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ProMark Offroad Blog

Rockster Jeep Build Update

Written By: Esther
September 30th, 2010 | Filed under ProMark Garage, ProMark Offroad News | No Comments »Tags: , , ,

The Rockster Jeep build by River Raider Off-Road is fast approaching its debut at the Pomona Off Road Expo in October. ProMark Offroad is sponsoring the build with a ProMark Jeep winch and synthetic winch line. Get a look at the progress in the pictures below. More details and pictures are available at the JKOwners forum.

Paint job (rear view)

Paint job (rear view)

Front bumper with fairlead

Front bumper with fairlead, where the ProMark winch will be

Pictured Below: “Just to get a better idea of what the finished project will look like, we rolled a couple of 37′s from one of Rock Krawlers’ other projects next to her.”

Mock wheels

Pictured with 37's for a better idea of what the finished project will look like

After the Rockster made a side trip to Rock Krawlers for suspension work, Jeremy from Rock Krawlers updated the forum on the suspension and what would happen next:

“The ‘Rockster’ is finally heading out west! Actually, it looks awesome without the soft top on it! Kenny did a great job with the cage! Twisted Stitch will be redoing the top when it gets to Cali!

It has a 2.5″ Long Arm System with 3.5″ of stretch. We are actually planning on on offering this as a production system for 2 doors at a 2.5″ and 3.5″ lift height. The frame has been cleaned up from its years of travel on the East Coast!

Here are a few images of it back on the stock tires and wheels! Once it gets out west it is going to Todd and The Jeep Speed Shop where a Dana 60 front and Corp 14 bolt rear will be slid underneath it. Poly Performance is welding on all the axle brackets so the old school axles will bolt right up. RWK Haus Supply is building the axles stuffed with High Quality Yukon Products.

While at the Jeep Speed Shop an LS engine swap will also take place! By the time it leaves the Jeep Speed Shop it will be on Race Line Wheels and 40″ Tires!

The Rockster is missing shocks and bumps for now! Fox shocks and air bumps will be installed to handle the dampening duties and control the high speed up travel of the massive 40′s and heavy axles. Stay tuned for final assembly pictures. The ‘Rockster’ will also be in our booth at the Pomona Offroad Expo with the Top Off unless it is raining.

Great Work Kenny! Now it is off to the next phase! Good Luck to Todd at Jeep Speed Shop and the rest of the guys finishing up the ‘Rockster.’”

Rockster with new suspension

Rockster with new suspension

Rock Krawler suspension

Rock Krawler suspension

Next stop: Jeep Speed Shop for an LS3 motor!

LS3 engine

LS3 engine

Here’s a sneak peek at the new tires–coming soon!

Rockster Tires

Rockster Tires

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Winch Theft Prevention

Written By: Esther
September 28th, 2010 | Filed under Winch Installation | No Comments »Tags: , , ,

After you’ve spent all the time and money to install a winch on your ATV, Jeep or truck, it’s maddening to think somebody could swipe it within a few minutes. Winches and other accessories can become targets for thieves. But with a few precautions, you can prevent your winch from getting stolen…or at least make it a lot tougher to steal! Here’s how:

Winch behind bumper

Prevent winch theft with these ideas.

  • Weld a small piece of scrap metal, a cap, or something similar over one or more of the bolts. Don’t tack weld the bolts themselves. The high heat can compromise the strength of the bolt.
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  • Use Loctite(R) Threadlocker Red or a similar product to prevent tampering with the bolts. Loctite Red can only be removed by heating the parts up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
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  • Buy a security bolt lock. Some manufacturers, such as Tuffy, sell bolt locks that can only be removed with a special key, making it nearly impossible to steal your winch.
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  • Use a receiver hitch mount and quick connect wiring that allows you to take the winch off when it’s not needed. Another benefit of receiver mounted winches is that you can move the winch from front to rear, and you can use the winch on more than one vehicle.
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  • Use a hidden mount for your winch. Not only is it harder to see, but it’s harder to get at. The downside is that it’s also harder for you to get at your winch when you need to.
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  • Drill a small hole through the back of the winch mount and the frame. Then insert a receiver hitch lock through the holes to secure the mounting plate and bumper and prevent access to the winch bolts.
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ProMark Winches “Have Never Let Us Down”

Written By: Esther
September 24th, 2010 | Filed under Customer Testimonials | No Comments »Tags: , ,

Customer Testimonial from Monty C.

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I received the winch accessory pack/winch cover. Thank you very much for everything that you helped me with. And I will enjoy the accessory pack. I’ll put the cover on the winch and send you a picture of my very muddy four wheeler with a clean winch cover! As I told you on the phone, we have been very satisfied with our Gorilla [now ProMark Offroad] Winches.

My brother and I inherited our family farm and it borders the Congaree River here in Calhoun County, St. Matthews, South Carolina. We have lot of swamp land and during the rainy times, we really depend on our four wheelers to travel in the swamp. And we do enjoy taking the scenic route through the mud!

The Gorilla [now ProMark Offroad] Winches have never let us down and we have, one time or another, had four or five four wheelers bogged down up to the seats and have winched each other out in a snap! I have used the winch to help move logs and debris and do all kinds of things. I am very happy with the winches that we have bought from Gorilla Winch [now ProMark Offroad]. Again, thank you for all of your help.

Monty C.
St. Matthews, South Carolina

ATV Winch Cover

ATV Winch Cover

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Truck Winch Mounts

Written By: Esther
September 23rd, 2010 | Filed under Recovery Winch Accessories, Winch Installation | No Comments »Tags: , , , ,

Truck winches require a secure mount that can withstand thousands of pounds of pressure. There are several different types of truck winch mounts available, depending on the look and style and ease of mounting that you want.

Jeep Grille Guard Mount

Jeep TJ Grille Mount

Grille Guard Mounts

For a front mounted winch, grille guard mounts offer the convenience of a grille guard and winch mount all in one. They give your rig a tough look, protect your front end from tree branches and other hazards, and are fairly easy to mount. One of the best features is that the winch is easy to access, making it easier to prevent cable binding and perform maintenance. Some grille guard mounts require no drilling or modifications, but others may require drilling or trimming.

Mounting Plates and Channels

One of the most cost-effective solutions is a mounting plate or channel. Most universal channels will require custom drilling and cutting to fit your vehicle. Other mount plates require no drilling and simply bolt on to the front of your vehicle. With a mounting plate or channel, your winch is easy to access and, depending on any modifications needed, should be fairly simple to install.

Recovery Hitch Mount

Mobile Hitch Mount

Hitch Mounts

Receiver hitch mounts are convenient for owners who want to take the winch off when they don’t need it. Quick connect plugs make it even easier to hook up the electrical wiring. You can also install a receiver on the front end and switch the mount between the front and rear. The biggest appeal of a hitch mounted winch is the ease of installation. With the right setup, you can share one winch among several vehicles. Since the ease of installation and removal can make your winch more vulnerable to theft, use a locking hitch pin or remove the winch and lock it up at home to prevent your winch from getting stolen.

Hidden and Semi-hidden Mounts

Hidden and semi-hidden mounts are ideal for owners who want to keep the clean look of their truck or Jeep. Mounting your winch behind the bumper requires more installation time and possibly some drilling and fabrication, but if you’re fairly mechanical, it shouldn’t be a problem. Because the winch is tucked behind the bumper, you may have a harder time accessing the winch, cable, and controls. The upside is that a hidden mount keeps your winch sheltered from the elements, out of sight, and protected from thieves.

Replacement Bumper Mounts

Another option for a winch mount is to replace the entire bumper with a prefabricated bumper and winch mount. This option provides a rock-solid mounting point, but it requires more installation time and a fatter budget. Drilling and cutting will most likely be required.

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Loading a Boat with an Electric Trailer Winch

Written By: Esther
September 21st, 2010 | Filed under Electric Boat Trailer Winches | No Comments »Tags: ,
Electric Boat Trailer Winch

An electric boat trailer winch allows you to load your boat singlehandedly.

The bigger your boat, the harder it is to load, especially when you’re out on your own. But with an electric boat trailer winch, you can load your boat easily without any help. The remote control allows you to guide the boat onto the trailer with one hand and control the winch with the other hand.

To use an electric boat winch, follow these steps:

  1. Place your vehicle in “Park.” Set the emergency brake and block the wheels to keep them from rolling. Note: You may wish to keep the vehicle’s engine running while using the trailer winch to continually recharge the battery. However, use extreme caution when working around a vehicle with its engine running.
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  2. Pull out the steel winch cable to the desired length by pressing the “Power Out” button on the remote control. Note: Always leave at least four turns of cable on the spool assembly to prevent pulling the cable completely out of the winch.
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  3. Hook the winch cable to a suitable anchor point on the bow of the boat. Use a tow strap or chain if necessary. Do not wrap the steel cable around an object and hook the cable back onto itself. This can kink or fray the cable.
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  4. Clear the area of bystanders and stand well to the side while winching. When it is safe to do so, push the “Power In” button on the remote control to begin winching the boat onto the trailer. Make sure the steel cable feeds directly into the winch and not at an angle. Avoid long pulls. If the motor becomes very hot to the touch, stop winching and allow the motor to cool before continuing to load the boat onto the trailer.
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  5. When the boat is fully loaded onto the trailer, use proper tie down techniques to secure the boat to the trailer. Attach the bow of the boat to the trailer with a separate chain or strap. Never rely on the winch cable or winch to secure the boat to the trailer.
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Installing a ProMark ATV Winch on a Honda Rancher 4×4

Written By: Esther
September 10th, 2010 | Filed under Video, Winch Installation, Winch Reviews | No Comments »Tags: , , ,

Tim, one of our ProMark Offroad customers, uploaded a video on YouTube demonstrating how to install a ProMark ATV winch on a Honda Rancher 4×4. This quick demo video covers mounting plate installation, wiring, and winch setup. The winch featured is a 4000 lb XT Series ATV / UTV winch from ProMark Offroad.

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What Size Recovery Winch?

Written By: Esther
September 8th, 2010 | Filed under Choosing a Winch | No Comments »Tags: , , ,
8000 pound recovery winch

This recovery winch has 8000 pounds of pulling power, generally the minimum rating for a recovery vehicle.

One question we get asked fairly often from Jeep and truck owners is, “What size winch should I get?” While the general advice from most winch manufacturers and offroad experts is to multiply the gross weight of your vehicle by 1.5, the fact is that this may not be enough pulling power for how you will be using your recovery winch.

Calculating Winch Size

For light duty winching, 1.5 times the GVW might be fine, but for heavy duty winching, you’ll need a larger capacity truck or Jeep winch. When you factor in things like mud, bogs, inclines, pulling out rigs that are heavier than yours, and not being able to unwind the cable to its full capacity, you might find that you need a winch size 2 or even 2.5 times the gross weight of your vehicle. The resistance force from a mud hole or a steep incline can double or even triple the weight of your vehicle, requiring far more recovery power to get back out.

Advantages of a Heavy Winch

One of the advantages of choosing a heavy winch is that the larger the winch motor, the less work it has to do in order to pull you out. A bigger winch motor equals less demand on the winch, which means it can pull for longer periods of time without overheating and will most likely have a longer lifespan than a smaller winch motor that is overworked. Larger capacity winches also draw fewer amps and lighten the load on your electrical system.

Another advantage to a heavy winch is that not every pull will allow you to unwind the cable to the last row, where the maximum line capacity is rated. The less cable you spool out, the less power you will get from your winch. That means a winch rated at 10,000 pounds at the first layer can drop down to a rating of less than 8000 pounds at the second layer.

Recommendations for Heavy Duty Winching

If you winch in these conditions, choose a winch with at least 2x GVW, or the largest capacity winch that your rig can handle.

  • Mud and bogs
  • Steep inclines
  • Heavy duty winching and/or frequent use
  • Pulls with several wraps of cable still left on the drum
  • Recovery of vehicles heavier than your own

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Silverback Jeep Winch Featured on Front Cover of 4WD Magazine

Written By: Esther
September 3rd, 2010 | Filed under ProMark Offroad News | No Comments »Tags: , , , , ,

The September 2010 issue of 4WD and Sport Utility Magazine includes a picture of the Raider ST Jeep truck build with a 10K Silverback recovery winch and ProMark Blue Synthetic Rope. Check it out!

You can read the full article on the River Raider Jeep build at 4WDSU.com.

4WD magazine cover Sep 2010

4WD and Sport Utility Magazine cover September 2010

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Winch Rope Storage and Care

Written By: Esther
September 1st, 2010 | Filed under Synthetic Winch Rope, Winch Maintenance | No Comments »Tags: , ,
Synthetic Winch Rope

Clean and inspect your winch rope regularly.

Caring for your winch rope is important for your safety. It should be a regular part of your winch maintenance. Make it a habit to inspect the winch rope before each and every pull.

Inspection

Inspect your winch rope regularly for frays, cuts, severe abrasion, and melted strands. You should inspect the rope before and after each use. Do a more thorough inspection every few months or more frequently, depending on how much use your rope gets.

Cleaning

Wash your winch rope regularly and always after riding through mud or saltwater. Unwind the rope and rinse it off with a garden hose to remove mud, salt, grit, and debris. Never use solvents, bleach, or harsh detergents to clean your rope. They can weaken the fibers and compromise the strength of the rope. Let the rope air dry before storing or respooling.

Storage

To store the rope off of the spool, coil the rope loosely and store it in a dark, dry place. Always inspect the rope after storage and before installing the rope on your winch.

Damage

Depending on where the damage is located, you may be able to continue using the rope by cutting off the damaged length and splicing a new eye into the rope. This process is easier for synthetic ropes than wire. See the instructions for splicing synthetic rope for more information.

If the rope is beyond repair, replace it with a new rope. Never use a rope that is damaged.

Replacement

Replace your winch rope with a rope approved by the manufacturer for your specific winch. The rope should be the same diameter and length to fit properly on the spool. Rope that is longer or larger in diameter than the factory-supplied rope may be too big to fit inside the winch housing and can damage the rope or winch. If you switch out wire rope for synthetic, use a new aluminum fairlead to prevent abrasion against the roughed-up roller fairlead.

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