For most of us it’s a no-brainer, but if you’ve never installed a rubber stopper on a winch cable before, it might feel like the proverbial camel through the eye of a needle. Sticking the metal looped end of the cable through the opening in the rubber line stopper is next to impossible.

Some guys lube down the cable and stopper and try to force the loop through the opening. Depending on how big the loop is and how big the opening is, this method could split the stopper or damage the cable. Even if you’re able to force the loop through the stopper, it takes just as much—or more—time and effort as it does to do things the right way.

So how do you get the rubber stopper over the cable? The right way to get the stopper onto the cable is to unwind the cable (yup, all the way), remove the metal bolt or pin that attaches the cable to the drum (don’t lose the pin!), and slip the stopper onto the end of the cable that attaches to the drum. Make sure the flat side of the stopper is facing towards the fairlead. The beveled side of the stopper should be facing outward, towards the winch hook.

After you snake the stopper through the cable, reattach the end of the cable to the drum, using the metal bolt or pin, and wind the cable back onto the drum in neat, even layers.

It may seem like a lot more work to unwind the entire cable, but in the long run, doing things the right way is simpler and easier than trying to force the cable loop through the stopper. It could also save you the trouble of getting a new stopper or cable if your “shortcut” backfires.