I also have an El Jefe. I ordered it 5 years ago. Still holding up well. Has yet to really fade or deteriorate. Pretty happy with it.
Winch covers?
- Thread starter red02tj
- Start date
I have a Bartact. Its been great. I have a smittybilt X20 winch and the bartact is made for a Zeon, but the shapes are similar enough to work.
I've had the same cover for 2+ years now. It's faded, but keeps the mud off the winch!
Garage queen here. Plus the Warn XD9000i houses the solenoids over the winch line, so it rarely gets any sun. The worst that can happen up here is dust getting into the fibers of the thread, but I wash the line periodically.
In addition to protecting the line, it's better for the winch to keep it clean and dry, just like most electromechanical devices. I'm pretty lazy, and the easiest way to clean something is to prevent it from getting dirty in the first place.
JEEPSTEVENANAIMO
TJ Enthusiast
i had that exact winch on my aev jku...the cover caused all sorts of corrosion issues. i live in a rain forest tho...so results may vary
I think any decent winch should survive the elements just fine. I know my Smittybuilt 5 year old winch (which is used regularly) hasn't suffered from a bit of sun/ rain, dirt, the occasional full submersion...
I sealed mine with RTV around the motor housing and the drum support and used a breather hose for venting. Unless it has some other water proof/resistant rating, after a submersal then it will need to come apart in order to clean, remove rust, and repack the gears.
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My smittybuilt x2o is listed as "Waterproof" right in the name
Description also reads: Every X2O winch features a Series Wound 6.6 HP motor that is completely sealed, as well as a 3-Stage Planetary Gear System. The X2O winch features a completely waterproof 500 AMP solenoid pack...
I figure, if they call it waterproof, well, it better be
so far, so good, it's been fully submersed, and 'run' submersed more than once with no issues so far.
What you really need to protect is the line from UV if you have syn line.
Solenoids can get wet and go bad but most new winches don't have solenoids. So they are pretty immune to most anything.
I have made line and spool covers for my winches that have syn line if they are in constant sunlight.
Amazom sells Kydex sheets, large and small. Measure what size you need and order it. Take a heat gun and form it so it can snap off when you need the winch. Cut to size.
Solenoids can get wet and go bad but most new winches don't have solenoids. So they are pretty immune to most anything.
I have made line and spool covers for my winches that have syn line if they are in constant sunlight.
Amazom sells Kydex sheets, large and small. Measure what size you need and order it. Take a heat gun and form it so it can snap off when you need the winch. Cut to size.
got a picture? would love to ditch my shapeless bag held on by a bungee. This kydex https://www.amazon.com/Plastics-2000-KYDEX-Sheet-0-080/dp/B077S5N6TP/?tag=wranglerorg-20
Yes, it comes in different sizes and thickness. I use appox 1/8" thick Kydex.
I posted on here a couple or few years ago with pictures, but I can't find the thread.
Maybe you can find it.
This might be the post you're thinking of: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/winch-cover-or-not.18323/page-2#post-297728
This is the only picture I have of my winch cover, you've probably seen it before...... ..
Here is the jeep with the cover
This is the only picture I have of my winch cover, you've probably seen it before...... ..View attachment 633617View attachment 633618
Here is the jeep with the cover
View attachment 633620
Smartass
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