ProMark Offroad Blog
How to Unbind Pinched Winch Cable
Use your truck or ATV to unbind a pinched winch cable.
Cable binding and pinching can happen for a number of reasons, for example, an off-kilter pull, loose wraps on the drum, or other improper winching techniques. In any of these cases, strands of cable can overlap, crisscross, pile up on one side of the drum, or get pinched in the winch housing.
How to Unbind Winch Cable
If the winch cable gets hopelessly pinched, to the point where freespooling is impossible, the first thing to try is to hook the winch cable to a tree or anchor point and pull it loose. Use a tree strap to attach the cable to the anchor point. Then back up the ATV or truck while powering out the winch. If that doesn’t work, try powering the winch in while you maintain backwards pressure with the vehicle.
Keep Safety in Mind
If the cable does not come loose right away, try powering in and out a few more times, but don’t work at it so long and hard that you damage the winch or vehicle. And don’t throw safety precautions out the wind. All the same winch safety rules still apply. Don’t jerk the cable. It’s not designed to withstand shock forces. Also, keep bystanders well away from the winching operation. Severe pinching and binding can weaken the cable and make it more susceptible to break. Use extreme caution when attempting to free a pinched winch cable.
Other Suggestions for Untangling Winch Cable
If pulling the cable out with your ATV or truck doesn’t work, you’re basically left with the option of taking your winch off the vehicle or trying to free the cable with a screwdriver or other tools. If your winch is behind the bumper, you may not be able to reach it with tools unless you remove the bumper and winch.
Once you get the cable loose, spool the line all the way out and inspect the cable for weak spots, snapped wires, or permanent kinks. Flex the cable to remove any temporary kinks or compression. Replace the cable if there is any sign of damage. Then respool the cable with the proper tension in tight, even layers.
Winch Rigging: Straight Line Pull
Use a snatch block to straighten the pull as needed.
Try to rig up the pull so that the recovery vehicle or anchor point is directly in line with the stuck vehicle. Make the pull as straight as possible, and any angle pulls should be no more than about 30 degrees to either side. With a straight pull, the rope should spool evenly and neatly from side to side on the drum.
If the winch rope begins to pile up on one side of the drum or gets tangled up, stop winching and spool the line back out. Re-spool the line in straight and even rows; then continue winching.
If you get stuck in a situation where a straight line pull is impossible, use a snatch block to redirect the line. A snatch block lets you change the pulling direction and guide the rope straight into the winch.
Can I Tow Another Vehicle with My Winch?
Winching Tip of the Week: Never use your winch to tow another vehicle.
The shock load of a sudden jerk can exceed the capacity of the winch and cable. Abusing your winch in this way will eventually damage the winch or cable and could create a dangerous situation. The braking system on your winch is not designed to stand up under this sort of abuse, and sudden jerking may cause the winch rope to snap.
Never jog the winch cable under load. If you want to snatch out a stuck vehicle by jerking it, use a recovery strap designed for this purpose. The snatch strap should have loops instead of hooks on the ends. Unlike your winch cable, a recovery strap is designed to stretch and absorb the shock of jerking out a stuck vehicle.
Corded Winch Remote Safety Tips
Winching Tip of the Week: Only connect the corded remote to the winch when you are ready to operate the winch. Disconnect the remote immediately after use.
Always unplug the corded winch remote
when not in use.
Inspect the lead for cracks, frayed wires, and loose connections before using the remote. A damaged control lead may cause the winch to operate erratically. When you are done operating the winch, store the corded remote in a clean, dry area where it will be protected from damage.
To keep the remote control lead from getting damaged during use, keep it clear of all moving winch parts, including the drum and fairlead, cable, and any rigging. Don’t pinch the lead in the door if you are operating the winch from inside your vehicle. Always pass the lead through an open window.
How to Rewind Winch Cable Under Load
After you’re done using your winch, it’s best to rewind the cable under load to spool it tight and even onto the drum. Ideally, there should be at least 500 pounds of tension on the cable. Here’s one way to get the job done:
Protect your winch hook and cable with a winch line stopper.
- Find an empty parking lot or open area with enough room to spool out most of the winch cable, leaving at least 5 wraps on the drum. Ideally you should be on a slight incline.
- Attach the winch hook to a tree, another vehicle, or a solid anchor point.
- Put the vehicle in neutral.
- Ask a friend to stand outside, in a position where he can see you (the driver) and see the winch cable as it wraps on the drum but where he is safely out of the cable’s path. Then have him direct you which way to turn the steering wheel as the winch pulls the vehicle towards the anchor point and the cable rewinds.
- Have your friend make sure that the cable winds in tight even, rows on the drum. If the cable starts to pile up on one side or become tangled, stop winching and power out the cable until the tangled rows are off the drum. Then respool in tight, even layers.
- Stop the winch when the vehicle is about 10 feet away from the anchor point.
- Let the tension out of the rope and disconnect the rope from the anchor.
- Attach the hook strap to the winch hook and hold on to the strap to spool in the rest of the cable. Do not put your fingers through the winch hook.
- Carefully spool in the remaining cable under light tension by pulling back on the rope while pulsing the winch remote.
- Attach the hook to one side under light tension, or—if you have a rubber stopper—spool in the cable until the hook is snug against the stopper. Do not power the winch hook into the fairlead without a rubber stopper, or you could damage the winch.
Winching Tip: Anchoring the Recovery Vehicle
Secure the recovery vehicle with a tree strap and clevis.
In pulls where the recovery vehicle has poor traction or the stuck vehicle is badly bogged down, the winch may end up moving the recovery vehicle instead of the stuck vehicle. To keep this from happening, secure the recovery vehicle to another vehicle or to a solid natural anchor point, such as a tree or large rock.
Use a recovery tow strap to anchor the recovery vehicle to another vehicle behind it. Or use a tree strap and clevis to secure the recovery vehicle to tree or natural anchor.
Does a 10K Winch REALLY Pull 10,000 lbs?
This 10K Midnight Recovery Winch has the capacity to pull 10,000 pounds if all the required factors are met.
- There must be only one full layer of cable left on the drum.
- The vehicle being pulled must be on solid ground (not mud, sand, or any other “sucking” surface).
- The vehicle being pulled must have properly inflated tires and be able to roll easily.
- The winch must NOT be pulling the vehicle up an incline.
- The winch must receive adequate 12 volt power and amp draw.
If you are pulling a 10,000 pound load and then STOP winching, there will be more than one layer of cable on the drum, which means that when you try to start winching again, your winch may not be able to handle the load.
As more layers stack up on the drum, your rated line pull drops. For example, if you have 3 wraps on the drum after you stop pulling, you’ll only have about 6500 pounds of pulling capacity when you start pulling again. See the following table for an example of how much the rated line pull of a 10K recovery winch would drop per layer:
10,000 LB Rated Line Pull
| Layer of Cable | 1st Layer | 2nd Layer | 3rd Layer | 4th Layer |
| Rated Line Pull per Layer | 10,000 lbs. | 7,964 lbs. | 6,591 lbs. | 5,632 lbs. |
So how does a winch manage to KEEP pulling a 10,000 pound load even as the layers stack up on the drum? Momentum. Although it might take 10,000 pounds to break the initial resistance and get the vehicle in motion, once it starts rolling, the momentum of the pull helps the winch keep on pulling, even though the layers are stacking up on the drum and the rated line pull is dropping.
In every winching situation, your circumstances will be different, which means that your winch may not pull as much as it’s rated for every time you use it. One way to get around this is to double the winch line using a snatch block. This will double the rated line capacity of the winch and unwind more cable from the drum, which gives you a higher line pull.
Using the Free Spool Function on a Winch
Silverback Recovery Winch with
Free Spool Function
Make sure the free spool clutch is always fully engaged or fully disengaged. Using the winch with the clutch in between gears can keep the winch from operating properly and cause major damage. Also, never try to disengage the clutch while the wire rope is under tension or engage the clutch while the drum is turning.
Note: Extreme cold can make the clutch harder to shift. Don’t force the clutch. If the clutch is in the disengaged position and won’t engage easily, pull out some cable and then try again. If the clutch is in the engaged position and won’t disengage easily, tap the power out button on the winch remote before trying it again.
Winching Frequently on a Trail Ride? Wrap the Cable around the Bumper
Winching Tip of the Week: If you need to use your winch more than once on a trail ride, wrap the cable around the bumper instead of wrapping it on the drum to save time.
You can get back on the trail faster if you just wrap the winch around the front of the vehicle instead of reeling it in. Just make sure you wrap it securely! If the winch cable comes loose, your cable or vehicle could be damaged.
When you’re all done winching for the day, make sure the winch rope is clean and free of debris; then reel in the rope in neat, even rows so that it’s ready for your next ride.
How to Use a Winch Snatch Block
8000 lb Winch Snatch Block
Attaching the Winch Snatch Block
Snatch blocks are designed to attach to the cable without having to remove the load or take apart the pulley. Just open up the side plate by rotating it, then attach the block to the cable.
Setting Up a Single Line Pull with Snatch Block
To straighten out a pull or to route the winch rope around an object:
- Attach the snatch block to an anchor point in a straight line with the winch.
- Then attach the other end of the cable to the load (if winching out another vehicle) or to a solid anchor point (if recovering your own vehicle).
- Use a tree strap or chain to secure the snatch block to the anchor point. Do not wrap a chain around a tree; use a tree strap to prevent damage to the tree.
How to redirect an angle pull using a snatch block
(Used with permission from JonFund and 4WheelDrive)
Setting Up a Double Line Pull with Snatch Block
To double the line for more winch power or to spool out more cable when the anchor point is too close to the vehicle:
- Attach the snatch block to the cable.
- Then freespool the cable out to the anchor point.
- Attach the snatch block to the anchor point with a tree strap or chain.
- Then attach the end of the cable to a solid mounting point on the frame of the vehicle for self recovery.
Self Recovery with a Double Line Pull
(Used with permission from JonFund and 4WheelDrive)
Recovering another vehicle with a double line pull
(Used with permission from JonFund and 4WheelDrive)
Snatch Block Ratings
Remember that a double line pull places double the stress on your mounting points, cable, and winch tools. Make sure all tools, including the snatch block, are rated to double the winch capacity if you plan on pulling the maximum load.
