicle weight by 1.5 to find the winch capacity. But if you want, you can make a little adjustment as the below data:

Medium pickup trucks are best fitted with winches that can lift 9,000 to 10,000 lb. of weight. For example: If you own a Jeep gladiator or Nissan Navara, a winch with a 9,500 lb. weight capacity is just perfect for you.
Full-sized trucks require winches with larger capacities. Winches with the capacity to pull 12,000 to 13,000 lb. are enough for full-sized trucks. For instance, a Chevrolet Silverado or Toyota Tacoma will be best fitted with a winch with a 12500 lb. weight capacity.
Extra-large trucks are best equipped with winches that can pull anywhere between 16000 and 18000 lb.

Still confused about the winch size you should go for?

Don’t worry, just go for as large a winch size as you can afford because having larger winches makes your truck more powerful and more reliable.

Types of Winches That You Must Know

#1. Electric winches

Electric winches are more modern, cheaper, and efficient in their job. Since these winches work on DC electric motors, they are completely powered by your car’s battery.

So, as long as your battery has enough charge, you can be sure that the winch will give you 100% performance in tough situations.

#2. Hydraulic Winches

On another note, you should know about hydraulic winches too. These are non-electric winches that depend on hydraulic power to operate.

Because this type of winches doesn’t depend on the car’s electric power, they don’t leave much strain on the battery. So, the battery usually sustains a long lifetime.

Because of this particular reason, a lot of off-roaders opt for this option. However, there are some drawbacks too, like low-performance efficiency, relative to electric winches.

Obviously, a modern system will have a much richer performance record.

#3. Thermal Winches

Some winches are equipped with heat engines to power them. They are usually heavier, but they are fit for long performances.

That means that thermal winches can work for longer hours continuously without failing. You can put as much pressure on thermal winches as you want. But as reliable as they are, they are not easily available.

Plus, they are not as cheap as electric ones as well.

#4. Manual Winches

These types of winches are not fit for heavy-duty jobs. Also, they don’t have internal motors. So you cannot use this kind of winch for pulling your vehicle out of any pit or ravine.

But, they do not require any power supply. You can use your vehicle to pull on these winches, and in return, they can pull another vehicle of up to 1,000 lbs.

Notes: There are some other derivatives of winches for trucks that you may have knowledge of. For example, lever winch, wake-stake winch, snubbing winch, glide winch, and air winch are some popular derivatives of truck winches.

Choosing the Perfect Winch: Factors to Consider

If you are stuck in the mud in the middle of nowhere, a winch is the only friend that is going to save your life.

You should therefore give proper attention when choosing the perfect winch for your truck. This is why we recommend checking the below aspects before you make a choice:

Weight Lifting Capacity

By weight lifting capacity, we mean how much weight the winch is able to pull. The lifting capacity of the winch will give you a clear-cut idea of how much power the motor packs.

Simply put, the higher the weight lifting capacity of the winch is, the more powerful the motor it will have. Additionally, you can also be sure if the winch is capable of pulling another similar-sized vehicle or not.

Balance of Capacity

If you are willing to buy a winch for your truck, there’s only one rule that you must stick to: choosing a winch that has at least the pulling capacity of 1.5 times your own truck’s weight.

In simple terms, if your truck weighs about 10,000 lb., you’ll have to buy a winch that is capable of pulling at least a 15000 lb. vehicle.

Quality of Cable and Its Length

Since the winch will do the pulling job by the cable itself, choosing the best quality of cable with the longest length is very important.

Usually, there are two major types of cables that are used in the winches: braided steel cables and synthetic rope cables.

Type of Cable

Steel cables have been the most popular choice for off-roaders since the old times of truckers. Recently, the newly invented synthetic rope cables have proven their worth too.

Whether you choose a steel cable or a synthetic one will entirely depend on which geographical terrain you are willing to use it on.

If you are willing to use the winch in a hot area where the climate temperature is usually very high, it’s a bad idea to use synthetic rope wires. Because synthetic wires are made of plastic polymers, they are weakened by high heat.

On the flip side, if you are venturing into a humid area, steel-made wires are not a good choice. Since stainless steel is prone to rust, large humidity in the atmosphere speeds up the rusting process.

This can shorten the life of steel cables. These cables are also less convenient to use anyway because they add extra weight to your vehicle.

Be sure to check other basic characteristics of the winches that you are going to buy such as warranty, maintenance service, brand value, user reviews, etc.

Final Words

To sum it all up, the perfect winch size for a truck basically depends on your truck’s weight. The larger winch you can go for, the better.

Also, choose the cable type that suits your weather nature. If you are driving in a humid environment, avoid steel-wired winches. Otherwise, you should be fine with any type of wires.

If you are careful enough to keep the above information in mind while choosing the appropriate winch for your truck, you will surely end up getting the best one for yourself. We bid you the best of luck in your off-roading adventures.

Have a nice day, thanks!!!