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ProMark Offroad Blog

Why Does My Plow Slip Down? Winch Back-Driving and Cable Nesting

Written By: Esther
February 22nd, 2010 | Filed under ATV Snow Plows, Winch Maintenance | No Comments »Tags: , , , , ,

Lately we’ve been hearing from customers who are having problems with their ATV plow slipping down as the winch line creeps out. This problem can be caused by one of two things: 1) winch back-driving, or 2) cable nesting.

Troubleshooting Winch Creep on ATV Plows

Troubleshooting Winch Creep on ATV Plows

Winch Back-Driving

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If your ATV winch is controlled by a mechanical brake (and not a dynamic brake), there is a chance you may be experiencing back-driving when the plow is in the up position. Winches with mechanical brakes are designed to slip under excessive load to protect the winch gears. Under the weight of a heavy plow blade, the cable may slowly creep out and allow the blade to slip down a few inches.

If this happens, simply spool in the winch line to take up the slack. Using a snatch block can also reduce the load on the winch and prevent the plow from slipping.

Cable Nesting

Cable nesting is when the winch cable becomes tangled up on the drum like a bird’s nest. As you plow, the cable can slowly tighten around the drum as it works its way into the inner layers of cable.

If this happens, spool out the cable until all the messed up layers are unwound. Then spool the cable back onto the drum in tight, even rows.

How Do I Know if My Winch is Back-Driving or Nesting?

Since both back-driving and nesting cause the plow to slip, the two can easily be confused. The best way to find the cause of the problem is to observe the winch drum as the plow slips. If the drum turns, the problem is back-driving. If the drum does not turn as the winch line creeps, then the problem is cable nesting, where the winch line needs to be properly re-spooled around the drum.

Plow Winch Troubleshooting

Symptom Possible Causes Solution
Winch line creeps out,
causing the plow to slip down		 1. Winch back-driving
2. Cable nesting		 1. If drum turns, winch in slack, reduce load, or double line.
2. If drum does NOT turn, re-spool cable in tight, even rows.

Related Posts:

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Posted in ATV Snow Plows, Winch Maintenance | No Comments »

Winching Frequently on a Trail Ride? Wrap the Cable around the Bumper

Written By: Esther
February 16th, 2010 | Filed under Offroad Recovery | No Comments »Tags: , ,

Winching Tip of the Week from ProMark Offroad

 

Winching Tip of the Week: If you need to use your winch more than once on a trail ride, wrap the cable around the bumper instead of wrapping it on the drum to save time.

You can get back on the trail faster if you just wrap the winch around the front of the vehicle instead of reeling it in. Just make sure you wrap it securely! If the winch cable comes loose, your cable or vehicle could be damaged.

When you’re all done winching for the day, make sure the winch rope is clean and free of debris; then reel in the rope in neat, even rows so that it’s ready for your next ride.

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Join an ATV Association and Protect Your Right to Ride!

Written By: Esther
February 12th, 2010 | Filed under ProMark Offroad News | No Comments »Tags: ,

ATV Association of Minnesota

ATV Association of Minnesota

Do you know who protects your right to ride? It’s the ATV associations. They fight for your rights in the political arena, both at the local level and at the state and national levels of government. Without these associations, your right to ride on public land or even your right to ride at all could easily be restricted or taken away completely.

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About ATV Associations

The ATVA (All Terrain Vehicle Association) is the national membership organization for ATV riders. State branches, such as the ATVAM of Minnesota, represent off roaders and clubs at the state level.

These organizations fight for your rights, but they need your voice and your support to do it. As an organized group, ATV riders have a better chance of protecting their right to ride.

Why Join?

So why should you join an ATV association? First of all, it’s the best way to protect your right to ride and your right to access public riding areas. But membership provides even more benefits than this. For example, it can provide you with member-only access to resources on where and how to ride, information on safety training classes and riding events in your area, and information to help you get plugged in to local off road clubs, both in your region and in places you travel.

Working together, riders can build support for ATV use in their area, keep old trails open, gain new land for off road use, and promote off roading as a safe and fun sport. In addition, the ATV Association’s emphasis on safety and environmentalism has come a long way in gaining respect for ATV use in local and state communities.

Join now and protect your right to ride!

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How to Use a Winch Snatch Block

Written By: Esther
February 11th, 2010 | Filed under Offroad Recovery, Winching Techniques | 5 Comments »Tags: , , , ,
8000 lb Winch Snatch Block

8000 lb Winch Snatch Block

One of the best winch tools to keep in your off road tool kit is a snatch block. It can get you out of some tough situations by straightening out an angle pull, spooling out more line on a short pull, and doubling your winch capacity.

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Attaching the Winch Snatch Block

Snatch blocks are designed to attach to the cable without having to remove the load or take apart the pulley. Just open up the side plate by rotating it, then attach the block to the cable.

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Setting Up a Single Line Pull with Snatch Block

To straighten out a pull or to route the winch rope around an object:

  1. Attach the snatch block to an anchor point in a straight line with the winch.
  2. Then attach the other end of the cable to the load (if winching out another vehicle) or to a solid anchor point (if recovering your own vehicle).
  3. Use a tree strap or chain to secure the snatch block to the anchor point. Do not wrap a chain around a tree; use a tree strap to prevent damage to the tree.

How to redirect an angle pull using a snatch block

How to redirect an angle pull using a snatch block
(Used with permission from JonFund and 4WheelDrive)

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Setting Up a Double Line Pull with Snatch Block

To double the line for more winch power or to spool out more cable when the anchor point is too close to the vehicle:

  1. Attach the snatch block to the cable.
  2. Then freespool the cable out to the anchor point.
  3. Attach the snatch block to the anchor point with a tree strap or chain.
  4. Then attach the end of the cable to a solid mounting point on the frame of the vehicle for self recovery.

Self Recovery with a Double Line Pull

Self Recovery with a Double Line Pull
(Used with permission from JonFund and 4WheelDrive)

Recovering another vehicle with a double line pull

Recovering another vehicle with a double line pull
(Used with permission from JonFund and 4WheelDrive)

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Snatch Block Ratings

Remember that a double line pull places double the stress on your mounting points, cable, and winch tools. Make sure all tools, including the snatch block, are rated to double the winch capacity if you plan on pulling the maximum load.

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Posted in Offroad Recovery, Winching Techniques | 5 Comments »

Can a Winch Hold a Load?

Written By: Esther
February 9th, 2010 | Filed under How a Winch Works | No Comments »Tags:

Winching Tip of the Week from ProMark Offroad

 

Winching Tip of the Week: NEVER rely on a winch to hold a load from rolling backward.

Most off road winches are designed with a dynamic braking system, which is not designed to hold a load. This means that 1) you need to be especially careful when winching up a hill or incline, and 2) you should never use your winch as a hoist.

  1. Use caution when winching up a hill or incline.

    2. When you’re winching up a hill, do not stand behind the vehicle being winched. Keep all bystanders out of the way. Be aware that if you stop winching, the load may roll back a few feet before stopping. Even if the vehicle is stopped on the hill, avoid walking behind it during the winching process.

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  2. Do not use the winch as a hoist.

    3. An ATV winch or recovery winch should never be used as a hoist unless specifically approved by the manufacturer. You should not winch at an angle greater than 45 degrees with an ATV or recovery winch. The dynamic braking system in these winches is not designed to hold a load vertically or at steep angles. A hoist has a specially designed gearing and braking system that allows it to hold a vertical load. A winch is designed for pulling; a hoist is designed for lifting.

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Posted in How a Winch Works | No Comments »

Snatch Blocks for Winches

Written By: Esther
February 5th, 2010 | Filed under Offroad Recovery, Winching Techniques | No Comments »Tags: ,

Snatch block rated up to 20,000 pounds

Snatch block rated up to 20,000 pounds

What is a snatch block good for?

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  1. It gives you more pulling power.
  2. It takes a load off of your winch.
  3. It gives you more options for rigging up (double line pull, straighten an off-kilter pull, etc.).

Winch snatch blocks are designed to operate safely under heavy loads. They are made to handle different strengths. Higher rated snatch blocks are made from stronger, thicker materials.

What size snatch block do I need?

If you plan to pull up to twice the capacity of your winch with a double line pull, make sure the snatch block is rated up to double the maximum load your winch can handle. If you only use the snatch block to straighten a pull, you can get by with a lower rating.

Generally an 8000 pound snatch block is strong enough for a double line pull with any ATV or UTV winch. For Jeep and truck winches, double the capacity of the winch to find the recovery snatch block rating (16K, 20K, and larger).

How big are they?

Like most other winching tools, snatch blocks are small enough to easily be tucked away in a corner of your vehicle (for recovery snatch blocks) or in the tool kit for your quad (for ATV/UTV snatch blocks).

Why do I need a snatch block?

A snatch block is useful for a variety of reasons, including the following:

  • It increases pulling power.
  • It increases the amount of winch line spooled out.
  • It doubles the pulling power and cuts the strain on the motor in half by using a pulley system.
  • It lets you straighten out a pull.
  • It lets you double or even triple the line for hard pulls.

When rigging up a double line pull, keep in mind that it will also reduce the line speed by half and double the amount of stress placed on the mounting points.

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Posted in Offroad Recovery, Winching Techniques | No Comments »

Prevent Winch Motor from Overheating

Written By: Esther
February 2nd, 2010 | Filed under Offroad Recovery, Winching Techniques | No Comments »Tags: , , ,

Winching Tip of the Week from ProMark Offroad

 

Keep the winch motor from overheating by taking breaks on long pulls.

Keep the winch motor from overheating by taking breaks on long pulls.

Winching Tip of the Week: Let the winch cool down on long pulls.

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Electric winches are designed for intermittent pulls. If you need to winch over a long distance, take breaks to let the motor cool down. If the motor becomes uncomfortable hot to the touch, that means you need to give it a break. Once the motor cools down, you can start winching again.

Long pulls or hard pulls (such as up a steep incline) put a bigger strain on the motor, causing heat to build up faster. Because of the extra load, you may need to let the winch cool down more often for these types of pulls.

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Posted in Offroad Recovery, Winching Techniques | No Comments »