How To Use An Off-Road Winch

[@marcusalancate1782]

Raising your vehicle hood as backup to your winch blanket will also help protect yourself or passengers in the vehicle cab.

[@stewartj3407]

Yes in addition, you should always lay across the center console to have you’re hole body out of the danger zone below the windshield, surprised he didn’t mention that. We actually have 2 old ballistic shields we use for this purpose sandwiched between the open hood and windshield while trying to get most of our body behind the engine. Carrying A little extra weight is worth not having your head decapitated by synthetic winch rope.

[@TheJoshSay]

All great points, I also carry some 3in plexiglass that I carry on my top that I can pull down and lay infront of my windshield frame. With the blankets, hood up, ballistic panels, bulletproof vests, helmets, face guards, and plexiglass you should be safe to winch!

[@brandoncroucher4572]

never thought of that. thats a great idea thank you

[@143Garage]

I wear a bullet proof vest every time I go off-roading in case a stray J Hook comes outta nowhere

[@danw5476]

First time I’ve heard to put your vehicle in neutral when pulling (not leave it in Park + eBrake). Thanks for the tips!

[@dat2ra]

I was a Deck Mechanic in the Merchant Marine. We did a lot of power rigging and never used a winch blanket. Instead, we attached a short "catch line"--a braided nylon line--through the eye of the "business end" with about 5 ft of slack. Should the hook or its finding part, this line will catch the projectile. Much more practical and compact than all these "winch pads" and "blankets" I see.

[@neilhightower2270]

I actually keep a waxed canvas tarp. Works as ground cover to work under vehicle, can be a tent, or throw it over chain or cable. I think a heavy tarp makes best multi purpose tool

[@stewartj3407]

We keep 2 50lb kettlebells in the Jeep to thread thru the winch line before hooking anything up. The extra weight is worth not having you’re whole body split in half by synthetic winch rope when it snaps, Or even you’re vehicle be totaled from the impact by the rope.

[@neilhightower2270]

@Stewart J promise try to cavas tarp instead way lighter. Also synthetic winch rope is too light to cause a cutting effect. Im a certified rigger. When a polymer rope pops, it's so light that it's stored energy dissipates so fast. Now a steel cable or chain need to be weighted also larger synthetic straps.

[@stewartj3407]

@@neilhightower2270 no, it will kill you, and the 3 people standing behind you. You’re so unsafe.

[@siegehammer63]

@@neilhightower2270 you still don't want a synthetic rope to snap while your hand is on it but in broad strokes you're right.

[@philipking7260]

A snatch block only doubles pulling power when the two parts of the line are parallel or nearly parallel. If being used as a redirect it adds little to no additional pulling strength. The more blocks you add with lines parallel the more pulling power you can obtain. Just mind load limits. Also know that with using blocks to double pulling power that the point of anchor with the block sees DOUBLE the load or more. When adding blocks, the anchor point load doubles for every 2 parts of rope or cable ran parallel. Example, if you are pulling a 6k lb Jeep with a single block with 2 lines parallel then whatever the block is attached to will see 12k lbs of load. So, make sure the tree, rock, shackle or tree savor is rated for that doubled load. Also, a synthetic rope can damage a tree. The living tissue of the tree is the cambium layer which is the outer most part of the tree under the bark. It doesn't take much to damage that layer and it is very thin. My background is as a arborist with 20+ years of rigging experience.

[@siegehammer63]

Also depends on the blocks and reeving, I'd always go laced reeve with a multi part sheave but there are benefits with headspace and orientation to a square reeve, just a lot of return bends causing excess friction

[@TerraFirmaX]

I learned something new, running the hook with the mouth facing up, thanks for the education.

[@contemporaryprimitiveman3469]

I have all my winch accessories in a military surplus tool bag that lives under the back seat. I use synth rope so I don’t bother with a line weight. I like a wireless remote option and prefer to be in the driver seat when winching.

[@stewartj3407]

What!? No dampener?! Prepare to be crucified, you’re life is at stake, why so irresponsible? There’s only one thing worse you could’ve admitted to, not wearing your gloves. Please tell me you wear your gloves while handling synthetic rope.

[@b01tact10n]

Thats an awesome JL you got a very sweet looking rig. Those are great points on this video. I like using snatch blocks that make it easy and takes a big load off my winch. After use, I check my cable and respool hooked up to a tree(per my uncle).

[@pauletteelliott9752]

Thank you for this video I really needed it.

[@johnwahl7460]

Great video I learned a lot. Yet you appear to have struggled without real world application. And I’ll see YOU the next time I watch.

[@TrailBuilt]

Thanks and appreciate your support. 😎💯

[@erikalmighty]

Why have a metal hook on your winch at all? Soft shackles to the ring at the end of the rope seems better to me.

[@jasonh4167]

Advance winch rigging 3 line pulls(snatch block,winch rings) w/redirect aroundcorner ona a trail.

[@davidcarrico3385]

Great video. I’m pretty new to winching. With all the talk of not using metal d-rings due to safety, why do we still use heavy metal hooks on the end? I replaced mine with a Factor 55 loop guard and when I need to use it, remove the guard and just thread into the loop directly with my soft shackle. Am I thinking of it incorrectly in some way? Should I have kept my hook on(I do have some D-rings to use in place of the hook just in case I need to connect to something with sharp edges where a soft shackle would not be ideal)? Thanks.

[@stewartj3407]

If you use metal d rings, you will most likely be dead in 6 months.

[@clayoakes6891]

Did you ever do a video on electric shut off?

[@franksmith8210]

You can't hook to the tree saver AND have the hook pointed down both. You have to use a shackle of hook sideways...

[@matadorprime]

Transmission in neutral, parking brake engaged, foot on brake pedal. Great! Does it also help to turn the front wheels all the way to the right/left?

[@TrailBuilt]

Yes it does help to move the wheels

[@victorsanchez1983]

I always tough your car/ anchor has to be in neutral and the foot on the break! Cause it can mess up your transmission 🤔

[@blackdiamondoffthegrid8703]

Awesome Vid🙏

[@TrailBuilt]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@johnkemple]

You did not mention how your going to hook that snatch bock to the tree saver.. Answer d-ring shackle. They have their place.

[@1969darr]

Winch vehicle in neutral 4x4 with parking brake on. NOT in park! I like my tranny.

[@Stewbphoto]

Snatch blocks do not double the power of your winch... It only reduces the amount of load of a pull on the lines

[@EthosAtheos]

The anchor vehicle should not be in park or have the parking break on. Either of those will put huge amounts of stress on the drive line components. The best and most correct way is to have someone pressing in the break peddle with the vehicle in neutral. On some vehicles with intelligent alternators. You'll want them to hold the vehicle at around 2000 rpm to get the alt to put out a charge. Using the breaks locks each wheel independently of the others. It puts the stress on the breaks and not the drive line. The breaks were designed to stop the vehicle. They will take the stress far better than the parking pawl, parking break or drive line. A good plan wherever possible to dig the wheels in and partly bog the anchor vehicle; this acts like natural wheel chocks. Better still use a tree saver and tether the anchor vehicle to it. If using snatch blocks, use a tree as the anchor and take most of the force off the winch vehicle. Remember with a tree and 2 snatch blocks you can reduce the force on the winch by 50%, at the cost of having to move the rope twice as far. The other advantage is you lower the force on the line reducing the likely hood of failure. Just remember to use extra strong end points as they will see the full force of the total system.

[@xavierbruce3940]

So if you’re pulling yourself out you want your car in neutral with the parking brake on? Or do you disengage the parking brake once you start winching? Newbie here, anything helps! Thanks!

[@RogerPriceDesigns]

If you’re pulling yourself you want to be in neutral or in gear trying to drive over the obstacle while the winch helps you over. Definitely no parking break while winching yourself.

[@xavierbruce3940]

@@RogerPriceDesigns Appreciate the advice 👍🏻

[@stewartj3407]

If you’re stuck and trying to winch yourself out, definitely go with parking brake on and standing on the brake helps too, and in park, also could chalk all 4 wheels. It’s safer.

[@genxiong2695]

No parking brake as it defeats the purpose of winching yourself out. In drive to attempt to go over obstacles.

[@lewy1]

I eliminate the hook and use a hard shackle instead

[@neilhightower2270]

Typically best practice. Is to do that and have a strap to loop around.

[@colinrogers5419]

I Winched a raptor up a sand hill for like 5 minutes straight with my harbor freight winch

[@christopherrowley7506]

Weighted blankets don't work. The reality is that the acceleration of a broken winch cable is orders of magnitude greater than gravity. Just look up videos of broken winch rope, it'll snap right through that weighted blanket.

[@thomasbrogan9102]

Do you even winch, bro ? (Trade Marked)