Jeep Wrangler Factory Warn Winch: What Took So Damn Long?

Jan 31, 2024

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The 2024 Jeep Wrangler received a handful of off-road goodies and tech upgrades for its midcycle face-lift, including one very prominent and desirable feature worshiped by 4x4 enthusiasts. No, you can't have the new Wrangler with a factory snorkel, but for the first time in its production history, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon can roll off the assembly line with its own unique Warn winch in the front bumper.

Related: Here are 31 winches you can buy for your off-road vehicle.

A winch is a mechanical device that uses a rotating drum wound with a length of steel or synthetic rope or cable to move objects. In terms of off-road vehicles, winches can be powered by the vehicle's engine (via power takeoff), a hydraulic system, or with electricity from the battery. In electric winches, a motor spins the drum using planetary gear reduction to reel in the cable. With one end of the cable attached to a fixed point (like a tree or heavy vehicle), the winch can pull the vehicle to which it's attached out of snow, sand, mud, or other hazards. The winch is often operated with a handheld remote that controls the direction of the drum's motion.

Winches have been used throughout history to move heavy objects. Within the last 100 years, they have seen increased presence in the automotive world. Various companies manufacture winches designed to be mounted on trucks, cars, and SUVs, and they come with load capacities of several hundred pounds to more than 10 tons. Enthusiasts often outfit their vehicles with these tools to recover themselves when stuck or even to move objects like rocks or fallen trees.

Attaching a winch to the vehicle often requires custom fabrication and/or purchasing an aftermarket bumper or hardware. Some automakers, like Jeep, began outfitting their vehicles with bumpers said to be "winch-capable." Though winch-capable bumpers do not come with winches installed, they are designed to easily accept various winches and the required mounting hardware. Jeeps were not first to the factory winch party. In fact, the 2005 Dodge Ram 2500 Power Wagon (and Ram 2500 Power Wagon models to follow) could be had with a 12,000-pound-capacity Warn winch mounted within the bumper.

Ford then took two steps forward in the winch war, first offering a 12,000-pound-capacity Warn winch on its 2020 F-Series Super Duty pickups as part of the Tremor Off-Road package. Next, the 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades (that's a four-door Black Diamond model outfitted with the Mid package trim content and the Sasquatch off-road package) was outfitted with a 10,000-pound-capacity Warn winch on its Ford Performance front bumper [above]. The Warn Zeon winch was designed specifically for this Ford application and its integration with the Bronco was crash-tested. The Ford Bronco Everglades became the first SUV offered with a factory winch.

Jeep Wranglers have been roving the roads and trails since 1986. In that time, Wrangler has moved from round to square headlights and back again, lengthened its wheelbase, added a four-door model, and cycled through numerous powertrains and trim levels. Jeep enthusiasts have also had the option to shop the Mopar and Jeep Performance Parts catalogs for Jeep-backed winches and winch accessories. However, adding that essential recovery tool to the front bumper has never been a factory option—until now. Why?

We didn't get an answer to that specific question, but the addition of a Warn winch on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon was far from an afterthought. First, you cannot buy the exact Warn winch that's on the new Wrangler. This 8,000-pound-capacity puller appears to be based on the Warn Zeon 8-S, but Jeep explained the new winch was built specifically for the Wrangler. This Warn winch features a smaller drum holding 90 feet of synthetic winch rope (compared to 100 feet of similar rope on the Warn Zeon 8-S), as well as a Jeep-specific fairlead that anchors the winch hook to the driver side. We were also told this winch uses an "automotive grade grease" within the winch casing.

Adding something like a nearly 100-pound winch setup to the Jeep's bumper requires suspension changes, and we were told the extra weight was accounted for in the springs and shocks of the new Wrangler. The additional surface area up front was also considered when redesigning the Wrangler's new grille so that adequate air flowed over the radiator's cooling fins.

Here's the key difference why it's far easier for consumers to add a winch to their Jeeps than it was for Jeep, and likely why we had to wait until now: crash testing. Additional weight, crumple zones, pedestrians, lawyers, and plenty more have to be considered when it comes to changing most things on a vehicle, especially when that involves adding beef to the bumper that will most often be the point of first contact. None of these changes are easy to make, and the certifications required take time and money. But if the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon has been around since 2003, why wait until now to make the Warn winch a factory option?

Maybe it took a nudge from the competition in the off-road SUV market. It's an interesting coincidence that this winch follows shortly behind Ford adding a similar option to the 2022 Bronco Everglades. Regardless of what inspired this addition, we're happy any time there's a factory option on the Wrangler that improves its trail capabilities, and this is certainly one of them.