winch Tips - strap Anchor - Photo 9030968

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Rocks and trees make good anchors, and if one tree saver isn't long enough, try two or three tree-saver straps hooked together without metal hardware. Snatch straps are commonly used, but remember that the snatch strap is designed to stretch some, and should never be used unless nothing else is available, as it could snap and act like a violent, deadly whip.

131 0604 01 z+jeep+front view

131 0604 01 z+jeep+front view

First things first: Mount the winch the right way. Use an approved mounting kit for your specific vehicle, or make something strong enough for double the rated line pull you intend to use. Having the winch and mount dangling from the electrical cables instead of being securely on the front of your truck is a great way to ruin your day.

Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the electrical hookups or hydraulic lines. Running the positive and negative cables directly to the battery is the only way to ensure full voltage and proper operation of the winch. In fact, if you use the chassis as a ground instead of direct to the battery, you may not be able to spool the cable back in!

If you're really tricky, a switch can be added to the dash for controlling the winch from the driver seat without plugging in a cable control. If you do this, it's nearly mandatory to install a kill switch to make sure only the operator can control the winch.

Ramsey offers two ways to safely cut the current to your winch to prevent unauthorized use (like in a parking lot while you're off shopping). These two battery kill switches are easy to install and use, (A) a remote model with a solenoid and switch for the dash...

...or (B) the super-simple lever style (the lever is removable for safety) which can be mounted under the hood.

One hot item from Ramsey is this remote wireless control for your winch. It can even be adapted to other brands, and makes it possible to be up to 50 feet away from the winch and still 'power' in and out. If you've ever had to pull cable by yourself to get unstuck, you know how handy this can be.

Get yourself an accessory kit for your winch-you'll use it more than you think. Most popular winch manufacturers and others like ARB and Extreme Outback Products supply a snatch block, tree saver strap, shackle, and gloves, while some include a chain and a yank strap as well. Always use heavy gloves to handle cable, not just to protect your hands from stray wire-rope punctures, but also to keep your hands from getting drug into the winch and losing fingers.

Warn offers a red tag for the winch hook which should always be used instead of your fingers around the hook. This keeps your hands out of the fairlead in front of the winch, or from getting pinched when attaching the hook to an anchor. Use this tag; it could save you fingers!

And speaking of anchors, make sure they won't move. We've seen more than one guy winch a tree down onto their Jeep, as well as rolling a rock or two off a cliff. Always use a tree-saver strap on a tree to protect the shrubbery, and mount it as low as possible for maximum strength. The higher a strap goes, the more leverage is induced to pull the tree over, while even little shrubs can hold a good amount of weight if the strap is placed low around the base.

Rocks and trees make good anchors, and if one tree saver isn't long enough, try two or three tree-saver straps hooked together without metal hardware. Snatch straps are commonly used, but remember that the snatch strap is designed to stretch some, and should never be used unless nothing else is available, as it could snap and act like a violent, deadly whip.

Whatever you attach the cable to, be sure that it is rated as strong as-or stronger than-what you're pulling. Attaching a winch hook to a stock bumper is one way to mangle that bumper. Never use a trailer ball, sheetmetal, steering, or suspension components, unless you want them severely rearranged.

If you're trying to pull another vehicle out, you might need to anchor your own vehicle solidly. A chain and strap works well to a tree, and other vehicles can be used as land anchors too. Keep all vehicles in 4-Lo and the brakes set and in gear for maximum anchorage.

The Pull Pal is an extremely handy land anchor that is now available with its own stylish carrying case. The patented design of the Pull Pal looks like a plow, but securely digs itself into dirt, mud, snow, or sand for an easy winch point.

It's a lot easier than burying a spare tire in the dirt, but that method works if you have to.

Before you put tension on a cable, place a jacket, blanket, or other weight on it. This keeps the cable under control should it break, or attaching hardware comes loose. A flying cable can do serious damage to 4x4s as well as body parts.

Standing away from the taut cable, or even finding a hiding place like this, is a smart thing to do. It's the winch operator's responsibility to clear the "Kill Zone" of the winch cable or other dangerous areas before using the winch. If the cable snaps or the vehicle moves incorrectly, onlookers could be maimed or killed.

Limit the amount of well-meaning people in any winch operation. Confusing signals can cause more damage than anything else, so whoever operates the winch controls should concentrate only on the one person for advice. If you're an onlooker, keep it quiet unless a potentially dangerous situation develops that neither operator is aware of. Also, use standard hand signals for each winch operation, or at least have a good understanding of your buddy's lingo.

Help the stuck vehicle out by driving it at the same speed as the winch is pulling. It's easier to move a rolling object than an anchor, so dig out around tires or build up a rock ramp if needed. Never overspeed the winch by causing too much slack and yanking the cable-that can break the winch, the cable, or jam the cable on the drum.

Having a birdsnest will ruin the cable as well as getting it stuck on the drum.

Take the time to unspool the rope and reel it in under some tension for best results.

Since every wrap on the drum reduces the pulling power of a winch, make sure you don't pack the cable all on one end during a pull. You'll be losing power when you need it most, and you could also damage the winch with the extra cable jamming the housing. Also, make sure you have at least five wraps of cable on a drum before you start winching. If the cable is too short, get an extension.

Snatch blocks or pulleys are used to change direction of a winch pull or to increase the pulling capacity of a winch. The most common use is to reel the rope out to a fixed pulley (on an anchor or stuck vehicle) and then back to the winch vehicle.

A double line pull, as shown, increases the pulling capacity of the winch because there is twice as much cable out of the drum. This reduces the number of wraps on the drum, hence, greater mechanical advantage.

On a triple line pull, as shown with two fixed pulleys, the mechanical advantage of the two pulleys doubles the pulling power as well as halves the effective recovery speed. In addition, the extra cable reeled off the drum increases the mechanical advantage by having less wraps on the winch drum. While effective, this method should be used carefully as twice as much stress is placed on all mounting points.

You can even change the direction of a winch pull to move the rear of a rig around. When caught between a rock and a hard place, this can be the only way out.

Using a tree-saver strap as an anchor around a rollbar is trick, but make sure the bar is securely attached or major tweakage can result.

Winches use energy and produce heat. They can suck a battery dry and melt their own wires if not taken care of. Keep the winching battery charged while winching by keeping the engine running at a high idle, and limit pulling times so as not to overheat the winch. If you end up with a dead battery or you smoked your winch, your vehicle is a lot more stuck than it was when you first entered the mud hole.

Severe side winching can ruin your cable if you don't have a roller fairlead. The standard hawse fairlead acts like an anchor rather than letting the rope slide over it.

If you use synthetic winch rope, an aluminum hawse is the best bet, as the rope can't get stuck between the rollers and the nylon rope slides well on the polished aluminum.