This article will teach you how to use a winch to its fullest. The key is to understand how to double winch pulling power.
What is a winch device?
A winch is a device that helps suspend and accelerate a load. It does this by capturing energy from an opposing force, converting the energy into rotational energy to drive some type of mechanical element for lifting or pulling. Most common types include electric and hydraulic winches, though, in the U.S commonly used recovery cables are pneumatic spring/air systems which are not as powerful as hydraulic systems but are much more affordable.
Many different factors go into determining if your recovery equipment will work for you or not. These factors include what you intend to haul, the size of your trailer, the ability to recover right where you need it with ample clearance, and the amount of weight that can be safely hauled (and possibly lifted) by your vehicle’s capacity.
For example, if one carries a debris removal company in their truck and needs something heavy (such as concrete), they may want to use a powerful electric winch as it can handle much larger loads with ease.
What is winching?
Winching is a standard vehicle recovery tool. We have used it many times to get our vehicle out of a ditch. The winch consists of a cable, usually made of steel, wound on a spool, usually mounted on the front bumper or the frame of the vehicle. You attach the cable to the stuck vehicle and start cranking the winch. A powerful electric motor (usually part of the vehicle’s engine) is used to unwind the cable.
How to Double Winch Pulling Power:
This article will teach you how to use a winch to its fullest. The key is to understand how to apply the power in the right way.
Using wheels’ strength:
There are several “correct” ways of applying power, but the most common way for winch users is to put power on wheels as soon as you can. It is indeed very simple and logical. Take it from me: all good winch users follow this rule, which makes them a lot happier than those who try to be perfect!
Locate a tree
- Locate a tree by using a rope. Tie the rope to the front bumper and go around the tree. Go all the way around the tree and stop at the same point from where you started. Loosen the rope and tighten it again as tight as you can.
- Mark the rope where it is tied. Then, measure the distance and determine how much pull the tree can provide. If the tree is too small or too far from the vehicle, it will not be able to provide enough pull.
- Find an alternative to the tree. A vehicle with a winch can help pull out another stuck vehicle. Use another vehicle if the tree is too small or too far for your winch.
- Use a tree with a diameter of more than three inches. The thickness of the tree should be more than its diameter.
Gear up:
The only problem is that the more you have of any particular gear, the weaker they become! So, double up your gear by applying power at gear with gears below it and take full advantage of what you have! This is part of the basic winching philosophy. Follow it and safely haul junk off into the sunset! (Or your vehicle can do that for you!
Tight Strong Ropes:
When using a winch to get heavy items off the ground, it is very important that you choose a strong and sturdy rope. The type of rope that is used should be strong enough to handle the load and you should use a rated rope. For example, a 9mm synthetic rope is stronger than a 3.2mm or 2.5mm synthetic rope but only if it is properly applied and stored.
Using tearproof cable:
Tearproof cables are very strong and can be used to winch heavy items such as giant cement bags (for example, those used at construction sites to lift trash bags). While they are useful for winching heavy loads, they can rip very easily; hence tearproof cables are available for usage instead of general cables but these must be carefully handled.
Attach 2×4 Board:
You can double your winch pulling power if you attach a 2 x 4 board to the winch line. This works because it extends the amount of line before it retracts, so it exerts a much stronger pull.
Size of Line:
There are standard sizes of winch lines (these are clearly indicated on the winch). The bigger the line, the more power you can apply; but it is important to choose a rope of fairly reasonable size. Larger ropes have a tendency to snap if you apply too much pressure, as things get heavier; hence it is preferable to use small-sized lines for light work and larger ropes for heavy work.
Distance of line:
When using a winch, you need to know how far up the line of the truck needs to be when you pull the winch. This can help you figure out how much weight to put on it.
Putting it all together:
As I already said—it is a simple logical rule that if you take what you have and double your gear up, and then put at least one gear above your line number and pull with power, or simply put your gear above line number and pull as fast as possible, then make sure that you use a rated rope which is strong enough to handle the load.
Super Winch:
Many people think that they can save time by “super winching” their trucks, but most don’t realize that you have to have the right tools to do it well. Also, super winching uses more fuel which costs more money than having a good winch on your truck.
Another issue with super winching is that when the truck is empty, you will be stuck at home with no pull vehicle!
Conclusion:
Regularly check your winching line and use the right gear and ropes that are strong enough to hold the heavy load. This will make your life easier because you’ll be able to pull the winch more often and faster!
Caution notes:
Although this technique is widely used, it can be dangerous when used with a large amount of weight on one end. To avoid accidental or sudden release, always make sure that the semi-truck line is secure throughout the process of winching.
Winching after filled trucks can be dangerous because there is not only the danger of hitting a semi-truck but also of hitting your own truck if you have a stop sign or other obstacle in the way.
It is much too dangerous to try to hold the rope while pulling a fallen tree. It is possible to increase the pulling power by using both hands to boost the force, but this is only appropriate in an emergency situation when the tree is on fire and the fire department needs to get to it quickly. Otherwise, it is more important to double the time and double the number of people using the winch instead of concentrating all of the pulling power into a single pair of hands.
FAQs:
Q. What is a slackline?
A type of line used for running with a winch on one end, and a cable on the other that is at least 6 ft long and has a weight attached to the line for support.
Q. How to double winch pulling power with a mechanical puller?
The formula to double the pulling power of your winch is to double the number of feet that your line runs through the winch drum. This works best for winches that have a hand crank to turn the cable around the winch drum, or for those winches that have a mechanical puller along with it.
Q. Why use winches instead of steel cables?
Steel cable takes time to prepare and time to install into the truck frame which makes them difficult to install in busy trucks that are already loaded up with many heavy items. Also, they can damage or rip off while being nailed to the frame due to awkward corners or something like that because they are not pre-engineered and pre-made like winches are.
Q. What are the benefits of winches?
Winches are light, quick, and easy to set up whereas steel cable has to be pre-installed first and then the load is winched onto it after the truck frame is prepared.
Q. How do you install a steel cable onto your frame?
You can either use a winch grappling hook or use a pike tacker to secure it on your frame. And there are also brands of hooks that go with your winch to help you secure it on your truck frame in seconds instead of minutes like with pike tackers or climbing hooks.
