Horror stories/lessons learned

[Phil Waterman]

Don't use Cheap tow cables and don't jerk the load. You may not break the cable but look what my 10,000lb Pattern 13 did to a tow cable pulling a 4,000lb Jeep out of a snow drift.

Hook was through a correct size shackle it straighten out struck the rear door of the radio box. The cable hit flat with enough force to leave an imprint.

To add insult to injury the Jeep was still stuck.

Cheers Phil

[hrpearce]

Originally Posted by Phil Waterman

Don't use Cheap tow cables and don't jerk the load. You may not break the cable but look what my 10,000lb Pattern 13 did to a tow cable pulling a 4,000lb Jeep out of a snow drift.

Hook was through a correct size shackle it straighten out struck the rear door of the radio box. The cable hit flat with enough force to leave an imprint.

To add insult to injury the Jeep was still stuck.

Cheers Phil

Cable recoil has a lot of force. I was snigging washed out trees after a flood when one tree dug into the bank and the winch tried to stand the tree up. When the 1.1/4" S hook snapped 100' of 1" cable instantly hit the cable catcher on the back of thr tractor and moved the tractor 6" forward. Without the cable catcher I would have been minced meet.

[listerdiesel]

When you are winching, a lot of stress is placed on all of the components involved.

Check that the eye you are hooking on to is good and able to withstand the loads you are about to impose on it.

At an engine museum meet I was watching a guy loading a Blackstone horizontal engine up some fairly steep ramps when the winch exploded and the engine went backwards rather quickly.

Items falling off ramps are uncontrolled and dangerous, unless you have a very good reason to be there, stay away from ramps when loading/unloading is going on!

We have fitted both our engine trolley drawbars with tow hitches, and a Front Towbar on the Land Rover Discovery, that has eliminated most of the danger points now, we can tow the engines out of the trailer in low box and in complete control.

Regarding batteries and sparks, it is a mixture of Oxygen and Hydrogen that is given off by charging batteries, caused by breakdown of the water in the electrolyte. You shouldn't be gassing the batteries that much in the first place, but I've had an unlucky spark cause the same thing on a battery that had been off charge for some time, but the vent plugs weren't put back in....

Peter

[RHClarke]

Easy outs. Never, ever use them when there is the slightest chance that they will snap off when under load.

[cletrac (RIP)]

Here's a quick hint. Before kicking the winch into gear, make sure the word China isn't on any of the components!!

[RichardT10829]

Originally Posted by RHClarke

Easy outs. Never, ever use them when there is the slightest chance that they will snap off when under load.

its not the end of the world... i had to extract two easy-outs out of my block. the trick is to get them glowing hot, then keep them hot for as long as you can (and cool as slow as you can)...... it makes them soft as claggy toffee, then a drill makes short work of them

[Robert Bergeron]

t'is fall we'da killed a moose.

I drove up the Jeep with the winch up front.

Ma friend tied a knot on the rope and put the rope around the largest moose's neck. i told him check your knot friend.

No prob he says. I start tha winch. The rope is under tension, the moose moves up tha ramp.

Tha knot gives , the enda of tha rope with the brass fitting comes flying in ma direction . I hear a wizzz near my ear lobe. Tha brass fitting hits tha Jeep !

Better tha Jeep than you he say.

Tha moose meat is fine but there is a strange feeling , like a knot in my stomach ..

So, lesson learned : stay well back when winching and check your knots don't trust not someone else's .



Bob