Which manual winch for Niva should you choose?

Of course, before you buy a winch for the Niva, it would be a good idea to decide under what conditions you plan to use it. Will it be just periodic trips to pick mushrooms and picnics, or are you ready to get involved in the gambling “rides” of off-roaders in the most merciless wilderness and dirt. If the choice leans towards the second option, the minimum option is unlikely to suit you. Indeed, in this case, you need a powerful, trouble-free tool, capable of taking on the “impact” of off-road conditions, swamps, sand and water, just like a car.

An example of such a device is the T-MAX EW-6500 electric winch of the IMPROVED OFF-ROAD series (traction force 2950 kg, device weight 30 kg). T-MAX is one of the most famous brands in Ukraine and is one of the best representatives of “quality China”.

But such “eminence” and the quality corresponding to it have one unpleasant moment - a relatively high price. Therefore, if in your opinion the high costs do not justify the upcoming way of using the winch, then you can opt for the workhorse DRAGON WINCH DWM 8000 HD (pulling force 3600 kg, device weight 32 kg) made in Poland. This brand has proven itself quite well in Ukraine, combining decent quality and low price. A big advantage of the entire Dragon Winch range is that almost all winches are equipped with wireless remote controls with a range of up to 30 m.

An even more powerful option is electric winches with a pulling force of 10,000-12,000 pounds (4540-5443 kg). The POWERWINCH PW12000 winch (pulling force 5443 kg, device weight 42 kg) has decent build quality and at the same time is characterized by a fairly low cost for its class. In addition to the wired one, the package includes a radio remote control. The POWERWINCH PW12000 Extreme HD winch (pulling force 5443 kg, device weight 42 kg) is more expensive, but is made more solidly, has a modern design, is waterproof, and is equipped with a single remote control for wireless and wired control.

An excellent choice is the SUPERWINCH TIGER SHARK 9500 electric winch (pulling force 4309 kg, device weight 41 kg). The brand, formed in the late 1960s with the participation of Ford engineers, quickly gained its audience of connoisseurs in the United States and entered the international market. In the 2000s, the bulk of production capacity moved to China, which significantly influenced pricing policies. And, as a result, today we have a global brand that easily competes in price with its less famous “comrades” while possessing significantly higher quality indicators. According to both experts and ordinary motorists who have had the opportunity to use this equipment, it is an example of classic “American” quality.

Needless to say, such “monsters” guarantee that the jeep will be pulled out of the most impassable mud, as long as there is enough battery charge. True, here lies the first pitfall of an overly powerful winch - high power consumption. There is some possibility that for long-term operation you may need a larger battery or even two. Naturally, this leads to higher construction costs and increased weight.

Another disadvantage of powerful winches is their relatively large weight. Thus, the aforementioned POWERWINCH PW12000 Extreme HD weighs 42 kg, and SUPERWINCH TIGER SHARK 9500 – 41 kg. For such a light SUV as the Niva, this can cause a significant load on the front axle. The only way to make the winch somewhat lighter is to use synthetic Kevlar cable instead of steel cable.

Therefore, we recommend that Niv owners still have the “golden mean” - one of the winches mentioned above with a force of 6500-8000 lbs (Dragon Winch or T-MAX). If, while saving the vehicle’s payload, it is necessary to ensure maximum traction force, then for such extreme cases additional power can be provided by using a pulley block with a winch. This device will help strengthen the winch (or relieve it) almost 2 times. By the way, one of the most dangerous circumstances for the performance of a winch is overload, so in order to increase the service life of this device, always try to have an additional reserve of power so that the winch does not work at 100%.

You should also take into account the fact that the traction force declared by the manufacturer occurs only when the cable is unwound to its full length. And as it is wound, when the diameter of the drum increases, the force gradually drops and at the very end it can be 30 percent less than the original.

If you want to buy a winch for the Niva, the PRAGMATEC online store will provide a wide selection of devices of different types and price categories that can satisfy the most specific needs. Our managers will help you make a choice and buy a winch with minimal overhead costs in a telephone consultation.

Easy selection and effective use.

Winch installation options

Portable winch

You don’t have to install a winch at all, but use a portable one. The most popular models of portable winches for Niva are Stokrat SN 6.0 S and Superwinch Winch2GO. The traction is quite sufficient, but you can also increase the traction force using a block. Advantages of a portable winch: versatility - you can pull a car by the front/back, you can pull any car, use the winch on the farm or lend it to a neighbor. In addition, you can make a portable winch yourself to suit any requirements; everything necessary for this (platform, wires, connectors, fasteners) can be purchased at Elektrolebedka.ru.

Stationary winch

Until the end of the article we will talk about stationary winches. If you often use the Niva to conquer off-road terrain, and you have to use a winch quite often, we definitely recommend installing the winch permanently. To install it in a standard bumper, and in the case of the Niva, rather ON a standard bumper, you will need to make or buy a platform. You can easily find how to do this on the Internet. It is recommended to install lightweight winches 6000-6500lbs on the Niva. Below we offer you winches that, according to all criteria, are ideal for installation on the Niva. In most cases, a winch suitable for civilian use is T-MAX ATW 6000, but if you have a seriously prepared car, then it is better to choose a traction force of 6500-8000.

Hydraulics

Let's say the owner of a Niva decided to install a winch that operates using a hydraulic motor.

Often, such a winch motor is driven by the car's power steering pump. In this case, the traction power to the winch drum is transmitted by moving the working fluid of the hydraulic pump to the hydraulic motor using special solenoid valves.

But what to do if your Niva is equipped with electric power steering? In this case, you can install a winch, which is equipped with its own hydraulic pump and pulley. This will not be a cheap pleasure, but a car hydraulic winch will help you get out of many difficult, critical situations with dignity. It is very reliable and resistant to overloads, and is often equipped with a maximum power limiter regulator. When peak loads are reached, this device does not break down, but simply stops.

The tightness of the hydraulic motors allows this type of winches to operate even when immersed in water. Hydraulic winches are high-torque, durable, and can be controlled remotely.

Among the disadvantages of this type of device, it should be noted the low speed of rewinding the cable and the impossibility of operation with the car engine turned off.

Electric winch T-MAX ATW-6000 OFF-ROAD Improved

The lightest winch is only 10-12 kg with a thrust of 6000lbs, sufficient for a Niva

This winch has a uniquely powerful pull for its size and weight. Its installation will not affect the car’s handling in any way, but it will cope with almost any difficulties. The winch is ideal for all types of off-road rides, but the operating speed is too low for competitions.

Mechanical devices

The mechanical winch on the Niva is driven by a power take-off unit, which is attached to the transfer case of the vehicle. It is this design that generates the torque of the mechanical device, and the speed of winding the cable is regulated by changing the engine speed. To install such a winch, you may have to use the services of a qualified car mechanic, but this is exactly the case when the ends justify the means.

Installing a winch with a mechanical drive means equipping your Niva with a reliable, unpretentious device of increased power. It is a mechanical winch that many experienced car enthusiasts and professionals consider to be the most optimal equipment option necessary to overcome difficult off-road conditions.

Manual operation mechanism

However, compared to other types of winches, mechanical winches can be the most expensive option. Also, it does not have a remote control and cannot be used alone. When using it, it is impossible for one person to simultaneously control the winding of the cable and regulate the speed of its winding by engine speed.

Electric winch T-MAX EW-6500 OFF-ROAD Improved

Powerful and fast winch - for regular use and for competitions

This winch has a powerful 5.5 HP motor. and a fast gearbox of 172:1 - which in total provides it with a speed (at maximum load) 2 times higher than that of the T-MAX ATW 6000 winch. A fast and powerful winch will confidently pull your Niva out of any mud. However, this model weighs 30 kg. We recommend installation of T-max 6500 if the winch is expected to be used frequently or the car is being prepared for participation in competitions.

Electric winch STOKRAT SD 8.0 SSW

For a Niva with serious off-road training - power in a compact package.

Stokrat engineers managed to create a winch with a traction force of 8000lbs in a compact body. This winch has the same power motor as the T-MAX 6500 and a slower 216:1 gearbox. Despite this, the winch not only outperforms its closest competitor in terms of power, but according to the manufacturer, it also demonstrates the same winding speed. This model went on sale in 2015, replacing the winch with a traction force of 6000lbs.

Winch Sprut 6000 "Niva"

Russian winch for domestic cars!

The compact and lightweight winch has a unique design. A special motor allows you to abandon the mechanical brake in favor of an electrodynamic one, which certainly increases the fault tolerance of this model. Another advantage is the low power consumption of the winch under load. The 4-speed gearbox has a ratio of 336:1. A cast iron fairlead is used as guides for the steel cable. The car winch pulls the declared 2.5 tons without difficulty.

Required Accessories

When you have decided how to install a winch on your Niva, it’s time to equip it with the accessories necessary for successful operation.

Minimum required accessories:

• protective gloves - for safe work with the cable;
• block (minimum 1 pc.) - helps to enhance the traction effect;
• shackle (minimum 1 pc.) - a bracket for connecting chains, cables, blocks, slings;
• bark protection sling (minimum 1 pc.) – protects trees from damage when used as an “anchor”;
• shovel;
• axe.

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Runva 9.5Xs short drum winch

New from Runva - the popular Runva EWX9500 with a narrow drum!

Runva engineers managed to create a powerful winch with high performance and high-quality dust and moisture protection in a compact body. It has a recognizable red color. There is a modification with steel and synthetic cable. Includes radio control winch! Removable solenoid block. A unique winch, other manufacturers have no analogues with parameters of 9500 lbs + narrow drum!

Installing a winch on a Niva

Durable and lightweight platform, easy installation, no welding!

This platform was designed specifically for Niva. Simple installation and geometrically correct design are the main advantages of the site. It comes with amplifiers, which ensures high reliability of fastening and does not damage the car body. No welding required during installation!

Delivery to regions of the Russian Federation:

The SDEK company provides express delivery of documents and cargo throughout Russia and the world. Shipping by cash on delivery is possible. Branch addresses Calculation of cost and delivery time Cargo tracking

TEF "Business Lines". Delivery is carried out to a warehouse in your city or to the threshold of your home. No weight restrictions. Delivery costs are paid locally upon receipt of the goods. To send an order to individuals, you must provide the recipient's passport details, series, number and date of issue to the address. Delivery of cargo to the terminal of the transport company Business Lines is free. Branch addresses Calculation of cost and delivery time Cargo tracking

FEC "ZhelDorExpedition". Delivery is carried out to a warehouse in your city (there is no delivery to your doorstep). No weight restrictions. Delivery costs are paid locally upon receipt of the goods. Delivery of cargo to the terminal of the transport company Zheldorekspeditsiya is free. Branch addresses Calculation of cost and delivery time Cargo tracking

TC "Energy". Delivery is carried out to a warehouse in your city. No weight restrictions. Delivery costs are paid locally upon receipt of the goods. Delivery of cargo to the terminal of the transport company Energy is free. Branch addresses Calculation of cost and delivery time Cargo tracking

TC "KIT". Delivery is carried out to a warehouse in your city. No weight restrictions. Delivery costs are paid locally upon receipt of the goods. Delivery of cargo to the terminal of the transport company KIT is free. Branch addresses Calculation of cost and delivery time Cargo tracking

Choosing a winch for Niva

When choosing a winch for the Niva, we pay attention to a lot of technical data and get lost in them. We do not take into account the hydraulic and mechanical type of winch, since these models are for real “gourmets”.

Winch traction forces: calculating power

• The total thrust of the mechanism should be 2.5 times greater than the total mass of the SUV (Niva). For example, the curb weight is 1860 kg, plus four passengers weighing 70 kg, plus luggage weighing 100 kg. If there is a tourist rack on the roof of the car, add another 50-70 kg of weight. Ultimately, the winch thrust should exceed 3700 - 4000 tons. Use a less powerful one if you are sure that the SUV will be used exclusively in urban conditions;
• On the Chevrolet Niva, they install a lightweight version of the winch due to the high risk of the front part of the car tilting due to its weight. Touring metal cables are still too heavy for the Chevrolet Niva. Recommended towing force 2800 kg;
• Equipment and technical characteristics: dust and moisture resistance, power of the power unit, operating speed, distance (gap) between the drum and the housing.

Chevrolet Niva. Winch, blocking, lift, snorkel and tow bar.

On the agenda is the discreet installation of a 9500lb winch in a Chevrolet Niva with a Bertoni body kit. And also: installation of a snorkel, suspension lift, blocking in the rear axle and installation of a tow bar.

The car is planned for fishing trips. Therefore, it was decided to begin with limiting ourselves to such a modest alteration. And, during the process of operation and the acquisition of off-road experience, the owner of the car will have a sober vision of what is still missing and what else could be prepared for off-roading.

One of the interesting difficulties in this project is definitely the secretive installation of the winch. Yes, not just a winch, but a full-fledged heavy-duty 9500lb one (it is the same in size as the 12000lb one). For those who don’t know, there is very little space in the pulley for installing a winch and they usually install 6000lb quads. And even such small ones stick out from the bumper. Difficulties in installation are also due to the presence of an air conditioner radiator and a power steering coil.

But, the task is set primarily for yourself and must be completed. So - a completely secret installation of a full-fledged winch in a pulley with air conditioning.

Jack up and remove the wheels and bumper.

Then, we throw out the power steering coil. Firstly, the power steering works perfectly without it. And secondly, the coil is made of metal. There is no heat transfer. And in fact, he is stuck there for show off.

We move the air conditioner radiator upward and cut the crashbox to the root. Right next to the main radiator.

We don’t pay attention to the fact that the A/C radiator supports were sawed off. Because we will move it closer to the main radiator and re-support it.

Next is the area for the winch. We try it on and trim where it gets in the way. We’re also figuring out where to place the supports for the air conditioner radiator.

In general, after many fittings, manipulations and alterations of the A/C radiator mounts, we drill new supports for the A/C radiator.

We paint the mounting brackets for the A/C radiator in a “sports” color. Definitely will add power to the airflow

As a result, we have several centimeters between the winch and the A/C radiator. Yes a little. But this will allow you to use a 20-meter iron cable without thinking; I’m generally silent about the “rope”.

Mark the holes for the hawse.

Let's stop at this stage for now. Because the disassembled front end is quite convenient for lifting the front suspension and installing a snorkel.

Front lift.

Here the scheme has been worked out and tested more than once. Reinforced springs taking into account the additional weight of the winch and elevator. A duralumin spacer under the upper ball joint, moving the mounting point of the standard shock absorber.

Winch installation location

It is better to install a winch on the Niva along with a new front bumper, but there are no restrictions. Experts recommend first checking the fasteners with actual holes on the machine body. Often, an inexperienced owner purchases an unsuitable model. Installation inside the bumper is impossible due to the size and weight of the winch, only on the outer perimeter.

The following models have proven themselves on the positive side: T-Max, Stokrat, Come Up, Superwinch, Warn, Powerwinch PW6000E. Long service life, good build quality, components, price-quality ratio.

For a Niva SUV, choose a winch with a weight of no more than 10 - 12 kg. Excess weight will cause the front of the car to roll: it will increase the load on the front suspension, chassis, and transmission. Rubber seals, bushings, and silent blocks will wear out faster, leading to unplanned expenses.

Safety regulations

When purchasing and installing any winch on a Niva for your needs, every vehicle owner must know the most important rules for its safe operation.

Here is a short list of these rules:

• a car winch should not be used for vertically lifting a car, transporting people, or as a lifting device;
• when operating the winch, it is prohibited to use power and communication line supports, lighting poles, bridge beams, or other suspended structures as an “anchor”;
• Do not operate devices with damaged cables, shackles, blocks, slings; When working with cables, be sure to use protective gloves;
• when operating winches, the presence of people in the area of ​​expected injury, which is possible due to a sudden cable break, is excluded;
• It is unacceptable to secure the winch cable to a tree without a bark protection sling;
• control of the operation of the device is carried out visually, to the side, at a sufficient distance, but in no case in front of the car;
• You can approach the winch only after first stopping it and loosening the cable tension.

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Which winch should I put on the Niva, Niva Chevrolet?

• T-MAX ATW-6000: a lightweight version of the offroad winch, the ideal combination of price and quality. The weight of the equipment is only 16 kg, so there will be no overload of the front end. It is installed permanently - on the front bumper body. Motor power 2.0 l/s, cable reserve 18 meters, reeling speed 13 m/min;
• T-MAX 6500: a good solution for Niva 2121. Classic installation, weight with metal cable 29 kg, motor power 5.6 l/s, speed 12 m/min;
• HUNDRED SD 8.0 SSW: modification for real off-road. Installation permanently on the bumper, declared thrust 3700 kg, power 5.6 l/s, steel cable length 25 meters, reeling speed 11 m/min;
• Octopus 6000 “Niva”: for Niva and Chevrolet Niva. The installation is similar to previous modifications, weight 26 kg, power 1.7 l/force, thrust 2800 kg, winding speed 5.3 m/min.

To finally determine the type of winch for the Niva, select a modification: stationary or mobile (portable). Obviously, portable ones are not as strong as stationary ones, but they are also in demand along with other modifications.

What type of winch is needed for the field?

• Cost, equipment, material of cable, housing, other internal components;
• Availability of spare parts, consumables for repairs and maintenance. Service centers in your region, official representative offices. Obviously, buying equipment for which it is impossible to find consumables is irrational;
• Amount of current consumed;
• Speed ​​of layer-by-layer winding of the cable;
• Maintainability while hiking or traveling;
• Availability of additional equipment, remote control, cable length;
• Dust and moisture proof.

Electrics

The most popular type of traction devices for Niva today is the electric winch. Structurally, it consists of an electric motor, a cable winding drum, a gearbox, a contact block and a winch control. Its electric motor is powered by the vehicle’s on-board network.

The electric winch is easily mounted on a vehicle, convenient to use, and can be operated with remote control. Unlike mechanical and hydraulic analogues, it can be operated with the Niva engine turned off.

Protection of the housing from atmospheric precipitation should not serve as a basis for the electric winch to be used by car owners for operation under water. If this does happen for any reason, you should not delay the preventive inspection of the winch to check for water ingress and compaction of possible places of its leakage.

If you decide to install a winch with an electric motor, it is advisable to equip the Niva with a high-capacity battery. This need is dictated by the fact that the electric winch, during its operation, consumes a significant amount of electricity from the on-board network. To prevent the Niva’s standard battery from completely breaking down in such a situation, it is better to replace it with a more capacious one in advance or take an additional power source with you on the road.

It should be remembered that the electric winch should not exceed its continuous operation time, limited to 10-15 minutes, after which the battery energy becomes insufficient for its full operation. In addition, its electric motor tends to overheat, so working with this type of winch requires breaks.

Winch cost

The cost of equipment directly depends on modifications and technical characteristics. In each case, check the cost with store managers.

Beware of fakes, do not buy accessories at spontaneous markets. Always ask for a product quality certificate. If you do not have the skills to install power equipment, seek help from specialist auto repair shops. Bezdor4x4 online store consultants are ready to answer questions 24/7.

Read more interesting articles about winches on our blog.