How to Recable a Winch

Last Updated on June 30, 2021

If you have used a winch before, you know that you shouldn’t in any way be close to it as it pulls a massive load. How then can one guide the winch’s cable so that it spools easily around the drum?

Any uneven spooling by the winch’s cable can have consequences for the cable. The cable won’t last that long since the uneven spooling will compromise its strength.

The pull will also not be that efficient since the friction between the rope and the drum won’t be sufficient.

Apart from these consequences being detrimental to the long-term wellbeing of your winch, they could also cause considerable bodily harm or even lead to death. You wouldn’t want that, would you?

Therefore, you need to learn how to re-cable a winch. That’s because it will save you a lot of headaches. You need to re-cable the winch well whenever you use it.

Recabling a winch isn’t a complicated process, as you will see from our guide to the process. All you need is some time and a friend to help you, and you are ready to go.

So, how do you go about it?

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Before starting, make sure you have strong gloves on. With gloves on, you will reduce the occurrences of avoidable accidents. The gloves will also protect your hands if your winch has burrs or kinks.

If you handle such a winch without gloves, the burrs could hurt your hands.

Step 1: Turn the Winch off

To avoid any accidents, form the winch engaging when you are recabling it, turn it off. This should be the standard operating whenever you finish using your winch and not just when you want to recable it.

Step 2: Free Spool the Clutch

This will enable you to pull out the winch’s rope or hook rather effortlessly since free spooling frees up the reel.

Step 3

Remove the winch cable, ensuring you pull it in a straight line. Ensure you pull the cable away from the winch so that it won’t pile in front of the winch. That will also prevent the cable from getting entangled as you remove it.

Remove the cable up to the place where it is uneven or pull it all the way.

Step 4

Turn the winch back on. Plugin the winch’s remote again and use it to pull in the cable slowly. In that way, you will correctly spool the cable.

Step 5

With a friend’s help, spool the winch’s line by guiding the cable onto the drum. That is because you will find it hard driving the cable while still using the remote to control the winch.

You then guide the cable onto the drum as you allow the winch to drag itself away slowly. Ensure you have tightly and evenly wrapped the cable around the drum.

That will ensure there is maximum space between the drum and the fairlead. The tight wrap will also increase the cable and drum’s friction when there is a pull.

As we had already mentioned above, more friction means more efficiency from the winch.

Important Points to Note

Ensure the drum has a complete layer of cable from one side to the other one before it overlaps on itself. Use the drum’s turns to evenly wrap the cable around it from one side to the other side.
After evenly wrapping the cable around the drum to one side, overlap it to the other side. Overlap the cable repeatedly until you have covered the whole cable around the drum.
Remember to store the remote control in a cool, dry place away from children to prevent its ruin or avoidable accidents.
For the proper maintenance of your winch, it would help if you properly spooled winch cable around the drum whenever you finish using it. Although a relatively small effort, it will help you preserve the winch better and thus own it for longer.

Final Thoughts

Winches are mechanical devices that control the tension of a rope and form the basic unit of tow trucks, elevators, and steam shovels.

Most car owners must have heard of tow trucks. Those are the kind of tucks you dread whenever you park your vehicle inappropriately or not pay for parking.

Therefore, Winches are integral components in vehicle recovery, aircraft, or even the towing of large objects.

Winches exist in several types, which all serve the same purpose.

We hope our guide on how to recable a winch helps your efforts preserve your winch for longer. It is not that complicated, and you can do it quickly enough as long as you follow our guide.

Good luck.

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Daniel Galbreath