Hooking Up Winch Question

I'm not that great with automotive electronics. I know just enough to get myself in trouble, so I have a pretty basic question. Here's some background first:

I'm going to install the wiring for a small hitch lift on an '08 Access Cab [4-cylinder]. I've got the hardware for the hitch lift and it includes some pretty heavy-duty gauge wire to run from the back of the pickup near the hitch to the battery in front.

I've purchased a 50-amp circuit breaker and an on/off switch for the circuit. The on/off switch isn't strictly necessary, but I figured what-the-heck. I think I'm set with the basic hardware, and running the cable should be pretty easy [fingers crossed].

Now the question: The instructions for the hitch lift say to attach the black/negative wire to a suitable ground point on the chassis [bare metal]. The Ramsey site says you can hook their winches up directly to the battery [both negative and positive]. I went to the Ramsey site because they have excellent info on their winches, and my hitch lift--while not a Ramsey--utilizes a winch as the lifting 'engine' for the lift, therefore...

Does it matter whether or not I hook the black/negative wire to the chassis or to the battery? My guess is 'no', but then again, I don't know.

I'm also guessing that the reason manufacturers suggest attaching negative/ground wires to the chassis is to avoid the possibility of sparks during installation/deinstallation, and thus the possibility of explosions, so the advice is more of a potential safety warning to avoid the potential for a battery explosion.

Any info you can supply on this subject that will set me straight is most appreciated.

 

It doesnt matter where you connect the black wire. It a better ground if its directly to the battery, but anywhere to the body or frame will do as well.

 

+1 It doesn't matter. Connecting it to the frame usually requires much less wire than running it all the way to the battery at the front of the truck. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the help guys.

Another question popped into my head after I wrote my first question:

Are there any issues about disconnecting the battery other than having to reset your radio stations? I think the ECU resets itself [and I don't *think* that's a problem], but is there anything else?

Again, my instincts say 'no', but there's this very cryptic warning in the Toyota User's Manual that says something like "...before you disconnect your battery talk to your Toyota dealer...", or something like that.

It's in the Airbag section of the manual, so maybe they're referring to Airbags specifically [that's my guess], but any insights you have would be appreciated.

Just so you know: I plan on disconnecting both battery terminals and attaching the previously mentioned hitch lift directly to both the positive and negative terminals on the battery, hence the question about disconnecting the battery.

 

I have had mine unhooked twice while doing wiring and its fine no issues here

 

Cool. Thanks!

I like to know what I'm getting into before I start... I've had way too many of those "Ah [crud]! I didn't know the [fleeting] [whatever] would [whatever] or else I wouldn't have [fleeting] [whatever'd] it! [Dag nabbit]!" moments.

 

yeah, same here. i've unhooked it about 10 times now while building my winch bumper so that i could weld on the bumper while bolted to the truck and ive had no issues. i think the ecu does reset though because it seems to shift a little different for a day or so and then it gets better.

 

What the heck is a hitch lift? Is it a small winch to pull a ATV into the bed???

For serious winching, I would provide the lowest resistance path: pos and neg power cables wired from winch right to battery.

But Bubba did my rear - removable winch, and that runs off a battery in the bed, because he didn't want to mess with large cables running all the way up front. Rear battery is charged from trailer power connector. Bubba Says TM that this design should be fine for short duration, medium force pulls - before the battery is too low.

 

This is a picture of a hitch lift. It's useful for getting heavy loads into your pickup when there's no one else around to help you lift it, or when the thing you want to get into your truck doesn't have wheels, and a ramp won't work.

They attach to your hitch receiver and can be either temporarily attached or just left in place--the platform folds up when not in use, and there's a small spot underneath the platform for attaching a license plate if you keep the hitch lift attached to your vehicle all the time; it's visible when the hitch lift platform is folded up. They weigh about 150lbs. I think (haven't weighed mine).

They usually lift up to 500lbs.