My dealer told me to "pre streach" the cable on my quads winch, he says to hook it to the truck and totaly unwind the cable then with the brake on wind up the cable taking brakes every 8 to 10 feet or so to let the winch cool.
I have never heard of this, is something you guys do?

 

All you are doing is making sure the cable is tight on the drum. If cable is not tight on drum, the first time you put a load on it the cable will bury it self on the drum and that is when the cable will get worn.

 

Now that makes sence!!!

 

Glad I could help[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

 

your also suppose to unspool the cable once in a while by hooking it to a tree or something solid and keeping it tight so the cable keeps a nice tight wind to it. i do it about 1 or 2 times a season depending on how i use it. seems to work fo me.

 

Thanks a ton guys, I had no idea about any of that. What else dont I know................

 

Hello, some other things you should know: keep a tree strap so you don't have to wrap the cable around the tree (girdling the tree will kill it) and onto itself. That will put kinks in your cable. Also, when winching, you should drape a jacket or blanket over the winch cable (I don't do it so much as I should). If your cable snaps the jacket will slow the cable down and possibly keep the cable from snapping back in your or your quad's direction.

 

Good tips MooseHenden, I had planned on using a tree strap from now on as I have seen some trees fall into poor health after being used as a winch post for some time. As for the coat thing, dam, now that's thinking!!

 

Oh, the one I forgot. When installing a winch (mine did not come installed) take off any jewelry. My wedding ring came into contact between the battery + terminal, the terminal and the engine block. Almost welded my finger to the battery. Took a 1/16" off my finger and a little gold off my ring. One of those, "Oh yeah, that's one of the things I should remember not to do".

 

When you put your winch on, did you have to take the front "rack" off? I am new to 4x4ing and am curious as to how big of a job it would be to put my winch on when I get it.