Got a chance to try my winch
05-02-2012, 05:05 PM
#1
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Got a chance to try my winch
Had a heavy rain on Friday night and got a chance to try out my new Harbor Freight Special, worked great!
Jeep Crossing Ravine with Winch - YouTube
Jeep Crossing Ravine with Winch - YouTube
05-02-2012, 07:12 PM
#2
JK Enthusiast
Cheers on your new winch, it is a great addition to your gear. I would however strongly suggest you find some local jeep clubs if you can and ask to join on some of their planned activities. There are some things that are pretty wrong in this video without trying to put you down or anything that they would be able to help with. Best wishes
05-02-2012, 07:52 PM
#4
JK Enthusiast
The best way to learn really is hands on with others that have been there already if you can. Plus it is always much safer to go in a group of capable offroad machines as well. I wouild look here on the forums as well as local papers, offroad parts stores, etc.. The local car wash on the weekend can be surprisingly good as well.
With that said here is some purely constructive help, not meant in any way to be negative.
First you need to air down your tires. From the video you can see the sidewalls not even flinch they are way to hard to any real offroad duty really. When you air down you add a larger contact patch along the path of the tire which increase traction and adhesion a great deal in soft and loose terrain. Together with some better thottle control, being air'd down, and some working back and forth of the steering with a slightly better line you could have easily made it up that hill.
Ok so you got stuck not the end of the world. We all have been stuck before, and that is why we get those winch things in the first place. So ok bad juju one is running the winch line along the ground letting it touch the crest of the hill. Some will possibly argue it is mud and doesnt matter, but for me it is just a bad idea no matter what. Winch line is made to take a huge amount of force in its intended direction, but with a high load placed on the line the ability to sheer that line is not as great as it would seem. Catch a sharp rock hidden under that crest and it can snap that line like a guitar string and take someones leg off in the process. Another reason to not pull like that is the angle in which the force is applied when pulling. If you look closely at the front tires as you start you will see the front suspension is compressed a great deal. It is actually fully stuffed and if you notice the front tire is not even turning as the rear tire spins like mad. This is just begging to break something like a ball joint or other part of your steering by doing this. If you really have no choice but to pull like that a few things you might try it to dig out a trench for the winch line to clear the burm of the hill. If you have rocks in the way you might try at least finding a nice large round piece of log and running the line over the log at the top of the hill. This changes the angle of the pull in relation to the front end and would also act as a shock absorber of sorts. Lastly in general unless for the most part there is no way for you to do it otherwise you dont winch yourself out while gassing up a hill. It is kind of counter to a nice slow extraction if you are giving it all she has. You might continue to do that anyway until the first time you see someone run over a winch line with a front tire while gassing it only to have it catch and play tornado with someones front end.
That is enough for now. Check out the staging area here on the forum to look for others in your area and if you have questions be sure to ask in the proper area. It seems like a lot of great people here and all seem very helpful. Good luck and be safe
With that said here is some purely constructive help, not meant in any way to be negative.
First you need to air down your tires. From the video you can see the sidewalls not even flinch they are way to hard to any real offroad duty really. When you air down you add a larger contact patch along the path of the tire which increase traction and adhesion a great deal in soft and loose terrain. Together with some better thottle control, being air'd down, and some working back and forth of the steering with a slightly better line you could have easily made it up that hill.
Ok so you got stuck not the end of the world. We all have been stuck before, and that is why we get those winch things in the first place. So ok bad juju one is running the winch line along the ground letting it touch the crest of the hill. Some will possibly argue it is mud and doesnt matter, but for me it is just a bad idea no matter what. Winch line is made to take a huge amount of force in its intended direction, but with a high load placed on the line the ability to sheer that line is not as great as it would seem. Catch a sharp rock hidden under that crest and it can snap that line like a guitar string and take someones leg off in the process. Another reason to not pull like that is the angle in which the force is applied when pulling. If you look closely at the front tires as you start you will see the front suspension is compressed a great deal. It is actually fully stuffed and if you notice the front tire is not even turning as the rear tire spins like mad. This is just begging to break something like a ball joint or other part of your steering by doing this. If you really have no choice but to pull like that a few things you might try it to dig out a trench for the winch line to clear the burm of the hill. If you have rocks in the way you might try at least finding a nice large round piece of log and running the line over the log at the top of the hill. This changes the angle of the pull in relation to the front end and would also act as a shock absorber of sorts. Lastly in general unless for the most part there is no way for you to do it otherwise you dont winch yourself out while gassing up a hill. It is kind of counter to a nice slow extraction if you are giving it all she has. You might continue to do that anyway until the first time you see someone run over a winch line with a front tire while gassing it only to have it catch and play tornado with someones front end.
That is enough for now. Check out the staging area here on the forum to look for others in your area and if you have questions be sure to ask in the proper area. It seems like a lot of great people here and all seem very helpful. Good luck and be safe
05-02-2012, 08:17 PM
#6
JK Enthusiast
Good advice there and I agree 100% now off topic lol I have 2 questions. 1- is that got the new 3.6 motor or the old 3.8 and 2- what exhaust is that it sounds bad ass lol I like it
05-03-2012, 08:32 AM
#7
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
It is the new motor-2012, the new setup has a resonator and the same axle back muffler. When i was installing my tow receiver i noticed it is one clamp and a couple hangers to take the muffler off... never put it back on... was going to order the cheap dynomax system but didnt like the dual outlets. I like the noise and the idea of nothing to hang up or get crushed back there...
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05-03-2012, 08:53 AM
#8
JK Freak
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i wanted you to make it soooooo bad, but i knew by the thread title it wasnt going to happen. 
some better tires and i think you would have had it.
i still havnt had to use my winch yet. ive been lucky and havnt gotten in any situations i couldnt get out of with just 4wd low and locked.
some better tires and i think you would have had it.
i still havnt had to use my winch yet. ive been lucky and havnt gotten in any situations i couldnt get out of with just 4wd low and locked.
05-03-2012, 10:11 AM
#9
JK Super Freak
Its so hard to tell but did the winch cable just wrap around the tree and clip back to itself?? 
Always use a "Tree Saver" or some sort of sling to anchor to as the hook going back onto its own cable WILL shear.
Always use a "Tree Saver" or some sort of sling to anchor to as the hook going back onto its own cable WILL shear.
05-03-2012, 03:11 PM
#10
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