https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cvqarSgzQI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxnFB_Lz-ss
No secrets...
Is winching with a mechanical winch a 2 soldier operation? YES for safety reasons. CAN you do it alone? Yes, but you better be acutely aware of the risks.
THE MECHANICAL GARWOOD WINCH IS A DANGEROUS IMPLEMENT THAT CAN DAMAGE, HURT AND KILL. It will stop for nothing, until the shear pin breaks or something else gives (thanks soldier B for the grade 8 bolt in the shear pin hole...)
I have a deep respect for that sucker. Rather stop, look, think, before the next move or if you are not sure, at any point of the operation.
Remember that depressing the CLUTCH in the cab immediately interrupts the winching process.
You need gloves, a 2-3 ft length of 2x4, a hammer, a rag, cable/winch rope or wire rope protective spray (2 cans). A can of red quick dry spray paint (rust paint or something). Preferably a soldier B.
- For a nice wire rope lay, find a 200ft straight, uphill stretch with an anchor point at the top.
- Wear sturdy gloves. If a wire is broken and two sharp ends slide through your closed hand, the fun ends quickly.
- Hook up to the anchor, unlock the drum lock, disengage winch drum clutch, get in the cab and slowly unspool, free spooling, by backing down the hill.
- Slow slow slow and check when you come close to the end. If you are alone it is way easier to NOT UNSPOOL THE FIRST LAYER ON THE DRUM COMPLETELY. When you see that the wire rope starts lifting, you are too far...at the end! Put the parking brake on, get out.
- Using your hands, the 2x4 and turning the drum by hand, put half of the first layer on nice and tight.
- put the drum clutch in, ready for winching. Get into the truck and back up (no winch engagement!) until you see the wire rope lift off the ground. Do not go crazy, just take the slack out, do not stretch it. You want enough load to pull on and further tighten that first half layer. The manufacturer chose a smooth winch drum, so the first layer needs to be perfect and tight to allow the following layers to go on right. The layers need to be tight enough so that a lower layer cannot be pushed apart by a tightening upper layer when you later pull a load with a partially unspooled winch. That could cause the wire rope to get crushed when it is gets dragged down between existing windings.
- brake on, get out, check the half first layer. it should have tightened. Use the 2x4 and/or a hammer if you have to, and make sure the windings are tight together.
- Take the red spray paint and paint the wire rope from where it leaves the winch forward to a point where you can see the red mark from the driver's seat. Why? Next time you unspool you will SEE where to stop unwinding to leave the first layer on.
- Take the rag, the cable protective lube/spray and clean/lube the cable all the way to the anchor point. LESS IS MORE. Don't coat it in an inch of that stuff! Check the wire for rust, kinks, crushed spots, breaks, other damage. If the wire rope is clearly damaged to any extent, ask yourself whether you want to actually use it at its rated load or start saving for a replacement. Have a beverage. By now, the paint ought to be dry and you can spray the first layer on the drum with wire/cable spray as well.
- Ready for the next crazy part?
- Here is where soldier 2 comes in...one runs the winch from inside the truck, the other makes sure the wire rope winds on cleanly and reverses direction without jumping or crossing over itself as it winds.
- Get in the truck, start winching (LOW; truck on idle) until your best guess or soldier 2 signal that the first layer is full. Stop. Keep the tension on the wire rope. Get out. Check/Fix. Continue on layer 2.
- IF YOU ARE ALONE...the "SAFE" way is to sit in the cab, winch yourself up the incline on idle, stopping and checking regularly. The UNSAFE way is to start winching (LOW), get out of the cab and walk along the front of the slowly moving truck, making SURE it spools correctly, hitting the wire rope with the 2x4 or hammer, as needed. This is clearly UNSAFE. There is no safe/guaranteed way to stop the winch from the front of the truck when it has a good load on it. The winch will not stop until you depress the clutch or kill the engine. I am often alone and I need to do what I need to do. It is also a good way to ensure the wire rope does not do stupid things. It is also a great way to get a feeling for how slowly the winch spools on idle, in low. It is also possible to get hurt, fall down, be killed by your own truck etc. I cannot recommend this. This is simply how I have done it...
- when you have a relatively straight pull, you will be surprised how well the wire rope goes on, left to right, right to left, with occasional "help" of a quick whack. If you miss it, well, stop, back off, start again.
- Stop the winching in time to not get too close to the anchor point. The last 10-15 ft can go on by hand.
- make sure you leave with the winch clutch disengaged, drum lock on and PTO in neutral and locked. Chain lead properly secured. Admire the perfectly spooled, inspected and protected wire rope.
