4x4 Winch Spooling Guide: Prevent Failure — MEAN MOTHER 4X4
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4x4 Winch Spooling Guide: Prevent Failure
April 2, 2024

4x4 Winch Spooling Guide: Prevent Failure

When you find yourself in a situation that you need to recover yourself with your winch, you don't wanna find your winch rope unusable.

Winch ropes and cables, both synthetic and steel, rely on proper spooling for safe and efficient operation. Tight, even spooling under tension is necessary for the winch rope to work the way you need it to. It stops the rope from binding.

A friend of ours hadn't spooled his winch correctly and ended up destroying the whole thing. The rope had lost its integrity and the winch itself had its spool gears stripped. Check out what was left..

- Don't let this happen to your winch! -

Damaged rope:

Stripped spool gear:

- How to spool your winch -

-To spool your winch correctly, find somewhere that has enough room for your winch rope and a good spot to anchor. You'll want it to be straight as possible.

-Unspool your winch rope and attach it to your anchor point.

-If you can find a spot with a bit of an incline, the weight of your 4wd will provide the tension. If you can't find a spot with some incline, just feather your brakes! Recommended approximately 500 kg of load.

-With the 4wd running and in neutral, start winching yourself in.

-Depending on your winch, you may want to guide the winch rope in so it spools evenly.

-Once you get to the last few metres, you can unhook from the anchor spot and winch in the last bit. Most of the tension is already on there, so you can winch up the last bit and be on your way!

- Good Maintenance -

Remember guys, new winches don't come with perfectly spooled lines. The first thing you should do after installing is to respool the line.

After a trip where you use your winch, it's good practice to unspool the rope, check the condition, clean it, and respool. This will reduce wear and tear on the line and winch drum. You want your winch to perform and protect its longevity. This little bit of maintenance will go a long way and won't let you down.

Want to see us do it?

Check out our video to see us run through a winch spooling.

Filed in: 4x4 winch guide, 4x4 winch recovery
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