Warn Basic Guide to Winching (Domestic)

WINCH BASICS

HOW THE WINCH WORKS

Winch Mechanics Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with your WARN winch and its components, we can begin reviewing how it works. The major advantage of an electric-powered winch is that it can provide reliable service for intermittent utility and recreational use even while the vehicle’s engine is stalled — assuming, of course, that sufficient battery current is available. Your winch can operate at high current loads, and, for this reason, the control box uses a high current control system to safely handle the current flow.

NOTE: See your specific winch operator’s guide for details on your particular winch.

Control Of Your Winch The winch is controlled by the hand held remote control* to allow the operator to stand clear while controlling the winching process. The remote control provides control of the forward or reverse rotation of the spooling drum. NOTE: WARN® offers a variety of remote control options. See your specific winch operator’s guide for details on your particular remote control operation. How the Winch Reacts to Load WARN winches are rated by pulling capacity. The maximum pulling capacity occurs on the first layer of winch rope on the drum. As the layers increase, the pulling power decreases. It’s the mathematics of winching. Exceeding the winch capacity could cause the winch to fail or the winch rope to break. Thinking through how you intend to use your winch now, could save you a big headache later. In addition, you’ll also want to make sure that your winch’s mounting system and your vehicle’s frame can accommodate the rated load of your winch. So analyze your situation. Use your judgement to calculate how much weight you intend to pull. Calculate the gross weight and multiply by 1.5 and then do not exceed the rating of your winch or winch rope.

It is important to understand that the longer the pull, the more heat that is created, just like a hot plate. Prolonged winching without cooling the winch motor will damage the motor. Also, if the engine is idling during winching, the battery may drain faster than it is charging. So pay close attention to your voltage gauge to make sure you aren’t draining your battery too low to start your vehicle.

To start, you should familiarize yourself with your WARN winch and each of its components: Practice using your winch before using it on the trail. 1 Motor Typically the winch motor is powered by the vehicle’s battery. The motor provides power to the gear mechanism, which turns the winch drum and winds the winch rope. 2 Winch Drum The winch drum is the cylinder onto which the winch rope feeds. The drum is driven by the motor and drive train. Its direction can be changed using the remote control. 3 Winch Rope The winch rope’s diameter and length are determined by the winch’s load capacity and design. Wrapped around the winch drum and fed through the fairlead, the winch rope is looped at the end to accept the hook’s clevis pin. 4 Fairlead When using the winch at an angle, the fairlead (or wire lead) acts to guide the winch rope onto the spooling drum. It minimizes damage to the winch rope while it goes through the winch mount or bumper. 5 Gear Train The reduction gear converts the winch motor power into a large pulling force. The gear train design makes it possible for the winch to be lighter and more compact.

6 Braking System The brake is automatically applied to the winch drum when the winch motor is stopped and there is load on the winch rope. The brake prevents the winch from paying out line, which in turn holds the vehicle in place. 7 Clutch The clutch allows the operator to disengage the drum from the gear train, enabling the drum to rotate freely (known as “freespooling”). Engaging the clutch “locks” the winch drum back onto the gear train. NOTE: WARN® offers multiple clutch control configurations. See your specific winch operator’s guide for details on your particular clutch operation. WARNING Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is under load, winch rope is in tension or drum is moving. 8 Control Pack Using electrical power from the vehicle’s battery, the control box solenoids switch power to the motor, enabling the operator to change the direction of the winch drum rotation. 9 Remote Control The remote control allows the operator to control the winch direction, as well as stand clear of the winch rope while operating the winch. NOTE: WARN® offers a variety of remote control options. See your specific winch operator’s guide for details on your particular remote control operation.

WARN INDUSTRIES • THE BASIC GUIDE TO WINCHING TECHNIQUES