No matter how powerful your engine may be, how high your off-roader or truck sits off the ground, and how grippy and knobby your tires are, there comes a time when you can and will get stuck. Getting stuck while on the trails or off them is part and parcel of off-roading. You can bet that every pro off-roader you meet will tell you that they’ve gotten stuck many times, and continue to do so. Novices consider getting stuck to be a badge of shame; rather it is extremely common and even happens at the highest levels of off-road motorsport.
This is why you’ll see winches as common fitment on off-roaders. A winch is a necessary piece of kit if you regularly venture off the tarmac and into the wilderness. Even if you don’t need it to pull yourself out of trouble, it’s there to help others – just like they will no doubt have helped you if you’ve been off-roading long enough. In this article, we’ll take you through the salient points of car winching, including the types of winch, winching techniques, and recovery points. But first, we’ll tell you why you should stretch your rope before using it for the first time.
Looking for winches or winch-related equipment? No sweat, just check out our Winches and Recovery section, where you’ll find a great array of stuff from manufacturers such as Warn, Smittybilt, DV8 Offroad, and more.
Why it’s Crucial that You Stretch Your Rope Before Using Your Winch
Why should you stretch your winch rope before using it for the first time? Stretching your winch rope is critical to ensure that the line is evenly wound on the winch drum, instead of bunching up. Trying to winch with a bunched-up rope can cause the rope to crush itself, with resulting damage. Your winch or winch rope manufacturer will be able to tell you the best way to perform this task.
What are the Different Types of Winches on the Market?
There are three types of winch on the market, namely hydraulic, electric, and pneumatic. Of these, the first two are the most common, and we at 4 Wheel Parts have a great range of both on offer.
Electric Winches use an electric motor as the power source for the winch drum. As you can imagine, this motor is fairly powerful, some of the winches we carry have 6-horsepower motors. As an electric winch sucks power from your vehicle’s electrical system, you may need a beefier battery and alternator, and it’s always best to keep your vehicle’s engine running while winching.
Hydraulic Winches use a hydraulic pump and hydraulic fluid to rotate the winch drum. The hydraulic pump may require a direct connection to your vehicle’s engine, and the engine will need to be running to ensure operation of the winch.
Understanding the Most Effective and Proper Recovery Points
Buying a beefy winch and strapping it onto your vehicle is only a part of the winching game. You’ve got to understand winching techniques, winching safety, and the proper winching recovery points depending on your circumstances. Firstly, you should carefully read your vehicle’s owners manual or contact the manufacturer to identify its proper winching points. If you’ve installed aftermarket off-road bumpers, these may offer additional winching recovery points as well.
Never use your vehicle’s tiedown points or the ball on a tow hitch for winching, as it could cause damage to your vehicle. Also resist the temptation to use suspension or steering components, or even wheels. We’ve seen inexperienced off-roaders try these winching points for the first, and last time.
Remember to ensure that you’ve got as straight a line as possible between your vehicle’s winch line and the object you’re winching off. Ensure that there are no rocks, tree branches, or other objects for the winch line to abrade against.
Next, remember to take precautions. Always wear winching gloves when handling winch ropes, and make sure that you’re behind some cover, controlling your winch with its remote control. A winch line snapping under tension could potentially cut a person in half, so always treat it with respect.
Types of Winch Cables
There are two types of winch cable or winch rope. Steel ropes are durable, abrasion resistant, and extremely strong. However, they are also heavy and can easily rust if not taken care of. A significantly rusted steel winch cable is dangerous, as it can potentially snap under tension and cause injury or damage.
Synthetic winch cable is more expensive than steel and can be less sturdy. However, it’s noticeably lighter than steel and doesn’t suffer from rusting.
With either type of winch cable, you’ve got to regularly inspect them for damages, kinks, and in the case of steel cables, rust. Preventative maintenance is key towards ensuring long cable life.
Other Winching Accessories
You’ve also got to consider other winching accessories. These include:
Shackles, which allow you to form various rigging configurations, helping you achieve the optimal winching configuration, as well as fixing issues such as a lack of a direct line between your vehicle and the object you’re planning to winch from.
Snatch Blocks help effectively dissipate tension across the loaded winch cable, and in some cases, can allow you to winch more than your winch’s rated maximum pulling power. However, this requires some experience, so you should extensively read up on the use of snatch blocks before using them.
When a winch cable can’t be effectively used to winch off an object such as a tree trunk or a rock, you can use straps. These also cause far less damage to trees, which is important. We don’t want to destroy the environment, after all.
Get Your Winching Gear from 4 Wheel Parts
Whatever you need for your off-road journey, including winches and winch accessories, we’ve got it all at 4 Wheel Parts online. If you prefer physical shopping, we’ve got over 100 stores countrywide to help you do just that. That’s not all, you’ll also receive competitive prices, expert advice, and any applicable warranties. Choose 4 Wheel Parts and you’ll never need to hunt around for off-road gear in the future.
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