Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)UPDATE 4-5-2011.
I Called Smittybilt customer Service (Also procomp) and turns out when amazon.com shipped my unit it's possible the carrier dropped the box a certain way. My clutch lever was loose and this is NOT normal. They are sending me a replacement unit and gear cover to fix the issue for free. So if you purchase this - make sure the lever is tight when shifted from freespool to engaged as mine was pretty loose and could move with a pinky. B/c of the good customer service - i've changed to 5 stars
END UPDATE
I just installed this on my cherokee XJ so this review will be specific to that installation. I have an ARB Bull Bar on a 2001 XJ. I attached a picture to the amazon for review.
Packaging:
This product comes shipped in a box. the styrofoam must be cheap b/c some of it melted on the controller cable. There appears to be no dents or dings and things came well. The synthetic cable doesn't come on the drum and is in it's own plastic bag. It does come with a pull line for the winch itself which is not pictured but is pictured in what i've posted. It does come with all the hardware needed which is nice.
Clocking:
I had to clock the transmission on my winch so that the handle would point downwards. I had to mount my winch with the bottom facing the the front of the car (you can see the bolt holes). I also had to clock the motor side of it so the battery connections are easily accesible. There are instructions on how to do both the clocking in the winch kit.
Installation: This unit weighs about 60 pounds and I was able to mount the winch with the bumper in place. I had about 3/4" of room to spare. I had a helper thread the screws in for me. For the fairlead I had to drill two holes. then i had to spacer the bottom mounts of the winch out with washers to get the nut to fit behind it. The battery cable provided is long enough. If i had to do it again i would consider move the solenoid to be underneath my hood. then run the longer cables to the motor itself. At current the solenoid sits on my radiator support. I took the solenoid out of the plastic container. The solenoid box is WAY too big, it should be made much smaller in my opinion.
So far I've only used this on a test pull. I pulled my jeep towards another rig as an anchor. I did it once as a double line and again as a single line. It's decently fast for it's cost. The synthetic line was what sold me on this in addition to the $50 rebate that is being offered. The line itself is extremely light so that would help a lot since this is bolted on the very front end of my rig.
Issues:
I've found that the clutch handle does not stay engaged. When a load is relieved, it goes into a middle area between free and engaged. You need to apply some force to the handle to stay engaged. I've rigged something up for now that hold it. Will call their customer service and will go from there. My other complaint is a smaller and a truely waterproof solenoid case. These issues are what stop me from giving it 5 stars.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Smittybilt 98281 XRC 8 Comp Series Black Winch with Synthetic Rope and Aluminum Fairlead
Smittybilt XRC 8 Comp Series Winch encompasses all the best features you would want in a winch. Every XRC 8 winch features a 5.5 HP series wound motor and a planetary gear system with 172.8:1 gear ratio that will deliver power and reliability at a premium price. For a recovery system with the muscle and dependability to bail you out of any situation, the XRC 8 has all the heavy duty toughness you need.
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