Function meets Reliability: ComeUp Industries Winch

Details: By Jim Akers

We are all familiar with what we use a winch for and that there are so many “brands” on the market. How do you choose the right brand for you? My thought? I try to find the best bang for my buck.

Function:
All brands function the same way. You unspool them, connect to a winch point, and pull yourself out of trouble or over an obstacle.

Reliability:
All brands are put together with the same essential parts, but that is where these basic similarities end. I have used a few of the other brands out there and we have disassembled several of them to investigate what sets one apart from the rest. Some have bigger brushes. Some have different types of braking systems. Any way you look at a winch, they are purchased and installed to get you out of a situation that you do not want to be in and usually at a time that is less than optimal. That being said, this is one mod that you should not skimp on the quality.

Comeup Winch Install Toyota Tacoma

Product Tested:
I chose a ComeUp DV-9s to complete this build. The ComeUp DV Series (12 & 24 Volt DC) offers high performance self-recovery winches with 9,000, 12,000, 15,000 and 18,000 pound line-pulling capacities. Here are details of the DV Series winches:
1.   Features hardened steel 3-stage planetary gears.
2.   The series wound motor system utilizes a built-in thermal detector.
3.   Heavy duty sealed contactor ensures protection against moisture.
4.   Industrial grade waterproof remote control with a thermometric LED indicator that automatically alerts if the motor is overheating.
5.   External automatic full-load cone brake structure (CBS) provides superior braking and is ideal for synthetic rope. The CBS system is also an adjustable true friction brake and provides the most brake surface area of any winch on the market.
6.   All DV Series winches are available with wire rope. The DV-9 & DV-12 light are also available with synthetic rope. All DV Series winches are compatible with the optional wireless remote control kit.

One thing that really stood out for me was their creation of the Cone Brake System (CBS). One important feature of the ComeUp Self-Recovery winches (including the DV-9s) is the patented Cone Brake Structure “Brake outside the Drum” brake system. With the increasing use of synthetic rope on today’s winches, the ComeUp external brake system allows the heat from the brake to dissipate easily, whereas with the typical internal drum brake the synthetic rope acts as an insulator keeping the heat in the drum. This heating of the drum can cause brake fade, slipping and failure, damage to the rope, and deformation damage to the drum. The CBS system is also an adjustable true friction brake which utilizes a large friction material surface area to provide superior braking.

Here is some more information on ComeUp that helped with my choice of their winch for my build:
The ComeUp brand is rated as one of the highest quality winches in the world. ComeUp has exclusively manufactured winches for over 39 years. ComeUp is the only winch that has the distinction of taking driven vehicles to both the North and South Poles, traversing the most hostile and rugged terrains on the face of the Earth. The ComeUp Premium Quality Winches’ reputation for quality, durability, and innovative engineering earned its selection for use by Arctic Truck on these expeditions. The expedition to the North Pole was captured on the popular international television series “Top Gear”.

Installation:
Installing a winch is pretty straight forward when using an ARB bumper. Four bolts, a little wiring, remounting the shell on the base mount and it is installed. I decided to mount the ComeUp control box inside the engine compartment to save room for a Rigid Industries 20” light bar. I did run into one issue during the install. When you use a synthetic rope on a winch in an ARB bumper, you will need to find an offset fair lead. A friend of mine was also running into the same issue with his synthetic rope loaded winch and his ARB bumper. He found Custom Splice out of Lawrence, Kansas and talked them into helping us with this dilemma. Not only did they design an offset fair lead, but they made it a full 1-1/2” thick to push out past the recessed winch opening in the ARB bumper.

With the help of ComeUp Industries, ARB 4X4 Accessories, Custom Splice, Bob, and Eric my installation is now complete.

Function, Reliability, and great friends make me a happy individual!

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