2016 Ram 1500 Owner's Manual

WARNING!(Continued)
•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 five wraps of
wire rope around the winch drum.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Always pass remote control through a window to
avoid pinching lead in door, when using remote
inside a vehicle.
•Never leave the remote control plugged into the
winch while free spooling, rigging or sitting idle.
General Information
Practice using your winch before you get stuck. Some key
points to remember when using your winch are:
•Always take your time to assess the situation and plan
your pull carefully.
•Always take your time when using a winch.
•Use the right equipment for the situation.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 599

•Always wear leather gloves and do not allow the wire
rope to slip through your hands when handling the
rope.
•Only the operator should handle the wire rope and
remote control.
•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.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•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.
•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.
600 STARTING AND OPERATING

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.
Winch Rope
Free Spool
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STARTING AND OPERATING 601

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).
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 becometwisted 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.
Hook StrapPulling Wire Rope
602 STARTING AND OPERATING

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 anchors
include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as low as
possible. If no natural anchors are available when recov-
ering 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).
Tree Trunk Protector
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STARTING AND OPERATING 603

8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the
clutch lever on the winch to engage.
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 discon-
nect the remote control when not in use.
Clevis/D-Shackles
604 STARTING AND OPERATING

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.11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are
secured and free of debris before continuing with the
winching procedure.
Winch Box Remote Control ConnectorPulling Wire Rope Under Tension
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STARTING AND OPERATING 605

12. Check wire rope. The wire rope should be neatly
wound around the spooling drum. Improper wind-
ing can cause damage to the wire rope.In certain situations you may
decide to throw a heavy blanket
or similar object over the wire
rope. A heavy blanket can ab-
sorb energy should the wire
rope break. Place it on the wire
rope midway between the
winch and the anchor point. Do
this before the wire rope is put
under tension. Do not approach
or move the blanket once tension is applied. Do not allow
it to get pulled into the fairlead. If it is necessary to move
or remove the blanket, slack the tension on the wire rope
first.
Wire Neatly Wound Around The Spooling Drum
606 STARTING AND OPERATING