6. EQUIPPING THE WINCH WITH A
ROLLER FAIRLEAD will substantially
reduce wear on the wire rope
during angle pulls (Figure 11).
The rollers eliminate heavy rubbing
and abrasion to the wire rope.
Periodically check tightness of
mounting bolts and electrical con-
nections. Remove any dirt or corro-
sion that may have accumulated on
the electrical connections.
Repairs should be done by
Authorized Superwinch Repair
Centers ONLY. Do not attempt to
disassemble the gearbox.
Disassembly will void warranty.
LUBRICATION
The gearbox and drum bearing are
permanently lubricated with a high
performance gear lube.
REPLACING THE WIRE ROPE
Never substitute a heavier or lighter
wire rope. Never use rope made of
any other material other than wire.
Always replace damaged wire
rope with manufacturer’s
identical replacement part (see
Replacement Parts list). Pass attaching
end of wire rope through the fairlead (if
equipped) and attach it to the drum.
When inserting the wire rope into
the drum, insert it into the correct
end of the hole provided (Figure
12). Tighten the set screw securely.
It is important that the wire rope
be wound tightly onto the drum.
A good way to do this is to attach
the wire rope hook to a fixed object
at the top of a slight incline, then
winch the vehicle up the incline.
When wire rope is removed from
the drum, as in bringing the hook
to the load, the freewheel feature
of the winch should be used.
BRAKE ADJUSTMENT
Over time, the load-holding brake
in your winch will wear. Should you
find the load beginning to slip,
adjustments can be made to the
brake mechanism as follows:
1) Loosen the 3 retaining bolts and
remove the brake cover. (Ref.#25
Figs. 13, 14)
2) Remove the two retaining C-rings.
(Ref.#35 Figs. 13, 14)
3) Insert washers to maintain a spacing
of .090" +/- .010" between the C-ring
grooves and the brake actuating cam.
(Ref.#21 Figs. 13, 14)
4) Re-install the two C-rings and
brake cover.
PULLING OUT THE WIRE ROPE
The wire rope has been installed on
your winch under minimal load at
the factory. The wire rope must be
respooled onto the drum under
load so that the outer layers will
not draw down into the inner ones
thereby damaging the wire rope.
Rotate the clutch lever to the “Free
position as shown in Figure 8. If
there is a load on the wire rope, the
clutch lever may not turn easily. DO
NOT FORCE THE CLUTCH LEVER.
Release tension on the wire rope by
jogging out some of the wire rope,
then try releasing the clutch. Pull
out the wire rope and secure to
anchor or load. Check that there
are at least five (5) turns of wire
rope left on the drum. Re-engage
the drum by rotating the clutch
lever to the “Engaged”position
(see Figure 8).
Lever must be in
the engaged
position and locked before winching.
TIPS FOR EXTENDING THE LIFE OF
THE WINCH
1. KEEP A TIGHTLY WOUND WIRE
ROPE DRUM. Do not allow the
wire rope to become loosely
wound. A loosely-wound drum
allows a wire rope under load to
work its way down into the layers
of wire rope on the drum. When
this happens, the wire rope may
become wedged within the body
of the windings damaging the
wire rope. To prevent this prob-
lem, keep the wire rope tightly
and evenly wound on the drum
at all times. A good practice is to
rewind the wire rope under ten-
sion after each use. One way to
do this is to attach the hook to a
stationary object at the top of a
gradual incline and winch your
vehicle up the incline.
2. DO NOT ALLOW WINCH MOTOR
TO OVERHEAT. Remember, the
winch is for intermittent use only.
During long or heavy pulls the
motor will get hot. The internal
parts will be hotter than the case.
To check the motor temperature,
stop winching and carefully touch
the motor case, if the motor is
uncomfortable to touch, allow
the motor to cool before continu-
ing. KEEP THE ENGINE RUNNING
TO RECHARGE THE BATTERY dur-
ing this break.
3. To maximize winch and wire rope
life, use a pulley block to double
line heavier loads (Figure 9).
4. The pull required to start a
load moving is often much
greater than the pull required
to keep it moving. AVOID
FREQUENT STOPPING AND
STARTING during pull.
5. PREVENT KINKS BEFORE THEY
OCCUR.
