Winch care and maintenance

Maintenance

• Proper winch maintenance
• Maintenance of the winch requires the following actions
• Types of winches and their features
• How to properly maintain a car winch and prevent breakdowns:

All off-road fans know exactly how useful such a tool as a car winch is. This device will allow you to get the car out of impassable conditions and get home after an extreme trip.

For example, you conquer a new unknown road through the forests, went fishing in an ordinary area, and there are deep ditches of dirt in which your SUV is bogged down. The nearest settlement is far away and you need to get out on your own and as quickly as possible. Winches have been developed to get out of such situations. This is a special traction mechanism that is used off-road. And in order not to take up space in the trunk, the tool is mounted to the front bumper or on the rear fixed part of the SUV.

Proper winch maintenance

First of all, please note that the winch requires maintenance every 200 hours of operation. This is due to the operating conditions because no one uses this device on the paved roads of the city. And all the dirt, sand, water, snow, and dry leaves on the roads can cause significant destructive force. All external factors can lead to: contact closure, current loss, corrosion, wire burnout, gear wear, cable damage and much more.

Maintenance of the winch requires the following actions

• Be sure to clean the device regularly to remove dust and dirt.
• Wash at the same time as washing the car and dry (wipe off excess water from the cable).
• Check the winch fastenings in time and tighten them if necessary.
• To remove condensate from the engine, it is only necessary to wind and unwind the winch once a month.
• Systematically lubricate bearings and drum drive shaft, clutches, cable guide rollers, splines and swivel joints of cardan shafts.
• Don't forget to check the oil level in the gearbox. This must be done after every 5-10 pull-ups of the car. If necessary, add oil to the level of the control hole.
• In the gearbox, the oil gets dirty and needs to be changed after every 15-20 uses of the winch, if you do not use the tool, then the oil should be changed at least once a year.
• It is important to monitor the condition of the cable and systematically lubricate it with oil that is used for the engine or chassis of the car.
• If the winch is used frequently, the axial clearance of the drum shaft and worm gear should be checked.
• Control the stability of heat removal from the engine and its heating.
• Check the integrity of the housing, fasteners, gearbox and the proper functionality of the drum with its fasteners.
• Always check the integrity and proper operation of the brake, all wires and contacts. Also, pay attention to the oxidation of contacts.

Types of winches and their features

Depending on the quality, draft power, conditions of use, pricing policy and some improvements, there are 4 types of winches.

1. Hand winch - can help under any circumstances, as it works at the expense of mechanical force with the advantage that there is no need to look for connections to the auto network;
2. Hydraulic winch - works quite smoothly and almost silently, and all thanks to the design that functions with the help of liquid flowing through the hoses;
3. Mechanical winch - functions only thanks to the operation of the car engine, as it does not have its own;
4. An electric winch - is activated by connecting to the car battery; this is the most common type of winches, so they are often mounted to the bumper remember that at the time of operation it is still worth buying a battery with a large capacity.

Each of these winches performs the same auxiliary hauling function, only with different methods. But this does not matter in the stable fact that the work, appearance, and serviceability of the device must be looked after. This factor is important and requires care and responsibility because it will extend the durability and serviceability of the winch. If the device is not provided with timely maintenance and proper care after the operation, then the winch will not work for a long time.

How to properly maintain a car winch and prevent breakdowns:

• you need to choose a device for the appropriate conditions of use - for travel it is used with some characteristics of functioning, and for sports with completely different ones;
• it is important to correctly calculate the load (the mass of the car must be multiplied by 2 or use the formula);
• it is imperative to wind and unwind the winch once a month;
• carry out annual maintenance.

When possible repair or replacement of winch parts is necessary, only replace with original parts to continue to use the winch properly. Maintenance of a warn winch requires attention to its operation and proper care.

If you have chosen a quality winch from a reputable trusted manufacturer, then you will not have to worry about caring for it, the main thing is to do everything on time. If you are still looking for the necessary traction equipment, you can contact the Volcar.eu online store, where you will find the winch you need for your off-road vehicle. Since Volcar is an official dealer of European branded manufacturers.

Author: Alina Zakordonets