Winch usage (power wagon only) if equipped
Things To Know Before Using Your Winch General Winch Information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electric vehicle recovery winch. This winch uses the electrical power from the vehicle charging system to power a motor that winds wire rope into the winch drum via planetary gear reduc- tion. By nature, a winch is capable of generating very high forces and should be used with care. Do not operate the winch without reading and understanding the com- plete winch owner’s manual.
Tensioning The Wire Rope
The winch rope must be properly tensioned before use. Follow the instructions below to tension the rope: 1. Un-spool the wire rope leaving five wraps of rope on the winch drum.
2. Attach the hook to a suitable anchor point.
CAUTION! Be certain the anchor will withstand the load re- quired to tension the wire rope.
3. Apply at least 500 lbs (227 kg) of tension to the rope while winding the rope. Always use care to ensure the rope does not pile up on one side of the drum and is neatly wound onto the drum.
CAUTION! Wire rope must spool on the winch drum in the direction indicated on the drum rotation decal on the winch.
Low Voltage Interrupt
Your winch is equipped with a device that will interrupt winch function if the vehicle charging system voltage drops to a low level. The winch will not power-in or out for 30 seconds if this device is tripped. If the interrupt is tripped, the vehicle should be operated at high idle for a few minutes to allow the vehicle charging system to recover before continuing to winch.
Winch Motor Thermal Protection
Your winch is equipped with a thermal protection device in the motor. If the winch is operated for an excessive duration, the device may interrupt motor function to protect the winch motor. During this time the winch will power-out but will not power-in. Allow the winch motor to cool for a few minutes before continuing to winch. The winch will resume normal function once the motor cools.
Understanding The Features Of Your Winch
Winch Components
1.Motor: The winch motor is powered by the vehicle charging system and features a thermal protection switch that automatically stops motor function in the power-in direction if the motor gets too hot.
2.Remote Socket: The remote socket allows the remote control to be attached to the control pack to allow the winch to function.
3.Winch Drum With Integral Brake: The winch drum allows the wire rope to be stored on the winch and transmits force to the wire rope. The winch is equipped with an integral brake that will stop rotation of the winch drum if the winch motor is stopped.
4.3-Stage Planetary Gear Set: Provides balance between speed and pulling power.
5.Wire Rope: The wire rope allows the winch to be connected to an anchor to provide a pulling force.
6.Clutch Lever: The clutch lever allows the winch drum to be disconnected from the winch motor to allow the wire rope to be pulled from the winch by hand.
7.Remote Control: The remote control provides the interface between the winch operator and the winch. The remote control provides the ability to power the winch in, out, and stop the winch. To operate the winch, the toggle switch is pressed down to power the winch in and up to power the winch out. The winch will stop if the switch is left in the neutral (center) position.
CAUTION! If not installed, the hook strap must be placed on the hook.
Fairlead: The fairlead acts as a guide for the wire rope and minimizes damage to the rope.
Winch Accessories
The following accessories are necessary to attach the winch to anchors, change direction of pull, and for safe winching.
Gloves: Wire rope, through use, will develop barbs which can slice skin. It is ex- tremely important to wear protective gloves while oper- ating the winch or handling the wire rope. Avoid loose fit- ting clothes or anything that could become entangled in the wire rope and other mov- ing parts.
Snatch/Block Pulley: Used properly, the multi-purpose snatch block allows you to (1) increase the winch’s pulling power; and (2) change your pulling direction without damaging the wire rope. Proper use of the snatch block is covered in Before You Pull.
Clevis/D-Shackles: The D-Shackle is a safe means of connecting the looped ends of cables, straps and snatch blocks. The shackle’s pin is threaded to allow easy re- moval.
Tree Trunk Protector: Typi- cally made of tough, high- quality nylon, it provides the operator an attachment point for the winch rope to a wide variety of anchor points and objects, as well as protect liv- ing trees.
Operating Your Winch
WARNING! Failure to observe any of these warnings regarding proper winch usage may result in severe injury.
Always use supplied hook strap to hold the hook
when spooling wire rope in or out.
Never use as a hoist.
Never use to move persons.
Never exceed winch or wire rope rated capacity.
Always wear heavy leather gloves when handling
the wire rope.
Never touch wire rope or hook while in tension or
under load.
Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is
under load, wire rope is in tension, or wire rope drum is moving.
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WARNING! (Continued)
Always stand clear of wire rope and load and keep
others away during winching.
Always keep hands and clothing clear of the wire
rope, hook and fairlead opening during operation and when spooling.
Never wrap wire rope back onto itself. Always use a choker chain, wire choker rope or tree trunk protector on the anchor.
Never attach a recovery strap to the winch hook to increase the length of a pull.
Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the recovery strap attached directly to the winch hook.
Never use bungee
straps that develop tremen- dous and potentially dangerous amounts of force when stretched.
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WARNING! (Continued)
Always disconnect the remote control when not in
use.
Never winch when there are less than five wraps
of wire rope around the winch drum.
Always pass remote control through a window to
avoid pinching lead in door, then using remote inside a vehicle.
Never leave the remote control plugged into the winch while free spooling, rigging or sitting idle.
General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck. Some key points to remember when using your winch are: 1. Always take your time to assess the situation and plan your pull carefully. 2. Always take your time when using a winch. 3. Use the right equipment for the situation. 4. Always wear leather gloves and do not allow the wire rope to slip through your hands when handling the rope. 5. Only the operator should handle the wire rope and remote control. 6. Think safety at all times.
Vehicle Recovery Using The Winch
CAUTION!
Always Know Your Winch: Take the time to fully
read and understand the included Installation and Operations Guide, and Basic Guide to Winching Techniques, in order to understand your winch and the winching operation.
Always inspect winch installation and wire rope condition before operating the winch. Frayed, kinked or damaged wire rope must be replaced immediately. Loose or damaged winch installation must be corrected immediately.
Always be sure any element which can interfere with safe winching operations is removed prior to initiating winching.
Always keep remote control lead clear of the drum, wire rope and rigging.
Inspect for cracks, pinches, frayed wires, or loose connections. Replace if damaged.
Be careful not to pull the Winch Cable Collar through the rollers. Watch and listen to Winch for proper snugness.
1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and wire rope for damage. Do not use the winch if the mount is loose or rope shows excessive wear or damage. 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.
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).
Free Spool
Hook Strap
5. Pull the wire to the anchor point. Pull out enough wire rope to reach your anchor point. Be sure to keep a certain amount of tension on the wire as it can become twisted and over-wrapped when slackened, leading to wire rope damage. To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap while you work.
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 with- stand 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 an- chors 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 wire 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 loop, being careful not to over tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the clutch lever on the winch to engage.
Clevis/D-Shackles
NOTE: Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or disengaged. 9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box, located behind the front 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.
10. Put wire rope under tension. Using the remote con- trol switch, slowly wind the wire rope until no slack remains. Once the wire rope is under tension, stand well clear of it and never step over it.
11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are secured and free of debris before continuing with the winching procedure.
12. Check wire rope. The wire rope should be neatly wound around the spooling drum. Improper winding can cause damage to the wire rope.
13. In certain situations you may decide to throw a heavy blanket or similar object over the wire rope. A heavy blan- ket can absorb energy should the wire rope break. Place it on the wire rope midway be- tween the winch and the an- chor point. Do this before the wire rope is put under ten-
sion. 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 wire rope first. 14.
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 wire rope or snatch block. Your situation may have other no people
zones.
15. Begin winching. With the winching vehicles engine on and light tension already on the wire rope, begin winching slowly and steadily. Be sure that the wire rope is winding evenly and tightly around the spooling drum.
No People Zones
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.
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 wire rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in, make sure the wire rope winds evenly and tightly on the drum. This prevents the outer wire wraps from draw- ing into the inner wraps, binding and damaging the wire rope. Avoid shock loads by using the control switch intermittently to take up wire rope slack. Shock loads can momentarily far exceed the winch and wire rope ratings. During side pulls the wire 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 wire 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.
Using The Remote Control
16. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle’s is complete, be sure to secure the vehicle’s brakes and put the transmission in PARK. Release tension in the wire rope. 17. Disconnect the wire rope, and disconnect from the anchor. 18. Rewind the wire rope. The person handling the wire rope should walk the rope in and not let it slide through the hand, control the winch at all times.
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 wire rope so it will not kink or tangle when spooled. Be sure any wire rope already on the spooling drum is wound tightly and evenly layered. Tighten and straighten the layer if necessary. Keep the wire rope under light tension and spool the wire 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 wire rope. Walk the wire rope towards the fairlead, carefully spooling in the remaining wire rope. By pulsing the remote control switch.
19. Store the hook on the most outboard loop of the tow hook.
20. 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.
Rigging Techniques
Various winching situations will require application of other winching techniques. These could range from too little distance to achieve maximum pull using straight line rigging, simply increasing pulling power, or main- taining a straight-line pulling situation. You will have to assess what technique is correct for your situation. Think safety at all times.
How To Change The Pulling Direction
Change Pulling Directions
All winching operations should have a straight line from the winch to the object being pulled. This minimizes the wire rope collecting on one side of the drum affecting pulling efficiency and damaging wire rope. A snatch block, secured to a point directly in front of the vehicle will enable you to change your pulling direction while still allowing the wire rope to be at 90° to wind properly onto the spooling drum.
Increasing Pulling Power
In some cases, you may find yourself needing more pulling power. The use of snatch blocks increases me- chanical advantage and that increases your pulling power.
Double Line
Because pulling power decreases with the number of layers of wire rope on the winch drum, you can use a snatch block to double line out more wire rope. This decreases the number of layers of wire rope on the drum, and increases pulling power. Start by feeding out enough wire rope to free the winch hook. Attach the hook to your
vehicle’s frame/tow hook and run the wire rope through a snatch block. Disengage the clutch and, using the snatch block, pull out enough wire to reach your anchor point. Do not attach the hook to the mounting kit. Secure to the anchor point with a tree trunk protector or choker chain. Attach the clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap/chain, being careful not to over tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
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