Fairlead to winch distance

[b2910]

Thanks dieselcrawler and TxDoc for your advice. I really liked those photos of your winch TxDoc, makes me think about mounting my winch outside of a box and just using a cover. Originally wanted to mount it so it was removable but it is very heavy so that was not going to be an easy task, I still wonder if that is best however for weather, theft, battery storage and charge, etc. I watched a few of the videos, the one with the beautiful aluminum trailer made me drool but they have money to burn I suspect.

 

[hslogger]

Something I never see addressed too often with winches and windin' em up. Lubricate your cable. I realize most of you might cringe at dumping diesel on your wrapped cable, but figure out some thing else. If you keep your wire rope lubricated in some way it will handle much easier.

 

[b2910]

I had thought about asking whether it was recommended to grease the winch cable or not, makes it messy but would seem to help reduce oxidation and as you are saying, hslogger, makes it easier to wind it up. Thanks.

 

[two_bit_score]

As dielselcrawler said, I have owned winches since 1977 and only wind the cable on by leading it with one hand. Never did the 500 pound thing, with steel cable or synthetic and never had nay problems. If the fairlead is too wide or narrow, I could see where the cable would be mislead.

I think Ramsey offered a nice thing that as you wind in cable, it moves back and forth, as the drum turns, feeding the cable neatly. Warn does not offer this.

My trailer winches are here:

PictureTrail: Online Photo Sharing, Social Network, Image Hosting, Online Photo Albums

PictureTrail: Online Photo Sharing, Social Network, Image Hosting, Online Photo Albums

There are some good ideas here too.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpt-RWj7uek2Hx_69nyls9NY0YUsPvMBC

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0ArvTnwzi4&index=24&list=PLpt-RWj7uek2XK32EDGrx-ThMqVXwcTeG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6PHHHD_n8E

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3i59VzGYU-U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb-X5uAwht0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vw0r1-V3CQ

Good resources!

.

 

[b2910]

View attachment fairleadw.jpgJust a photo of how I mounted the fairlead and the winch. The metal plate I had for the winch was not very long so the winch is closer to the front of the trailer than what I had really hoped for but it does allow the cable to completely clear the tire stop bar when threaded through the fairlead. I have only off loaded a small car with the winch, got it on the trailer with a hand winch and a come along and that effort convinced me that a powered winch would be better. So I don't know how well the cable will spool back in when pulling a significant load onto the trailer but I think it will be fine. Just handheld the cable with a rag when rewinding this time.

Well it seems I cannot upload a photo for some reason. Believe me it is about this far apart .....