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Clevis/D-Shackles:The
D-Shackle is a safe means of
connecting the looped ends of
cables, straps and snatch
blocks. The shackle’s pin is
threaded to allow easy re-
moval.
Tree Trunk Protector:Typi-
cally made of tough, high-
quality nylon, it provides the
operator an attachment point
for the winch rope to a wide
variety of anchor points and
objects, as well as protect liv-
ing trees.OPERATING YOUR WINCH
WARNING!
●Always use supplied hook strap to hold hook when spooling wire rope in or out.
●Never use as a hoist.
●Never use to move persons.
●Never exceed winch or wire rope rated capacity.
●Always wear heavy leather gloves when handling the wire rope.
●Never touch wire rope or hook while in tension or under load.
●Never engage or disengage clutch if winch is under load, wire rope is in tension, or wire
rope drum is moving.
●Always stand clear of wire rope and load and keep others away during winching.
●Always keep hands and clothing clear of the wire rope, hook and fairlead opening
during operation and when spooling.
●Never wrap wire rope back onto itself. Always use a choker chain, wire choker rope or
tree trunk protector on the anchor.
●Never attach a recovery strap to the winch hook to increase the length of a pull.
●Never attempt to tow a vehicle with the recovery strap attached directly to the winch
hook.
●Never usebungeestraps that develop tremendous and potentially dangerous amounts
of force when stretched.
●Always disconnect the remote control when not in use.
●Never winch when there are less than 5 wraps of wire rope around the winch drum.
●Always pass remote control through a window to avoid pinching lead in door, then
using remote inside a vehicle.
●Never leave the remote control plugged into the winch while free spooling, rigging or
sitting idle.
Failure to observe any of these warnings regarding proper winch usage may result in
severe injury.
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Page 255 of 455
5. Pull wire to anchor point. Pull out enough wire rope to
reach your anchor point. Be sure to keep a certain amount
of tension on the wire as it can become twisted and
over-wrap when slackened, leading to wire rope damage.
To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap while you
work.6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you’ve established
your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or
choker-chain around the object.
Tree Trunk Protector
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CAUTION!
Always be certain the anchor you select will with-
stand the load.
NOTE: How to choose an anchor point:A secure
anchor is critical to winching operations. An anchor must
be strong enough to hold while winching. Natural an-
chors include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as
low as possible. If no natural anchors are available when
recovering another vehicle, your vehicle becomes the
anchor point. In this case, be sure to put the transmission
in neutral, apply the hand brake and block its wheels to
prevent your vehicle from moving. Ideally, you’ll want
an anchor point that will enable you to pull straight in the
direction the vehicle will move. This allows the wire rope
to wind tightly and evenly onto the spooling drum. An
anchor point as far away as possible will provide the
winch with its greatest pulling power.7. Attach the Clevis/D-shackle and Tree Trunk Protector.
Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain
and through the hook loop, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the
clutch lever on the winch to engage.
Clevis/D-Shackles
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Double Line:Because pulling power decreases with the number of
layers of wire rope on the winch drum, you can use a
snatch block to double line out more wire rope. This
decreases the number of layers of wire rope on the drum,
and increases pulling power. Start by feeding out enough
wire rope to free the winch hook. Attach the hook to your
vehicle’s frame/tow hook and run the wire rope through
a snatch block. Disengage the clutch and, using the
snatch block, pull out enough wire to reach your anchor
point. Do not attach hook to mounting kit. Secure to the
anchor point with a tree trunk protector or choker chain.
Attach the clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the two
ends of the strap/chain, being careful not to over tighten
(tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).
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