I have a Warn 2.5 that came with my 2005 Polaris 400 Sportsman. While using it to pull myself out of a swamp the cable came off the drum and got wedged between the support and the drum. I tried hooking the cable to a tree and letting cable out with the remote and by setting it to free-spool and jamming the ATV in reverse...the last time I tried this, after lubing the spot, I snapped the cable.

Anyone run into this problem? I'm guessing I have to uninstall the winch and take it apart but not sure I can take it apart with the cable wedge in there.


Also anyone know how much cable comes with these winches? I'm about 10 feet shorter now and wondering if I can salvage the cable. I've used it less then a dozen times in 4 years so there isn't much wear to the cable (remaing part at least) or flairhead so wondering if I can get a hook back on it.

 

I would think Warn used about a 25 foot cable on their 2.5, but maybe it's 50'.

Whenever my cable frayed and snapped while plowing snow, I would simply re-attach it with 2 U-clamps.

After I stepped-up to the Warn 3.0, I never had another frayed cable. Maybe the 3.0 uses a stronger cable?

Does your winch have the roller fairleed up front? I never heard of a jammed cable before.

 

You should have started out with 50ft of cable on the 2.5. I've had the same problem with steel cable and 50ft never seemed to be enough. The last time I broke a steel cable I switched to synthetic rope. I got 75ft on the same drum, changed my fairlead so it was free of burrs and now I don't have to wear gloves to use it, it doesn't bind or jam, it doesn't fray, it's not supposed to break as easily or as violently, and it is less likely to break while using it for the snow plow. Now, if I'm short with 75ft, I'm just screwed! LOL!

 

Firehog,

Did you ever have to take apart the winch to get the cable free? If so was this difficult? or any tricks?

Thanks

 

On my first used Sportsman 500 the cable was all kinds of wedged up and I tried some of the same things you did. I ended up taking the winch off the unit and putting it on a bench and took it apart paying close att to how it came apart. Once I had the drum out of it I just worked the cable around till I had a loop and cut the cable. Now you just don't cut this cable in a confined spot easily so I heated it up with a small plumbers torch to cherry red and it cut like butter with side cutters. It took some time about 1.5 hrs from time I started to the time it was back in but I got it. THE KEY is take your time and paying close attention to how it came apart and align everything when reassembling. If you keep jerking on it you will most likely break the cable drum. Cable replacement is a must at this point "DUH". I went to a boat store and they had the SS cable needed and they pressed the loop for the hook on it for me.

also after each use rerap the cable on the roller so not to pinch it up again.

 

I never had my Warn or Polaris winches do anything like that. An easy way to cut a cable is to put several wraps of electrical tape around it then use a cutoff wheel in an angle grinder or drill motor to cut right through the middle of the tape. It makes a nice clean cut and doesn't fray. I had to cut a couple feet off one because it got messed up from plowing so much.

 

I took it off last night. Not tough, took a while since I had to remove the brush gard, then the bumber then the wiring and finally the winch. Loosened the tie rods and was able to pull out the cable. But the bushing on the one side is toast. And the drum seems pretty rough were the cable slide over on that side. Hopefully all that needs replaced is the bushing, but going to take it into a shop to see what they say.