The 8 Best Winches for Toyota 4Runner

Written by James Mitchell in Four Wheels

In the right situation, a winch can be the most useful part of your 4X4. Whether it is used to clear a fallen tree from the road or to pull your 4Runner out of the mud, a winch is a vital tool for any serious off-roader. But which is best?

The best winch for Toyota 4Runner is Warn, but there are many cheaper options from brands like Smittybilt, which will do the same job. Durability, cost, and load capacity are all important considerations. Ensure the mounting plate fits your 4Runner first.

There are loads of great winches available out there and so much information about which winch to use and plenty of differences of opinion. In this article, we’ll be going through the different options in-depth so you can be truly informed about which is best for you. Let’s get started!

What Is a Winch?

On a vehicle, a winch is a tool that is used either to pull your vehicle out of a bad situation or to pull something out of the way of your vehicle. It consists of a long cable, which can be steel or synthetic, attached to a motor, which can be electrical, hydraulic, or mechanical. If you are doing serious off-roading, a winch is absolutely vital. It could easily mean the difference between getting out yourself and having to call for help! 

Photo Credit – apexoverland.com

Most winches are either electric or hydraulic. For off-roading in a 4Runner, electric should do just fine. Hydraulic winches generally have a higher load capacity, meaning they can pull heavier objects, but you can get ample load capacity for a 4Runner using an electric winch. Hydraulic is generally reserved for things like big trucks and construction equipment. 

Steel or Synthetic Cable?

This is a debate that has been raging for some time in the winch community. Each type of cable has its own perks and drawbacks, and we will go through these before looking at the winches themselves in detail.

Steel Cable

Steel is the traditional material for a winch cable. Tried and tested, many off-roaders stick by the steel option even as synthetics get better and better. Here are some of the pros and cons of steel cables:

Pros

  • Durable. Steel Cables are very low-maintenance and are extremely unlikely to break due to improper care or wearing down over time.
  • Cheap. Steel cables are far less expensive than synthetics
  • Thin. Steel cables tend to be thinner than synthetics, meaning that you can fit more steel length into the same sized drum.

Cons

  • Weak. Steel ropes tend to have a lower breaking point than synthetics
  • Kinks. Steel cable kinks and can have a ‘memory.’ 
  • Heavy. Steel cables are generally about four times heavier than synthetics!
  • Safety. Steel cables’ store’ the pull’s energy, so when they break, they act as a whip and cause serious injury.

Synthetic

While more recent than steel, synthetic cables have grown massively in popularity in recent years for several reasons. Essentially, they are the better choice, but they will be more expensive and require cleaning. Here are some of the pros and cons of synthetic rope:

Pros

  • Strong. Synthetic rope has a higher breaking point.
  • Safety. Do not act like a whip when the snap (safer break)
  • Light. As mentioned, synthetic ropes are significantly lighter than steel.
  • No kinks. Synthetics spool more easily and do not get kinked.

Cons

  • Require maintenance. Synthetic rope must be spooled out and washed regularly to remove sand and dirt grains.
  • Expensive. Synthetic ropes are significantly more expensive than steel.
  • Thick. Can fit slightly less into a drum due to thickness

How Should I Mount a Winch on My 4Runner?

Ok, now that we have looked at which cable to use, it is time to move on to the winch itself. Before we go through, which makes and models are the best. However, we should look at the different options you have for mounting a winch to your 4Runner. It is worth noting that you should get a professional to install your winch unless you are very comfortable with DIY. 

Photo Credit – truckbrigade.com

The first thing to consider is whether you want to mount the winch to your SUV’s front or back. Many people prefer the front-mounted winch because it gives you greater visibility when trying to pull yourself forward to continue the adventure. Of course, there will be situations where a rear winch is better, for example, if you have become stuck and need to pull yourself back the way you came. 

Another consideration is whether you want the winch to be hidden or not. One option is to replace either the front or rear bumper with a custom bumper with a winch mount plate. This will involve removing the bumper, then attaching the winch plate to the bracket attached to the vehicle’s frame. 

Photo Credit – truckbrigade.com

Alternatively, however, you can now get hidden winch mounts, which retain the factory look of the 4Runner without sacrificing usability. That means you do not have to replace any bumpers, and all you will see of the winch is the hook. In a hidden mount setup, the winch controls will also be hidden under the hood of the 4Runner. 

It is important to ensure that the installation board is suitable for your particular model of 4Runner before purchase! There are ways around this, such as universal mounting plates, but it will make your life easier to buy a winch that comes with a mounting plate that is suitable for installation on your vehicle. 

How Much Weight Should My Winch Be Able to Handle? 

How powerful your winch needs to depend on the weight of the vehicle itself. A new 4Runner will weigh about 6,500 lbs (2948.4 kg), but you should check your particular model’s specs. The general rule is that the winch should have a pulling strength equal to your vehicle’s gross weight plus a half. In other words, if the gross weight of the vehicle is 6,000 lbs (2721.6 kg), the winch should be able to pull 9,000 lbs (4082.3 kg). 

Remember, however, that the gross weight of the vehicle includes everything you have inside it! Simply going by the specs will not give you the full picture. It is best to have the 4Runner weighed with everything in it that you plan on taking out with you. Remember the rule; if the 4Runner ends up weighing 7,000 lbs (3175.1 kg) with everything in it, you will need a winch with a pulling strength of 10,500 lbs (4762.7 kg). 

What Winch Speed Do I Need?

This is a bit of an open question. Winch speed should not be one of your main considerations since there is a minimal upside to having a super-fast winch. In fact, there is an argument to be made for slower speed being better! If the winch operates too fast, you might see a problem but not have enough time to turn the winch off before it gets damaged. As with the tortoise and the hare, sometimes slow and steady wins the race. 

Now that we have a good idea of which cable to use and where to mount the winch, we can move onto the best winches available for your 4Runner. Here are some of the top picks:

Smittybilt GEN 2 XRC Winch

This is a cheap but very effective option! The GEN 2 XRC has an IP67 waterproof rating, which means that the winch can be fully submerged in a meter of water for 30 minutes! That could be very useful if you are trying to winch your way out of a wet situation. 

Not only is this a reliable and durable winch, but you can also get it much, much cheaper than some of the competition. This winch is available with a load capacity of 9,500 lbs (4309.1 kg) all the way up to 17,500 lbs (7937.9 kg)!

This winch runs on a three-stage planetary gear system and comes with a 94-foot wire rope. The control remote for this winch attaches to the winch by a 12-foot lead. This might be a downside for people hoping for a wireless remote, but it really isn’t much of an inconvenience so long as you have a good spot for your controls. This winch was voted best winch for under $500 by Winch Mania!

Tuff Stuff Xtreme 12,500 Lbs Winch

This is one powerful winch! If you remember the rule for weight, this winch can be used on a vehicle with a gross weight of around 8,300 lbs (3764.8 kg)! That means you can have as much gear as you want in your 4Runner and still be comfortably able to pull using this winch. Plus, it comes with a choice of synthetic or steel cable. 

This winch is also extremely well-protected from the elements, with rubber seals preventing damage to the motor from water or snow. Unlike the Smittybilt, this winch also has the option of either wireless or wired controls, giving you more flexibility when it comes to controls placement. This is a reliable and sturdy winch for your Toyota 4Runner. 

WARN 92810 Zeon Platinum 10

Warn is perhaps the best-respected winch manufacturer out there and has become the industry gold standard. That respect comes with a price tag, however. This is by far the most expensive winch on this list so far, with the cheapest option coming in at just below $1,500. You will very much get what you paid for with this incredibly durable and high-quality winch. If you can afford it, this is perhaps the best winch available for a 4Runner! 

There are plenty of options to choose from with this winch. First, you can choose to get a winch with either a pulling force of 10,000 lbs (4535.9 kg) or 12,000 lbs (5443.1 kg). Both will probably be plenty for your 4Runner. The next option is that you can choose between steel or synthetic cable. This winch has an IP68 waterproof rating, which means it can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for at least half an hour and is extremely resistant to dust!

X-BULL 12V Synthetic Rope Winch

This is another great choice if you are on a budget! This winch has a pulling force of up to 13,000 lbs (5896.7 kg) for just below $350! Need I say more? It also comes with a wireless control pack and synthetic rope with a 23,809 lbs (10799.6 kg) breaking force! That is a lot of great features for such a cheap price tag. Another good feature is the lifetime technical support and 1-year warranty. 

The rope is one of the best parts of this winch. Not only does it have a crazy breaking strength, but it is also very light and floats on water. Amazingly, you can even use this rope at -20℃ (-4°F)! That is not to say that the winch itself isn’t great too! X-Bull has become more and more popular recently thanks to their ability to sell high-quality winches for low prices, and this is probably the best winch they have ever come up with!

OPEN ROAD 13000 lb Winch With Synthetic Rope

This is another great electric winch and is very affordable! With 13,000 lbs (5896.7 kg) of pulling force, this winch would be suitable for a vehicle weighing about 8,665 lbs (3930.4 kg)! That’s a hefty 4Runner. Plus, it comes with the option of a wired or wireless remote control. If you do not think you will need quite so much pulling force, the OPEN ROAD 9500 lb Electric Winch is a slightly less powerful model that should still be well able to pull a 4Runner!

The 13,000 lbs winch costs just below $350. That is a hell of a lot cheaper than the Warn, and you will still get great quality and durable winch! The 9,500 lbs (4309.1 kg) version comes in at just below $300. Both feature an ‘overload protector.’ Like a fuse in a plug, this device will sense when the winch is being overloaded and force it to turn off before it ends up broken. 

ZESUPER 12V 9500LBS Winch IP67 Electric Winch

Like the Openroad, this is a cheap and simple winch with many great features! As with the Openroad, it is available with either 9,500 lbs or 13,000 lbs of pulling force. This winch has fairly standard specs, with a waterproof rating of IP67, a three-stage planetary gear system, and a 5.5 horsepower motor. 

At just around $300, however, this winch is great value for money! It also has the option for wired or wireless control and an automatic load-holding brake for maximum safety. One downside is that it doesn’t come with wiring diagrams, making installation a little more tricky. All in all, however, this is a great winch at a competitive price.

ORCISH 12V 13000-lb Load Capacity Electric Truck Winch Kit Steel Cable

This is another fairly standard winch at a great price. For just around $300, you get a winch with 13,000 lbs load capacity, wireless remote control, and fast winching speed. As mentioned before, faster is not necessarily better when it comes to winching, but if that is what you are looking for, then the Orcish 12V is a great choice!

This winch also comes with a 1-year warranty and lifetime technical support and is resistant to water and dust damage. Weighing in at 84.8 pounds (38.5 kg), this slightly run-of-the-mill winch is surprisingly highly-rated by Amazon customers thanks to the easy installation and durability! This is a good choice if you are looking for something reliable, but not too fancy. One downside is that customers have complained about rope quality, but this can be easily replaced. 

MotoAlliance VIPER Winch 12 VDC 8500lb/3856kg

This winch prides itself on being weather-resistant, with the solenoid sealed and protected by a circuit-breaker. It also comes with two remote controls, one wired and one wireless. With a load capacity of 8,500 lbs (3855.5 kg), it is slightly weaker than some of the other winches on this list. However, if your 4Runner is not overloaded, this winch should still be safe to use with the weight. 

This is another one that is easy to install and has either a steel or synthetic cable. While this winch also comes in at a reasonable price, there are a couple of downsides. For one, it doesn’t come with a mounting plate. However, you can get hidden mounting plates separately, specially designed for a 4Runner, like this one, or this semi-hidden kit, so this should not be much of an issue! 

Summary

Choosing a winch for your Toyota 4Runner can be a daunting experience. There are just so many options to choose from! Hopefully, this article has helped prepare you by showing you what kinds of things you should look out for. 

If a winch is durable, inexpensive, reliable, and has the right load capacity, it should work just fine! Again, make sure to check that the mounting plate which comes with the winch is suitable for installation on your particular 4Runner. 

Good luck finding the right winch! 

Sources

 

The 8 Best Winches for Toyota 4Runner

In the right situation, a winch can be the most useful part of your 4X4. Whether it is used to clear a fallen tree from the road or to pull your 4Runner out of the mud, a winch is a vital tool for any serious off-roader. But which is best?

The best winch for Toyota 4Runner is Warn, but there are many cheaper options from brands like Smittybilt, which will do the same job. Durability, cost, and load capacity are all important considerations. Ensure the mounting plate fits your 4Runner first.

There are loads of great winches available out there and so much information about which winch to use and plenty of differences of opinion. In this article, we’ll be going through the different options in-depth so you can be truly informed about which is best for you. Let’s get started!

What Is a Winch?

On a vehicle, a winch is a tool that is used either to pull your vehicle out of a bad situation or to pull something out of the way of your vehicle. It consists of a long cable, which can be steel or synthetic, attached to a motor, which can be electrical, hydraulic, or mechanical. If you are doing serious off-roading, a winch is absolutely vital. It could easily mean the difference between getting out yourself and having to call for help! 

Most winches are either electric or hydraulic. For off-roading in a 4Runner, electric should do just fine. Hydraulic winches generally have a higher load capacity, meaning they can pull heavier objects, but you can get ample load capacity for a 4Runner using an electric winch. Hydraulic is generally reserved for things like big trucks and construction equipment. 

Steel or Synthetic Cable?

This is a debate that has been raging for some time in the winch community. Each type of cable has its own perks and drawbacks, and we will go through these before looking at the winches themselves in detail.

Steel Cable

Steel is the traditional material for a winch cable. Tried and tested, many off-roaders stick by the steel option even as synthetics get better and better. Here are some of the pros and cons of steel cables:

Pros

  • Durable. Steel Cables are very low-maintenance and are extremely unlikely to break due to improper care or wearing down over time.
  • Cheap. Steel cables are far less expensive than synthetics
  • Thin. Steel cables tend to be thinner than synthetics, meaning that you can fit more steel length into the same sized drum.

Cons

  • Weak. Steel ropes tend to have a lower breaking point than synthetics
  • Kinks. Steel cable kinks and can have a ‘memory.’ 
  • Heavy. Steel cables are generally about four times heavier than synthetics!
  • Safety. Steel cables’ store’ the pull’s energy, so when they break, they act as a whip and cause serious injury.

Synthetic

While more recent than steel, synthetic cables have grown massively in popularity in recent years for several reasons. Essentially, they are the better choice, but they will be more expensive and require cleaning. Here are some of the pros and cons of synthetic rope:

Pros

  • Strong. Synthetic rope has a higher breaking point.
  • Safety. Do not act like a whip when the snap (safer break)
  • Light. As mentioned, synthetic ropes are significantly lighter than steel.
  • No kinks. Synthetics spool more easily and do not get kinked.

Cons

  • Require maintenance. Synthetic rope must be spooled out and washed regularly to remove sand and dirt grains.
  • Expensive. Synthetic ropes are significantly more expensive than steel.
  • Thick. Can fit slightly less into a drum due to thickness

How Should I Mount a Winch on My 4Runner?

Ok, now that we have looked at which cable to use, it is time to move on to the winch itself. Before we go through, which makes and models are the best. However, we should look at the different options you have for mounting a winch to your 4Runner. It is worth noting that you should get a professional to install your winch unless you are very comfortable with DIY. 

The first thing to consider is whether you want to mount the winch to your SUV’s front or back. Many people prefer the front-mounted winch because it gives you greater visibility when trying to pull yourself forward to continue the adventure. Of course, there will be situations where a rear winch is better, for example, if you have become stuck and need to pull yourself back the way you came. 

Another consideration is whether you want the winch to be hidden or not. One option is to replace either the front or rear bumper with a custom bumper with a winch mount plate. This will involve removing the bumper, then attaching the winch plate to the bracket attached to the vehicle’s frame. 

Alternatively, however, you can now get hidden winch mounts, which retain the factory look of the 4Runner without sacrificing usability. That means you do not have to replace any bumpers, and all you will see of the winch is the hook. In a hidden mount setup, the winch controls will also be hidden under the hood of the 4Runner. 

It is important to ensure that the installation board is suitable for your particular model of 4Runner before purchase! There are ways around this, such as universal mounting plates, but it will make your life easier to buy a winch that comes with a mounting plate that is suitable for installation on your vehicle. 

How Much Weight Should My Winch Be Able to Handle? 

How powerful your winch needs to depend on the weight of the vehicle itself. A new 4Runner will weigh about 6,500 lbs (2948.4 kg), but you should check your particular model’s specs. The general rule is that the winch should have a pulling strength equal to your vehicle’s gross weight plus a half. In other words, if the gross weight of the vehicle is 6,000 lbs (2721.6 kg), the winch should be able to pull 9,000 lbs (4082.3 kg). 

Remember, however, that the gross weight of the vehicle includes everything you have inside it! Simply going by the specs will not give you the full picture. It is best to have the 4Runner weighed with everything in it that you plan on taking out with you. Remember the rule; if the 4Runner ends up weighing 7,000 lbs (3175.1 kg) with everything in it, you will need a winch with a pulling strength of 10,500 lbs (4762.7 kg). 

What Winch Speed Do I Need?

This is a bit of an open question. Winch speed should not be one of your main considerations since there is a minimal upside to having a super-fast winch. In fact, there is an argument to be made for slower speed being better! If the winch operates too fast, you might see a problem but not have enough time to turn the winch off before it gets damaged. As with the tortoise and the hare, sometimes slow and steady wins the race. 

Now that we have a good idea of which cable to use and where to mount the winch, we can move onto the best winches available for your 4Runner. Here are some of the top picks:

Smittybilt GEN 2 XRC Winch

This is a cheap but very effective option! The GEN 2 XRC has an IP67 waterproof rating, which means that the winch can be fully submerged in a meter of water for 30 minutes! That could be very useful if you are trying to winch your way out of a wet situation. 

Not only is this a reliable and durable winch, but you can also get it much, much cheaper than some of the competition. This winch is available with a load capacity of 9,500 lbs (4309.1 kg) all the way up to 17,500 lbs (7937.9 kg)!

This winch runs on a three-stage planetary gear system and comes with a 94-foot wire rope. The control remote for this winch attaches to the winch by a 12-foot lead. This might be a downside for people hoping for a wireless remote, but it really isn’t much of an inconvenience so long as you have a good spot for your controls. This winch was voted best winch for under $500 by Winch Mania!

Tuff Stuff Xtreme 12,500 Lbs Winch

This is one powerful winch! If you remember the rule for weight, this winch can be used on a vehicle with a gross weight of around 8,300 lbs (3764.8 kg)! That means you can have as much gear as you want in your 4Runner and still be comfortably able to pull using this winch. Plus, it comes with a choice of synthetic or steel cable. 

This winch is also extremely well-protected from the elements, with rubber seals preventing damage to the motor from water or snow. Unlike the Smittybilt, this winch also has the option of either wireless or wired controls, giving you more flexibility when it comes to controls placement. This is a reliable and sturdy winch for your Toyota 4Runner. 

WARN 92810 Zeon Platinum 10

Warn is perhaps the best-respected winch manufacturer out there and has become the industry gold standard. That respect comes with a price tag, however. This is by far the most expensive winch on this list so far, with the cheapest option coming in at just below $1,500. You will very much get what you paid for with this incredibly durable and high-quality winch. If you can afford it, this is perhaps the best winch available for a 4Runner! 

There are plenty of options to choose from with this winch. First, you can choose to get a winch with either a pulling force of 10,000 lbs (4535.9 kg) or 12,000 lbs (5443.1 kg). Both will probably be plenty for your 4Runner. The next option is that you can choose between steel or synthetic cable. This winch has an IP68 waterproof rating, which means it can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for at least half an hour and is extremely resistant to dust!

X-BULL 12V Synthetic Rope Winch

This is another great choice if you are on a budget! This winch has a pulling force of up to 13,000 lbs (5896.7 kg) for just below $350! Need I say more? It also comes with a wireless control pack and synthetic rope with a 23,809 lbs (10799.6 kg) breaking force! That is a lot of great features for such a cheap price tag. Another good feature is the lifetime technical support and 1-year warranty. 

The rope is one of the best parts of this winch. Not only does it have a crazy breaking strength, but it is also very light and floats on water. Amazingly, you can even use this rope at -20℃ (-4°F)! That is not to say that the winch itself isn’t great too! X-Bull has become more and more popular recently thanks to their ability to sell high-quality winches for low prices, and this is probably the best winch they have ever come up with!

OPEN ROAD 13000 lb Winch With Synthetic Rope

This is another great electric winch and is very affordable! With 13,000 lbs (5896.7 kg) of pulling force, this winch would be suitable for a vehicle weighing about 8,665 lbs (3930.4 kg)! That’s a hefty 4Runner. Plus, it comes with the option of a wired or wireless remote control. If you do not think you will need quite so much pulling force, the OPEN ROAD 9500 lb Electric Winch is a slightly less powerful model that should still be well able to pull a 4Runner!

The 13,000 lbs winch costs just below $350. That is a hell of a lot cheaper than the Warn, and you will still get great quality and durable winch! The 9,500 lbs (4309.1 kg) version comes in at just below $300. Both feature an ‘overload protector.’ Like a fuse in a plug, this device will sense when the winch is being overloaded and force it to turn off before it ends up broken. 

ZESUPER 12V 9500LBS Winch IP67 Electric Winch

Like the Openroad, this is a cheap and simple winch with many great features! As with the Openroad, it is available with either 9,500 lbs or 13,000 lbs of pulling force. This winch has fairly standard specs, with a waterproof rating of IP67, a three-stage planetary gear system, and a 5.5 horsepower motor. 

At just around $300, however, this winch is great value for money! It also has the option for wired or wireless control and an automatic load-holding brake for maximum safety. One downside is that it doesn’t come with wiring diagrams, making installation a little more tricky. All in all, however, this is a great winch at a competitive price.

ORCISH 12V 13000-lb Load Capacity Electric Truck Winch Kit Steel Cable

This is another fairly standard winch at a great price. For just around $300, you get a winch with 13,000 lbs load capacity, wireless remote control, and fast winching speed. As mentioned before, faster is not necessarily better when it comes to winching, but if that is what you are looking for, then the Orcish 12V is a great choice!

This winch also comes with a 1-year warranty and lifetime technical support and is resistant to water and dust damage. Weighing in at 84.8 pounds (38.5 kg), this slightly run-of-the-mill winch is surprisingly highly-rated by Amazon customers thanks to the easy installation and durability! This is a good choice if you are looking for something reliable, but not too fancy. One downside is that customers have complained about rope quality, but this can be easily replaced. 

MotoAlliance VIPER Winch 12 VDC 8500lb/3856kg

This winch prides itself on being weather-resistant, with the solenoid sealed and protected by a circuit-breaker. It also comes with two remote controls, one wired and one wireless. With a load capacity of 8,500 lbs (3855.5 kg), it is slightly weaker than some of the other winches on this list. However, if your 4Runner is not overloaded, this winch should still be safe to use with the weight. 

This is another one that is easy to install and has either a steel or synthetic cable. While this winch also comes in at a reasonable price, there are a couple of downsides. For one, it doesn’t come with a mounting plate. However, you can get hidden mounting plates separately, specially designed for a 4Runner, like this one, or this semi-hidden kit, so this should not be much of an issue! 

Summary

Choosing a winch for your Toyota 4Runner can be a daunting experience. There are just so many options to choose from! Hopefully, this article has helped prepare you by showing you what kinds of things you should look out for. 

If a winch is durable, inexpensive, reliable, and has the right load capacity, it should work just fine! Again, make sure to check that the mounting plate which comes with the winch is suitable for installation on your particular 4Runner. 

Good luck finding the right winch! 

Sources

 

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