Winches are an often overlooked part on a Jeep that can come in very handy during difficult situations. Winches are used to remove objects from the path of a Jeep or more commonly used to pull a Jeep out of trouble. Winches are sold with many different designs, attachments, and components but their usage remains the same. You should always make sure to perform proper maintenance on your Jeep’s winch to ensure that it will be functional when you need it the most. There are also several preventative measures that you should take to promote the longevity of your Jeep’s winch.
Maintenance
Even if you do not use your winch often you should make sure to maintain it. One of the worst things that can happen is needing your system and realizing that it doesn’t work any more. Prior to performing any maintenance steps you should inspect the winch. Check the cable for any kinks, nicks, or tearing. If you observe that the cable is dirty, make sure to clean it using soap and water. Cleaning the cable will prevent rust from forming or the cable from being damaged. Pay attention to how the motor is functioning as the cable is wound and unwound. Also, inspect the parts of the whole system for any damage. If you realize that the cable is damaged, the motor is not functioning correctly, or any other parts of the system are damaged make sure to replace them before you complete your Jeep’s winch maintenance.
There are some winch cables that need to be lubricated on a routine schedule. You will need to check with the manufacturer of your winch but lubricate your cable during the time that you are performing maintenance on the system. Jeep owners who own winch systems that use synthetic materials will have to take slightly different steps than the owners of systems that utilize steel cables. The biggest difference is that synthetic cables don’t kink or get nicked. Prior to winding the cable back up after your maintenance, dry the cable completely so that rust doesn’t form as the cable sits on your winch’s spool.
Prevention
In order to avoid damaging the winch that is on your Jeep you should make sure that you know how to use the system properly. Your winch system should be capable of pulling twice the weight of the object that you would like to pull. The movements that you make with your winch should be slow so that accidents, like the cable breaking, do not mistakenly happen.
After you have used your winch make sure to rewind the cable slowly so that the cable doesn’t become tangled and the motor isn’t damaged. As you place the cable back onto the spool of the winch you should make sure that the cable is rewinding evenly and not getting tied into knots. If the cable does begin to knot as you rewind it you will need to begin the process again.
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