winch hooking help (just look please)
Dec 27, 2006 | 07:07 PM
#1
Thread Starter
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Range Rover
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 163
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winch hooking help (just look please)
sorry, didnt know what the title should have been...
im picking up my winch tomorrow from honda and the only times i'll really need it is when basically i wont be able to see it.... i was thinking like leaving some slack out and rapping it around my racks so i could see where the end hook is but if i pull in the extra slack, i could risk bending the racks.... what should i do to make it easy access to the winch when either i cant see it or a good spot to hook the end on? ( i dont want the front sticking out b.c. i ram down trees a lot so i dont want to mess it up)....
hopefully you can understand what i mean.!
im picking up my winch tomorrow from honda and the only times i'll really need it is when basically i wont be able to see it.... i was thinking like leaving some slack out and rapping it around my racks so i could see where the end hook is but if i pull in the extra slack, i could risk bending the racks.... what should i do to make it easy access to the winch when either i cant see it or a good spot to hook the end on? ( i dont want the front sticking out b.c. i ram down trees a lot so i dont want to mess it up)....
hopefully you can understand what i mean.!
Dec 27, 2006 | 07:51 PM
#4
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Range Rover
Joined: Dec 2006
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winch hooking help (just look please)
and....is there anything i should not do with a winch? or anythng i should do? this is my first quad with my first winch so just wondering the do's and dont's of them...
Dec 27, 2006 | 08:06 PM
#5
Range Rover
Joined: Sep 2006
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winch hooking help (just look please)
Dec 28, 2006 | 06:25 PM
#7
Pro Rider
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 208
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winch hooking help (just look please)
Recon,
Several things immediately come to mind about winches. There are many dangers associated with winch cable, and I switched to rope after one use.
1. Don't tow with it. They're not made for that. If you're un-stucking somebody , your quad should be stationary, and pull the vehicle towards you. (as opposed to you just backing up trying to tow your buddy out)
2. When pulling yourself out or winching somebody else out, the vehicle being winched should not apply gas if there's a chance of slipping back again - which would put slack in the line and then snap back to tight. Winch cables especially are not made for this. The best (safest) thing is to not give the stuck vehicle gas until the vehicle is completely unstuck and the cable/rope is unhooked from the previously stuck vehicle.
3. If winching with cable (as opposed to rope) - place a tarp, blanket, etc over the cable about mid way - in case something should let go - so the weight of the blanket, etc will pull it down instead of it lashing back at somebody.
4. Don't wrap the cable around anything (trees, etc) and hook back onto the winch cable. This will (at the least) kink it, and will likely fray it and increase the chances of a snapped cable.
5. Use tree saver straps when using a tree as an anchor.
6. Don't handle cable with bare hands. Frayed cable will slice your finger like a razor. My cable had frayed strands after a single use.
There are others that are escaping me right now.
My advice - replace the cable with rope for starters. That will greatly reduce many of the cable specific issues.
Here's a case for rope vs. cable:
We went to Paragon (Hazleton, PA) in October and there was rock crawling competition there. Winch rope was mandatory. Any vehicle with cable could not compete because of the dangers with cable.
Several things immediately come to mind about winches. There are many dangers associated with winch cable, and I switched to rope after one use.
1. Don't tow with it. They're not made for that. If you're un-stucking somebody , your quad should be stationary, and pull the vehicle towards you. (as opposed to you just backing up trying to tow your buddy out)
2. When pulling yourself out or winching somebody else out, the vehicle being winched should not apply gas if there's a chance of slipping back again - which would put slack in the line and then snap back to tight. Winch cables especially are not made for this. The best (safest) thing is to not give the stuck vehicle gas until the vehicle is completely unstuck and the cable/rope is unhooked from the previously stuck vehicle.
3. If winching with cable (as opposed to rope) - place a tarp, blanket, etc over the cable about mid way - in case something should let go - so the weight of the blanket, etc will pull it down instead of it lashing back at somebody.
4. Don't wrap the cable around anything (trees, etc) and hook back onto the winch cable. This will (at the least) kink it, and will likely fray it and increase the chances of a snapped cable.
5. Use tree saver straps when using a tree as an anchor.
6. Don't handle cable with bare hands. Frayed cable will slice your finger like a razor. My cable had frayed strands after a single use.
There are others that are escaping me right now.
My advice - replace the cable with rope for starters. That will greatly reduce many of the cable specific issues.
Here's a case for rope vs. cable:
We went to Paragon (Hazleton, PA) in October and there was rock crawling competition there. Winch rope was mandatory. Any vehicle with cable could not compete because of the dangers with cable.
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Dec 28, 2006 | 06:43 PM
#8
Extreme Pro Rider
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 3,141
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winch hooking help (just look please)
Other things that I would mention:
If you are winching at an odd angle, watch for cable stacking. Basically, if all the cable winds up on one side of the spool, it can stack up high enough to hit the winch housing- and break things.
If you have to run the winch while submerged, when you are done rinse it off well and let it dry, then power the cable in and out a few times to warm things up and dry it out. If you do that often, plan on taking the winch apart periodically to clean and regrease.
Finally, if you are going to run the hook up into the farelhead, use the little nylon teather that comes on the hook. People do get their fingers/hands crushed between the hook and the rollers...
A winch accessory kit is really handy. I like the Summit one that Rocky Mountain sells better than the warn. I like the pouch better, it comes with gloves, and it's cheaper. There is room in the pouch to add a tow strap...
If you are winching at an odd angle, watch for cable stacking. Basically, if all the cable winds up on one side of the spool, it can stack up high enough to hit the winch housing- and break things.
If you have to run the winch while submerged, when you are done rinse it off well and let it dry, then power the cable in and out a few times to warm things up and dry it out. If you do that often, plan on taking the winch apart periodically to clean and regrease.
Finally, if you are going to run the hook up into the farelhead, use the little nylon teather that comes on the hook. People do get their fingers/hands crushed between the hook and the rollers...
A winch accessory kit is really handy. I like the Summit one that Rocky Mountain sells better than the warn. I like the pouch better, it comes with gloves, and it's cheaper. There is room in the pouch to add a tow strap...
Dec 28, 2006 | 11:19 PM
#10
Pro Rider
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 949
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From: Southern NH
winch hooking help (just look please)
Originally posted by: toehanus
Get a rubber bungee strap and wrap it around your rack. Hook your winch cable up to that.
toe
Get a rubber bungee strap and wrap it around your rack. Hook your winch cable up to that.
toe
I use Heater hose from a car to wrap around my Rack then clip the hook on that way[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]