new winch question

[da_mule]

So I got a mile marker sec 12000#, and because I am a dork and got it late at night I was reading the instruction guide, it said and I quote


"CAUTION: Before you start using you new Mile Marker winch, you will have to re-wind the entire cable on the drum under a load of at least 500lbs (227 kg) starting with at least 5 wraps on the initial layer. Failure to do so will result in the outer wraps pressing against the inner wraps resulting in the damage of the cable. "

So the question is what is the best way to accomplish this and is it even needed. I was thinking I would just let the winch pull the truck (not stuck) across flat ground but not sure if that would be a load of 500# probably not, mabye apply a little brake to increse the load ? Does anyone have any ideas or does everyone just ignore this an use their winch ?

Thanks

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Pull the truck up a hill, yes it is a good idea to wind the cable in with a load on it.

 

[da_mule]

Quick question for you (hijacking my own post) I spoke to alcan the other day about their orbit eye springs, they advised going with the 4 " shackle flip to get rid of the factory lift blocks then get the lift spring I am looking for. The orbit eyes use a 3 5/8" shackle. Are the shackle flip kits set up for this or do they need to be custom made to work with the orbit eye setup ?

Also with the winch should I leave the 5 loops on the drum before starting my tension pull ? Or take it the whole way out ?

Thanks.

 

[runamok151]

Pull the truck up a hill, yes it is a good idea to wind the cable in with a load on it.

yep. find a place w/ enough room to unwind the whole winch and that has a slight incline. put a strap around a tree or pole at the top of the hill. truck in neutral and wind it in. if no hill have someone sit in the truck w/ their foot lightly pressing on the brake. i use the side of a pry bar between the failrlead and drum (carefully) to help line up the cable to get the first couple layers on nice and even. it can avoid many problems later on.

 

[oakknight]

If you dont have a hill you could unspool the whole length and winch your buddy's vehicle across a big parking lot. making sure the cable doesnt wind over itself .. ie fill all of the first wrap before allowing the cable to start a second. in a flat manner.

 

[Fordum]

DO NOT spool ALL the cable out. Not sure how MileMarker attaches the cable to the spool, but there is not a way to attach it so that it can handle even a small amount of load.

Run it all the way out, leave the cable slack, and wind up at least 5 turns on the spool with just hand tension.
Better still fill the whole first layer before putting on a load.
You need that first layer wound around the spool to handle the load.

Being in Fl, we don't often have a convenient hill. I usually park on grass or dirt, lock the brakes and let the winch drag all four wheels across the ground.

If you have help, your helper can guide the cable on the spool evenly. The best way is to do the guiding about 3 to 5 feet in front of the winch.
This gives you some leverage. If you try to pull the cable to one side when you are close to the winch, its hard to move it under load.

Plus, if your gloves or a piece of clothing got snagged, you would not have much time to yell before vital parts of your body started getting wound around the shaft.

If you are careful to put the hitch point directly in front of the center of the winch, it will not take much guiding.

As an example of extreme cable winding, the navy has tow sleds that they tow behind big helicopters.
We are talking about 1/2 mile of heavy cable towing a sled that might weigh a half ton.
They tow them through suspicious harbors and channels, and if there are any mines, the sled takes the hit.
The helo is unhurt.

The cable has to be wound up under tension, otherwise it pays out in jerks. Which, with that much load, can wreak the chopper or the sled.

The local mine defense lab has a novel way to wind up the spool after a deployment. The cable is wound up catch-as-catch-can after winding in the sled, so the spool is removed from the chopper, and placed on a rig with a 50hp electric motor.

An empty spool is placed on an identical rig with another 50hp motor.

The cable is hooked up to the empty spool, and both motors are turned on full power. In opposite directions.
Due to the difference in diameters between the empty and full spool, one motor pulls the other one backwards.
When they get equal, the motor with the bad wrap cable has its power reduced slightly so it keeps going backwards.

Even with water being poured on the motors, they are only good for about a dozen or so windings before they have to be rebuilt.

I advised them to use heavy steel disks and big oak blocks for brakes like they use in the south African diamond mines, but I don't know what they ever wound up doing.

Haven't been back there in years.

 

[da_mule]

10-4, thanks. I will probably pull my truck across the yard. While guiding the winch in, this is my first new winch so I would like to do it correctly.

 

[t0mills]

I used to park my rig in a field, string out the cable, and hook to a big rig wheel/tire combo that lays flat on the ground (24.5 steel wheel + heavy tire). Then spool in the cable, and while it's dragging the wheel/tire across the field, guide the cable smoothly on the drum.

Works great, but moving that wheel/tire combo is a pain in the rear...


So I designed this simple device that lets you wind the cable under tension, and guide it onto the drum without actually putting your hand on the cable (any burs in the cable could cut your hand..)

Use a good quality hardwood, and some bolts with fender washers, and you're all set to make one of these. The boards ride against the rollers while its spooling, so all you have to do is slide them from side to side to guide the cable.

Pictured here: (apologies for the under-detailed model)

Has been working great for me...

 

[K85 Octane]

nice knowledge gain
don't have a winch
but when I hold up santa for one, I'll be ready to pull.