Non-Winch to Winch Bumper Project cont.
Back to Introduction: Winch-Mount versus Non-Winch Bumpers
Back to Part 1 - Bumper Modification
Back to Part 2 - Mounting the Winch
Back to Part 3 - Relocating the Solenoid Box
Part 4 - In-Cab Winch Control (you are here)
Part 5 - Electrical Upgrades


Part 4 - In-Cab Winch Control

I liked the idea of having an in-cab winch control and after reading the write-up by Stu Olson I thought this would definitely be cool in my XJ. The kit is made by 12voltguy.com and comes with an awesome switch panel. There are 3 sizes he sells (or you can order a custom size). I used the same size panel that Stu used which is the 2.75" TJ panel.


I installed mine to the left of the steering wheel mostly because my CB mike is on the right.


I'm not going to re-invent the wheel by typing up a full write-up on this, as Stu already did and his write-up is excellent. But I'll show you what I did that might be a little different. This shows where I cut the openings for the panel.


This was a good spot for the opening, because it was a convenient spot to cut in the metal kick panel, and behind it is plenty of space for the wires. I did the same thing as Stu, by cutting the wires and added terminal connectors so if I have to remove the panel in the future I can disconnect the wires.


The wires were ran through the firewall via the grommet that is above the brake pedal and over to the solenoid box. This photo just shows where the wires were connected. And as stated in the other write-ups, you can still use the winch controller attached to the solenoid box.



Continue on to Electrical Upgrades