some winch questions

[croftonaviation]

I got to finally use my winch truck this weekend for it's intended purchase, pulling a stuck tractor out of a hole. I have a couple of questions for you winch experts out there.

1st what is the safest way to get the cable to wind back up nice and pretty.

2nd what do you use to do your six month pm on the cable. The tm calls for some "exposed gear lube" any brand that works well?

3rd what is the best means of surface rust removal from the cable. I found just unwinding it and coating with motor oil helped quite a bit. Is there a chemical product of just a steel bruch and some elbow grease.

Thanks for the input, I am so glad I got a truck with a winch

 

[clinto]

#2: http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/19857-cable-lube.html

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/26665-unwinding-winch-cable-please-advise.html

 

[timntrucks]

soilder B does the job of making sure it looks 'pretty'

 

[shannondeese]

I unwind mine all the way out and hook it to my F250 or F350 in neutral and wind in back in in low gear very slowly. As it winds in either me or my buddy applys pressure to the cable to make it track evenly across the drum. If you do this a few times you'll have it down pat in no time. The weight of the truck helps to keep tension on the cable for the next use.

 

[fasttruck]

To wind cable evenly it must go straight into winch as it winds up or it will all be jammed on one side. Truck must align on anchor or use a snatch block to change direction of pull. Wind cable onto drum and pour new oe 1540 over it with an absorbant pad underneath to catch any extra that is not absorbed into winch. Proper winch cable has one rope strad in it to act as a wick and hold oil.