2011 Ram 1500 Owner's Manual

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!
Failure to observe any of these warnings regarding
proper winch usage may result in severe injury.
•Always use supplied hook strap to hold the 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.
(Continued)
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WARNING! (Continued)
•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 tremen-
dous and potentially dangerous amounts of force
when stretched.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Always disconnect the remote control when not in
use.
•Never winch when there are less than five 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.
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General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck. Some key
points to remember when using your winch are:
1. Always take your time to assess the situation and plan
your pull carefully.
2. Always take your time when using a winch.
3. Use the right equipment for the situation.
4. Always wear leather gloves and do not allow the wire
rope to slip through your hands when handling the rope.
5. Only the operator should handle the wire rope and
remote control.
6. Think safety at all times.
Vehicle Recovery Using The Winch
CAUTION!
•Always Know Your Winch: Take the time to fully
read and understand the included Installation and
Operations Guide, and Basic Guide to Winching
Techniques, in order to understand your winch
and the winching operation.
•Always inspect winch installation and wire rope
condition before operating the winch. Frayed,
kinked or damaged wire rope must be replaced
immediately. Loose or damaged winch installation
must be corrected immediately.
•Always be sure any element which can interfere
with safe winching operations is removed prior to
initiating winching.
•Always keep remote control lead clear of the
drum, wire rope and rigging.(Continued)
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CAUTION! (Continued)
•Inspect for cracks, pinches, frayed wires, or loose
connections. Replace if damaged.
•Be careful not to pull the Winch Cable Collar
through the rollers. Watch and listen to Winch for
proper snugness.1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and wire rope for
damage. Do not use the winch if the mount is loose or
rope shows excessive wear or damage.
2. Put on gloves.
3. Disengage the clutch to allow free spooling of the
winch drum, rotate the clutch lever on the winch to
disengage. Freespooling conserves battery power.
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4. Free the winch hook and attach the hook strap. Free
the winch hook from its anchor point. Attach the hook
strap to the hook (if not attached).
Free Spool
Hook Strap
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5. Pull the wire to the 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-wrapped 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 have 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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NOTE:Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or
disengaged.
9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box,
located behind the front bumper. Be careful not to let the
remote control cord dangle in front of the winch. If you
choose to control the winch from inside your vehicle,
always pass the remote through a window to avoid
pinching the cord in the door. Always disconnect the
remote control when not in use.
10. Put wire rope under tension. Using the remote con-
trol switch, slowly wind the wire rope until no slack
remains. Once the wire rope is under tension, stand well
clear of it and never step over it.
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