I bought a Smittybilt XRC8 from 4WD.com. It was impossible to unwind by hand. I read up on it here and elsewhere but didn't get any definite answer. Some said it got better with time. I'M IMPATIENT!!! I called 4WD and Smittybilt and they said the same thing. That it would improve after use. After struggling with it the first time that I needed to use it, I had to do something.

I noticed that when it was in freespool, the motor would still bring in the line. That led me to believe that either the clutch was not disengaging, or the "break in" clearance was tight like they had said. Before taking it apart, i decided to try this.

Do this at your own risk. I am not responsible for any damage this causes. It worked for me.

Feed out the line a bit and hook on to something immobile. I used my old pick-up truck. With the lever set to freespool(or "out" depending on brand) try to pull the line in with the remote. It doesn't take much. Just a little at a time. Unhook and reel it back in. I can grab hold of that cable and go now.

I hope this helps someone. Good Luck!

 

rich, just be patient, the same thing happened with me. Give it a few uses and it will work like a well oiled machine. Great to hear you got the new mod!

 

Smittybilt used to recommend doing the same thing..... that is until people were breaking the clutches.

for those who experience the same issue, call Smittybilt..... Ray in customer service should send you the parts needed to resolve the issue.

 

I talked to ray. He just told me to keep using it.