Nice post, you have really done your research. I would agree, I think Warn Hydraulic is out. You would have to install a separate pump and for the price it looks like too much hassle.

I think you are headed in the right direction with your winch, if you do go with an electric the Warn 9.5i is a great choice. The other electric I hear about over and over again as being very durable and reliable are the T-Max winches. They have class leading HP power rating, equally good gearing & solid state solenoids.

As far as the hydraulic winch does I think it just goes into a bypass mode whenever it is not in use, it shouldn't really draw against your power steering unless you are physically using the steering while winching.

A few reviews I have read say as long as you keep the lines short and direct you don't really notice a difference. If you have a lot of bends and length with your hose you will hear the noise of the fluid.

Luckily for me with the Road Armor bumper I have a ton of room to access the winch through a 22" x 5" opening in the top. I could see access being an issue with the ARB bumper as they integrate it into a much tighter package.

I believe that 4GPM is a solid flow rate for the Mile Marker winch, the minimum requirement is only 3.5GPM to operate at maximum. Anything over that 3.5 mark is going to be sufficient.
LINK: http://www.milemarker.com/pdf_downloads/hi_specs.pdf

Thanks again for the post, I have a few dimensions to double check and I think I will be ordering one of these in!

EDIT: Dimensions for the 10500lb winch


Also a cool info video:
http://www.truckspring.com/winch-com...video_942.html

^^^ Awesome link, they test the warn 9500 on it as well.

 

First of all let me qualify my position, I used to be a Milemarker dealer. From that I would highly recommend the MM hydraulic winches, in fact I have one on my wheeling rig (the red and white S10 in my album). I have had that winch on that vehical for something like 7 years now and have had no problems with it. I ran the hoses at the length that came with it and have noticed no difference in the steering or noise from that (they are quite a bit longer than needed). You would notice a lack of power in the steering if you are trying to winch and turn at the same time. The adapter kit that MM is saying (should) work, will not. I have two of that exact part # kits on the shelf and pulled one down yesterday and checked it against my H3 and the fittings where you would need to attach are totally different. So if you're totally convinced that MM is correct in something that they have'nt checked I'll sell you an adapter kit at a good savings (no return of course since I already said it won't work). Any good hyd. shop should be able to plumb your lines though.

I would definitely recommend going with the MM hyd. if it will fit in the mounting space available. I don't think that you would have any pump or noise issues as that has definitely not been my experience. The only other issue that you may (will) have is hooking up the lines, and I would recommend going to the hyd shop with your H3 and having them look and verify that they can make up what you need before committing on the winch.

You will need to route high pressure line from the pump to the winch, to the steering rack, and from there everything should remain stock. In that order. If you need anything more that I can help with feel free to ask.

BTW The hyd. connections for the winch are very common (#6 jic I think) if your checking with the hyd shop and they want to know.

4digr

 

awesome thread, thank you for posting, it has answered alot of my questions

 

Thanks for the info 4DIGR. I should have mentioned that when I talked to Mile Marker yesterday they said that I could always go to a local hydraulics shop and they would be able to make the connections and custom fit the hoses.

I contacted Mile Marker again today (2/9/2010) and asked if they decided to develop a Hummer H3/H3T adapter kit and they said that have decided to do it, but it would be several weeks because they need to get a vehicle and test it.

 

I wonder if I should wait for the kit... 2 weeks until production, another 2 to 3 weeks until suppliers get their hands on the part numbers, then order time; my guess is we are looking at about a 2 month waiting period until it becomes availiable to average joe Hummer.

Connections are #6 jic you say, I might stop by a shop this weekend to see if they can help me out.

 

They said a few weeks on the phone and things always take longer than planed. So I think your estimate is optimistic.

I looked for the Warn 9.5i, but I could not find it. I think the "i" stands for integrated and the ARB Bull Bar requires a separate solenoid, so the 9.5i probably wouldn't fit. I'm going to just consider the Warn 9.5xp and the MM HI10500 for this comparison.

Here is how the trade-off goes as I see it:

Cost - The cost of the Mile Marker is ~$130 less than the Warn 9.5xp, but I think you'll spend the difference at the hydraulics shop. Warn 0, MM 0

Weight - The Warn 9.5xp weighs 16 lbs or 15% less than the Mile Marker HI9000 or HI10500. Warn +2 points, Warn 2, MM 0

Duty cycle - The Mile marker has a clear advantage. It can make continuous long pulls with no stops for cooling down and/or recharging batteries provided the engine is running. MM +2 points, Warn 2, MM 2

Heat - The Mile marker has a clear advantage, especially in hot weather. This is very important if you plan to use synthetic winch line in the desert. MM +2 points, Warn 2, MM 4

Installation - The Warn 9.5xp is easier to hook-up and has minimal impact on the vehicle performance provided your smart enough to stop when the winch gets too hot and the battery gets low. The Mile Marker should work but you need to make sure the hoses are straight and short. The H3/H3T vehicle adapter isn't available yet. Warn +2 points, Warn 4, MM 4

Convenience - I can get my bumper and the Warn 9.5xp both installed at the same place/time for #340. With the Mile Marker I can't find a single shop to do the installation and hookup and stand behind their work. Warn +2 points, Warn 6, MM 4

Speed - On the first layer with 9500 lbs load the Warn 9.5xp speed is 7.6 ft/min versus the MM HI10500 5.65 ft/sec on the first layer. Warn +1, Warn 7, MM 4

Environment - The Mile Marker can be used under water, so submerging the winch in water won't damage the winch (caution do not submerge the H3/H3T in water!). MM +1, Warn 7, MM 5 (I only gave one point because I live in a desert).

I really wish one of these winches was available with synthetic line. For safety and weight reasons I plan to upgrade to synthetic, so I'm going to have a spool of steel cable sitting in my garage taking up space.

Your scoring/weighting and therefore results may vary from mine. Objects in the mirror may be closer than they appear. You mileage may vary.

 

^^

If I was going electric... this would be the hands down winner for me. Most HP, great gearing and waterproof... plus Synthetic line. Awesome price too.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/FEY-47-1895/

 

I am getting nowhere with getting an adapter kit put together, I have no idea what the connection type from the pump and steering rack looks like and not getting anywhere finding literature on it. Short of tearing it down (which is going to be tight from the looks of it) I am out of ideas

 

Pull your front skid and you can at least see the fittings where they go into the steering rack and get an idea what your looking for. It might be a good idea to drive it to the hyd shop and have them look as they'll probablly know better what they're looking at.

 

I am going to try and swing by a shop late this week or on the weekend, it sounds like they do a lot of domestic trucks so they can probably help me out.