Winch Maintanance and Upgrades

@Yukon Joe What length and capacity extension did you order?

t_j said:

@Yukon Joe What length and capacity extension did you order?

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Keep checking the garage sale section of www.masterpull.com. they will have odds and ends for winch extensions.

I got a 7/16" 10' long with soft eyes. I should have gotten something longer say 30' or so. You want something with at least a 17000 # rating.
@Kmandoske just bought an extension. But can't remember what it was. I do remember thinking that it was a good deal.

Thank You for your donations to Avery. We hit our goal!

Yukon Joe
Snoball 3
Delta Lead
www.runraptorrun.com

I'm looking at the 3/8" (17k lbs) 20' with soft eyes its ~125 which seems ok price wise. I may shorten my line and use the spare to make another extension with soft eyes.

Amazon.com: 3/8 AmSteel Blue 40' Extension Synthetic Winch Rope: Automotive

This is the extension I picked up not too long ago. 3/8" x 40' long. Very happy with it and the seller was very good to deal with. He called me because he didn't have the blue rope pictured and was concerned that I would be upset about color. Told him it didn't matter it wasn't for looks. He chatted for a while, really knows what he is doing. He off roads as well so it is easier to trust he makes the stuff right.

On another note I am thinking of putting new line on my winch since it has seen quite a bit of use. Most likely going to put heavier line on this time and definitely going with a shorter line. Given the way the last 2 SnoBalls have gone I may pick up an additional winch extension while I am at it.

Lab - if you are going to respool your winch, you should really consider the superline XD from masterpull and go with the shorter length like your thinking about. Maybe only 50'? Looks like the 11/32" rated same as the blue steel at 16,500 lb is about $440. And comes with the crush proof thimble, Kevlar heat guard and rock guard.

Thank You for your donations to Avery. We hit our goal!

Yukon Joe
Snoball 3
Delta Lead
www.runraptorrun.com

Has anyone looked at tsc, Running's, or other farm stors

Over the summer I made some additional purchases for my winch. I wanted to build on the recovery tools I already had. I wanted to be able to winch myself backwards if ever the case may arise.

First on the list was to buy some snatch blocks. The multi-purpose snatch block can double the pulling power of any winch or change your pulling direction without damaging the rope. It also helps to reduce heat buildup and amp draw of your winch during recovery. This is a must have for a winch owner, but they are pricey coming in at about $100 for a quality one. Be sure to add it to the Christmas or birthday list

One needs a total of three snatch blocks, in addition to other gear, to be able to winch the truck backwards. I already had one snatch that came with the Recon winch. The second I purchased from Freedom Motorsports. It is a warn snatch block pn 92188. This piece of recovery equipment is one of the nicest engineered products that I own. It is sleek and light weight. Made from forged steel with a corrosion resistant finish. I still wouldn't leave it out in the rain, and be sure to dry out your recovery gear after you get home from a run.



The second one I purchased while at the Jeep Jamboree. Southeast Overlanders had a booth, and they had a masterpull snatch block discounted b/c of a slight scratch on it. I couldn't pass it up for $80. It normally list for about $135.

Now that I had the three snatch blocks, I needed a few tree savers and hard shackles. I also picked these up from @Chris@FreedomMotorsports.




Here is the recovery gear laid out:



You need
3 snatch blocks
3 tree savers or tow straps for around the trees
4 shackles
A good winch

And here is the truck set up for backward winching.





You can watch more on winching backwards here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4tI3HtgdCY


Additional Gear:


On the front of my truck, I utilized a roller fair lead. It came with steel rollers that I painted black. While it is not recommended to use this set up with a synthetic winch rope, I still did. But I was constantly inspecting the rollers for any nicks that could damage the rope. I have now changed them out for the Daystar Synthetic Winch Rollers. Also purchased at Freedom Motorsports.



The rollers were easy to change out. They are held in place with a small C shaped snap ring. Once removed, you can push the center of the roller out much like you do when changing a toilet paper roll, hahaha... . The top and bottom synthetic rollers were about 1/2" too long, but I was able to cut them to size with a hacksaw. The rollers are like a hard rubber compound. Installation was easy and now I no longer have to worry about the winch rope getting snagged or damages from steel rollers.


One piece of new recovery gear that I bought this summer that added a whole lot of safety to my recovery bag was a soft shackles from Southeast Overlanders. These can be used in combination with your winch or with a tow strap recovery. They are used around the recovery hooks on your vehicle. You can also purchase these from @RSiWORKS, he carries the same ones.








I think I'm done buying gear for a while...

This thread keeps getting better and better. I really never new much about winching and have learned so much from this thread. Thanks for the detailed write up Joe.

Bulletnjm said:

This thread keeps getting better and better. I really never new much about winching and have learned so much from this thread. Thanks for the detailed write up Joe.

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I'm glad it's been helpful bud.

I'm old school hook on and duck! Serially some good info here thanks Joe