[Tracy]

I was thinking the other day that I need to check out my winch and see if it's working to begin with. Then try and rewind the cable. It may be getting a lot more use since I am a bit lower than before and we do have a trip coming up.

I have an auto, so what's the best way to rewind the cable after I check it and determine whether or not it needs a new one. Can I do this myself or do I need another set of hands?

Any input appreciated

[JeepinIan]

IMO, you will need 2 people no matter what.
Find a sloped street/parking lot (one that's not used ).
Hook the cable to a strap around the pole/post and put the winch in neutral. back up until the cable is unwound.
Check the cable/drum.
If all is OK, put the trans in neutral and winch the cable back in w/ the second person helping to guide the cable.

[Tracy]

Thanks Ian,
Bad news on the 4 hands, but makes sense. Hope it works, it looks good but it hasen't been used in about 2 years.....better to find out now than when I need it right :jump:

[Mountain Man]

BE SURE TO HAVE THE HELPER WEAR LEATHER GLOVES!

[Rambo]

i like to hook it to a pick-up or a big car and winch myself in- this method keeps you straight, while a buddy guides it as neat as possible, just like ian an mm stated.

make sure you tell your helper to keep his fingers far from the winch. since most people never used one before....

[Jim B]

I've always done this by myself.

Park about 100 feet from you favorite pole, take out the line hook to the pole with a tree saver, come back to vehicle, see how much you have left on the spool, back up until there are about 5 loops. Vehicle in neutral, hook up the winch controller, start to winch slow while you guide (use gloves, not too close), if the vehicle start to head the wrong way, stop, turn the steering wheel to do the minor correction, come back to the front & keep winching and checking the cable.

If you are in the flats try to engage a bit of tension, slightly engage your ebrake to the point that the vehicle still moves. This has worked for me for years. Btw, make sure the winch control cable is out of the way do you don't run over it... been there.

[Tracy]

Thanks boys, I figure a combination of things will work.....and I never do anything with the winch without gloves, nobody should, but thanks for the reminder. I did decide to just go out and make sure it works before I actually unwrap it and find out it doesn't. Let off about 4 feet and reeled it in.

So I'll hook her up to the tree tomorrow and go slow, should be OK

[Rollbar]

Do the above w/the exceptions.

1. When hooking to the pole(S), place the strap low to the groung so the pole won't come over due to the past storms some poles maybe cracked etc. better yet hook to a big tree.

2. Put the emergency brake on part way to add some tension to tighten the cable up. You will use more brakes just stopping @ a light than it will use applying the e-brake.

Just a thought,
RollBar

[Tracy]

OK, this went well and was quite easy to do so no excuses from here on in, so the winch is ready. I don't think it's been unspooled down past the first two rows, or it didn't appear to have been and was nice and tight all the way down. I think it might have been harder had I been putting on a new cable.
thanks guys oh, and I kinda figured the strongest part of the tree no matter what is low on the trunk. :sneak:

[Jim B]

Forgot to mention something with regards to new winches and winch cables.

If you just purchased a brand new winch or a new cable... it must be stretched tight. It does not come this way from the factory and I belive the user's manual mentions to do this. Unwind all the cable and use the find a pole technique.

Why do we do this... anyone

[JeepinIan]

2 things AFAIK.

1, it tightens the cable on the drum, the manufacturers wind the cable at high speed and cannot put the needed tension on it.
2, due to the low tension on the cable for the factory, if it is not stretched, the windings may not be uniform and the cable will want to bunch up and act like a birds nest.

[Tracy]

ahh, well I do remember when it was new, about 7 years ago, a friend of mine, Jody Newhouse of the Jeepers Jeep Club, helped me install this on the 97 I had. He did stress that we load it to reel it in. I remember hooking it up to his Jeep out in front of his house, adding some ebrake and reeling it in. The wraps were perfect and I am guessing it would stretch it some and shape it to the drum at the same time. I know it didn't explode into it's own shape today but was very easy to manage.

Another thing we did was loom the cable coming through the grill to keep the cables from rubbing and eventually shorting out as it rubs on the grill (or anything else). I need to double check this, since it seems some of the loom isn't where I remember it, but my memory ain't what it used to be. On this Jeep it looks like I may be better running right under the grill. The AC hard lines are in a different place on this one so I gotta look further.

[TombRaiderTim]

Jim B, on Dec 28 2004, 09:08 AM, said:

Why do we do this... anyone

Well some cables that come with the winch arent attached to the drum.

[Tracy]

well I do recall the wire rope(winch cable) was not attached. I was refering to my power and ground cables that were attached on mine(Warn 8000xi) and the route back to the battery.