Ampacity ratings can be absolute maximum, they can be some normal maximum with some Factor of Safety (FS) included. They can be based on DC current, they can be based on AC current, they can be determined inside of or outside of an engine bay (elevated temperature). For all we know that 175A rating was made based on 250°F ambient service conditions, DC, and with the Factor of Safety set at 10 to 1. Which means that he connector will safely carry way more current in more normal conditions.
This page says that the Anderson SB175 series connector is actually rated to 340 amps and accommodates wire from 10 ga. to 2/0:
https://www.anderson...oots/index.aspx
If the Series designation "SB175" is where whomever is getting the 175 Amp rating from, it's wrong. the difference between 340 A and 413 A isn't huge when you factor in that the 413A demand is short term and the 340A rating is continuous. A motor that draws 340 amps continuously will have an in-rush current that can easily be twice it's continuous demand. Yet it is rare that this in-rush current needs to be considered because the wiring components have enough FS to handle that short term higher current.
If the above connector is not what Warn is using then your two options are to change to the next larger Connector series that offers a contact for your cable size. OR do a butt-splice to step down the cable size to work with existing connector. Keep in mind that it is "Amps over Distance" that is important in determining cable size. Not merely amps. A short section of appropriately sized smaller cable will not be a problem. Stepping-down is less than ideal from a cable flexibility perspective as well as from permitting as few conductor joints as possible for the most robust system.
Also keep in mind that the winch motor will only demand the amps necessary to meet the load. If the load is small then winch motor won't be working too hard and it won't require max amperage. (Monitoring this phenomenon is a key component to "Lights-out Manufacturing" using CNC machine tools.) Which is to say that sizing for max amps is the most robust solution, but depending on how often (& how long) max amps are demanded a smaller cable may be more appropriate for a system such as this.
I don't have many years of winching experiences. I have very few actually. However, this whole concept that winches are only for pulling you forward is a crock. The very same people who tell you that and also say "turn around before it gets beyond you." I think that just about the height of hypocrisy!!! Maybe the shortest way out of a situation IS forward, but maybe it is reversing out.
What if you've just got the front tires into something that wasn't what it seemed.Do you really want to drag the whole vehicle thru that, only to turn around and have to drag the whole vehicle thru it AGAIN to get out of there? If you can pull yourself backwards out of such an easy to encounter situation you just saved yourself a bunch of effort and time, not to mention wear and risk to the vehicle.
That said, the rear winching attachment method & structure needs to be up to the same task as would the front winch attaching method and structure. The primary stressor of a socket receiver mounted winch is going to be anything less than a straight pull. The quickest, easiest way I see to reduce that is to get some turn-buckles rated for the full winch load, and set up to be able to attach them between the winch cradle and the trailer hitch. They need to be attached to the winch cradle at the bumper side's outer corners, and they want to be splayed out at roughly a 45° angle towards the vehicle's frame rails. The turnbuckles should be of the clevis type only. Setting up to winch would include attaching both turnbuckles regardless of pull direction. Note that the turnbuckles should not be tensioned tight, but rather set such that they are tight only when it is a straight line pull and all of the slack is taken out of the cradle to hitch junction. The idea is not for the turnbuckle to take the direct winching load, but to take any bending load induced by a less than straight line pull. The nuances of setting this up should probably be another thread.
Edited by ntsqd, 09 September 2017 - 02:21 PM.
