70’s Hickey Sidewinder Winch score

[DirtyLarry]

Well this weekend Zoomad75 and I made a Saturday morning trip to an old family friends house to picked up a 1970’s Hickey Sidewinder winch. As a little kid, I remember this exact winch when my dad’s friend bought his ’78 K20 brand new. My dad and this guy used to go up to the mountains and play in the snow with their K20's back in the late 70's and early 80's. Funny thing is...I thought he added the winch after he bought the truck but he was telling us the local Chevrolet dealer installed it for him at delivery when the truck was new.

Sidewinders were not the best winches in the world nor the strongest but $200 isn’t too shabby for a piece of groovy history. It will work fine on the front but I also have plans for a Milemarker SE12000 for the rear winch bumper. (Seems like I need more help pulling myself out of a jamb than further into one) I am thinking of replacing the tiny 5/16 cable with 3/8 AmSteel synthetic winch rope once I get it mounted as well.

After we got it home I have it a big time bath with the ole Landa power washer and some Simple Green, lubed it up and gave it a big look over. This thing still looks like brand new once I got 29 years of grime off of it.

I almost got it mounted Saturday night but found my ORD steering box brace mounting bolt is right smack dab in the way of the rearward mounting bracket. So I will have to deal with that next weekend.

Man, I feel like growing side burns and listening to 70’s disco music playing with 70’s relic.

Anybody have any idea how the heck to wire up the relays on a Sidewinder? If somebody is harboring some old Hickey Sidewinder installation instructions I would definalty appreciate a copy.

And NO, the jackstand is not holding the truck up by the tie rod. (I was using it to hold up the Sidewinder skid plate).

Even the Sambo the shop dog likes it!

[tbreaden]

Is that a 9000lb cap?

[Zoomad75]

yep it's a 9000 pounder. And that sucker is heavier than it looks. It did clean up well as it was pleanty filthy when I left.

I got to hear some awesome vintage wheeling stories. Taking off with nothing more than a thermos of coffee and some crackers and getting stuck overnight. Pretty funny stories. Might be why Larry carries a full lunchbox when we hit the trail.

Now you need your CB to complete the 70's vibe. I'll even tune it for you! I'll spare you on the 8track install. Maybe we can find you a vintage GM am/fm/cb radio on ebay!

[DirtyLarry]

Yeah, my old man and his buddies weren’t very “prepared” for a big stuck when we used to go snow wheeling on Greenhorn Mountain when I was a little kid. A thermos of coffee and a box of crackers is all they even thought about taking. I guess they didn’t have CNN back then to tell them how many stoopid people died on the back roads when they were not prepared.

I distinctly remember on one trip I was just about ready to eat the shift knob off the transmission stick because I was so hungry. Nowadays that would be child abuse or something. Back then we were just having fun and seemed supprised because we got stuck in 5 FEET OF SNOW!!!

I will have do dig in the old family photo album for pictures of the truck this Sidewinder was mounted on but here is a picture our my dad’s truck. The first two pictures where taken at our Exxon station sometime between 1980-1982. The last wrecker picture was taken around 1990. We still have the truck today…although it is a bit rough, as it has been sitting for over 10 years. That wrecker will become another garage queen in a few years. I learned how to drive in that truck and honed most of my teenage wrench spinning skills keeping that thing going to make money running AAA calls. Our second tow truck, 1991 GMC K3500, was a pile of crap and couldn't do half the stuff this old '78 could. IFS 4x4's do not make good tow trucks.

[Zoomad75]

Should be fun to get going on the tow truck after a while. poor truck has had a long hard life and needs some tlc.

Besides we might need it when we get stuck really BAD!

[special-K]

I`d kill for a Sidewinder.I think I`d mount one even if it didn`t work,just for a conversation piece.That was a great score @ $200.Alot cheaper than`72-only tow hooks.
That wrecker pickup is so Rockies.I remember the no BS trucks when I was in SW Colorado around Pagosa Springs.No bling,just getcha there mods.

[Zoomad75]

found your vintage GM am/fm/cb....

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

found your vintage GM am/fm/cb....

Agh, No Thank you. You can be the bigtime CB'er out there...... I will stick with my 10 year old Jenson CD player. Hey, I have an FM modulator for the Ipod so I am all set.

Funny thing is I think Mike that had the Sidewinder also had one of those in his '78 Silverado too (those big sticky knobs look familiar). Heck, maybe we should ask him....maybe he still has it burried in his garage under all that cat hair too

Oh, boy...this year's 4th of July BBG will be one heck of a retro 70's GM truck conversation!

[Zoomad75]

Thats a big 10-4 rubber duck...

I'm just kidding about the GM CB. I thought it was a pretty neat idea for back in the day. My grandpa had a big 78 Cougar XR7 that came with a Ford factory am/fm/cb/8track. That was a pimpmobile if I ever saw one.

it's too bad most of the old iron got sold off of your dad's buddies. It would be neat to have a get together with all the trucks. Even better to take them wheeling. Might need to have Mike ride with us on a snow run. He may know some more spots that we havent hit yet on greenhorn.

[72 CustomCamper]

I use to have a Sidewinder. It was given to my dad by a guy he use to work with about 15 years ago. We tossed it out when we found they don't make parts anymore and it needed a new flywheel because they are made from aluminium and this one all the teeth were stripped off...


Chuck

[special-K]

That`s the unit I had in my`78.I rarely used it.I like my tunes,not a bunch of lip-flippin`alligators...over.

[tbreaden]

Did Sidewinder run magazine ads in the 70's with it a blazer hooked to a tree off the ground?

[72 CustomCamper]

Originally Posted by tbreaden

Did Sidewinder run magazine ads in the 70's with it a blazer hooked to a tree off the ground?

That's the one...

[DirtyLarry]

So, I finally got the Sidewinder mounted up this past Sunday. It was like playing a huge winch mounting jigsaw puzzle with the few brackets and what not, that I had to work with, or course w/o instructions. I had to cut the ever loving heck out of the bumper to clearance make room for the winch. Good thing the winch skid plate covers alot of area! The bumper looks nice in pictures but beleive me....it has a ton of road rash.

Now, I just need to find a wiring diagram to figure out the strange relay system to make the winch work.

Anybody know where I can find a Sidewinder wiring diagram???

[special-K]

Where is it?I don`t see no winch.

[DirtyLarry]

Originally Posted by special-K

Where is it?I don`t see no winch.

Hehehe….yeah, I thought about painting the fairlead pink so it would be more noticeable.

[vtblazer]

Really cool old piece.

[DirtyLarry]

Well, thanks to nice guys at Advance Adapters for faxing me the installation instructions to this old beast in order to take the wiring mystery out of the puzzle I finally got it working. As you all may know, Vic Hickey sold the rights to the Sidewinder winch to Advance Adapters many moons ago. AA hasn’t sold or serviced the winch in years but do have installation instructions and diagrams on hand.

I went a head and broke down and bought a fresh 34/78 Yellow Top Optima deep cycle battery to run the winch and camper accessories (refrig, lights, air compressor) and had Napa make me up a nice 2 gauge power supply cable.

The only thing I do not care for on the Sidewinder so far is the underhood relay pack. You have to have the hood open to plug the controller into the relay pack to use the winch. I might have to look into one of those wireless dealeo’s. Other than that, this 29 year old Sidewinder seems to work just fine. I guess we will see how well it works on the trail next run. I am still planning on a MileMarker SE12000 for the rear winch bumper though. 2 halfass winches should be enough help us make it back home again from a weekend in the bush.

Here are the pics….check out the groovy 8 ball shift knob to shift the winch into neutral. The ball down is locked and up is neutral.

[Zoomad75]

Looks good dude. But it is getting crowded in there. You are running out of room for stuff.

[special-K]

I like yer style.

[fordf350]

Could you possibly send me the wiring diagram as I just got one this week and need to wire in. Thanks

[DirtyLarry]

Sure thing. PM me with your email address. The wiring instructions kinda contradict themselves but you'll figure it out with the help of them.

[lurch115]

Originally Posted by Zoomad75

yep it's a 9000 pounder. And that sucker is heavier than it looks. It did clean up well as it was pleanty filthy when I left.

I got to hear some awesome vintage wheeling stories. Taking off with nothing more than a thermos of coffee and some crackers and getting stuck overnight. Pretty funny stories. Might be why Larry carries a full lunchbox when we hit the trail.

Now you need your CB to complete the 70's vibe. I'll even tune it for you! I'll spare you on the 8track install. Maybe we can find you a vintage GM am/fm/cb radio on ebay!

why hunt e-bay??? i have one in mint condition... mic. and all

[nbresident123]

Does anyone have any info regarding the old Sidewinger Winches by Hickey?

I recently purchased one of them with spare solenoids included in a box. I assume these are for the remote operation. I noticed an earlier thread that DirtyLarry responded to regarding availability of owners manual and wiring information. I have limited knowlede regarding electrical wiring, but want to learn more about it.

If you have any know-how, information or suggestions for this type of winch, it would be much appreciated. The motor has three posts like that of a Warn 8274, but that is as far as it goes.

Thanks,

West Coast

[Zoomad75]

PM DirtyLarry. He's the newfound keeper of knowledge when it comes to all things concerning Hickey Sidewinders. Actually, he's just got the wiring schematic, but I like busting his chops if you couldn't tell. He's currenty goofing off in Texas at Texas motor speedway watching the NASCAR festivities. If he is not completely wiped out when he gets back to his hotel he should be able to respond with the schematic. Just give him your email addy in the PM.