Vehicle Recovery Using The Winch

CAUTION!:

  1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and synthetic rope for damage. Do not use the winch if the mount is loose or rope shows excessive wear, frays, or damage.

    Winch Rope

  2. Put on gloves.

  3. Disengage the clutch to allow free spooling of the winch drum, rotate the clutch lever on the winch to disengage. Freespooling conserves battery power.

    Free Spool Lever

  4. Free the winch hook and attach the hook strap. Free the winch hook from its anchor point. Attach the hook strap to the hook (if not attached).

    Hook Strap

    Warning!:

    • Never touch winch rope or hook while someone else is at the control switch or during winching operation.

    • Never touch winch rope or hook while under tension or under load.

  5. Pull the synthetic rope to the anchor point. Pull out enough synthetic rope to reach your anchor point. To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap while you work.

    Pulling Synthetic Rope

  6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you have established your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or choker-chain around the object.

    Tree Trunk Protector

    CAUTION!:

    Always be certain the anchor you select will withstand the load.

    Note:

    How to choose an anchor point: A secure anchor is critical to winching operations. An anchor must be strong enough to hold while winching. Natural anchors include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as low as possible. If no natural anchors are available when recovering another vehicle, your vehicle becomes the anchor point. In this case, be sure to put the transmission in NEUTRAL, apply the hand brake and block its wheels to prevent your vehicle from moving. Ideally, you'll want an anchor point that will enable you to pull straight in the direction the vehicle will move. This allows the synthetic rope to wind tightly and evenly onto the spooling drum. An anchor point as far away as possible will provide the winch with its greatest pulling power.

  7. Attach the Clevis/D-Shackle and Tree Trunk Protector. Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain and through the hook, being careful not to over tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).

    Clevis/D-Shackles

  8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the clutch lever on the winch to engage.

    Note:

    Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or disengaged.

  9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box, located on the front fascia/bumper. Be careful not to let the remote control cord dangle in front of the winch. If you choose to control the winch from inside your vehicle, always pass the remote through a window to avoid pinching the cord in the door. Always disconnect the remote control when not in use.

    Winch Box Remote Control Connector

  10. Put synthetic rope under tension. Using the remote control switch, slowly wind the rope until no slack remains. Once the rope is under tension, stand well clear of it and never step over it.

    Pulling Synthetic Rope Under Tension

  11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are secured and free of debris before continuing with the winching procedure.

  12. Check synthetic rope. The rope should be neatly wound around the spooling drum. Improper winding can cause damage to the synthetic rope.

    Synthetic Rope Neatly Wound Around The Spooling Drum

    Heavy Blanket Over Rope

    In certain situations you may decide to throw a heavy blanket or similar object over the rope. A heavy blanket can absorb energy should the synthetic rope break. Place it on the rope midway between the winch and the anchor point. Do this before the rope is put under tension. Do not approach or move the blanket once tension is applied. Do not allow it to get pulled into the fairlead. If it is necessary to move or remove the blanket, slack the tension on the rope first.

  13. Establish "no people" zones: Make your intentions clear. Be sure that everyone in the immediate vicinity surrounding the winching operation is completely aware of your intentions before you pull. Declare where the spectators should not stand — never behind or in front of the vehicle and never near the synthetic rope or snatch block. Your situation may have other "no people" zones.

    No People Zones

  14. Begin winching. With the winching vehicles engine on and light tension already on the synthetic rope, begin winching slowly and steadily. Be sure that the rope is winding evenly and tightly around the spooling drum. For additional assistance, the winched vehicle can be slowly driven while being pulled by the winch. Continue pulling until the vehicle is on stable ground. If you are able to drive the vehicle, the winching operation is complete.

    Using The Remote Control

    Note:

    • Avoid overheating the winch motor. For extended winching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow the winch motor to cool down.

    • What to look for under load: The synthetic rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in, make sure the synthetic rope winds evenly and tightly on the drum. This prevents the outer rope wraps from drawing into the inner wraps, binding and damaging the synthetic rope. Avoid shock loads by using the control switch intermittently to take up rope slack. Shock loads can momentarily far exceed the winch and synthetic rope ratings. During side pulls the synthetic rope tends to stack up at one end of the drum. This stack can become large enough to cause serious damage to the winch. So, line up pulls as straight ahead as possible and stop winching if the synthetic rope comes close to the tie rods or mounting plate. To fix an uneven stack, spool out that section of the rope and reposition it to the opposite end of the drum, which will free up space for continued winching.

  15. Secure the vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle is complete, be sure to secure the vehicle's brakes and shift the transmission to PARK. Release tension in the synthetic rope.

  16. Disconnect the synthetic rope, and disconnect from the anchor.

  17. Rewind the synthetic rope. The person handling the synthetic rope should walk the rope in and not let it slide through the hand, control the winch at all times.

    Rewinding The Synthetic Rope

    Warning!:

    To prevent serious injury, NEVER put your fingers inside the hook area as you are powering-in.

    Note:

    How to spool under no load: Arrange the remote control lead so it cannot be caught in the winch. Arrange the synthetic rope so it will not kink or tangle when spooled. Be sure any synthetic rope already on the spooling drum is wound tightly and evenly layered. Tighten and straighten the layer if necessary. Keep the synthetic rope under light tension and spool the rope back and onto the winch drum in even layers. Stop frequently to tighten and straighten the layers as necessary. Repeat this process until the winch hook is the same distance as the full length of the remote control from the winch. Pinch the hook between your thumb and forefinger and attach the hook strap. Hold the hook strap between the thumb and forefinger to keep tension on the synthetic rope. Walk the synthetic rope towards the fairlead, carefully spooling in the remaining rope by pulsing the remote control switch.

  18. Store the hook on the most outboard loop of the hawse fairlead.

    Hook In Stored Position

  19. Disconnect the remote control. Disconnect the remote control cord from the control box and store in a clean and dry place. Winching operations are now complete. Put the cap on the solenoid plug-in.

    Note:

    Always store the remote control in a protected, clean, dry area.

Parent topic: Operating Your Winch