Something NOT to do with your winch....

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
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Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
I have not had good luck with winches for years. Today I learned something not to do. Often for what ever reason I have and I have seen others do it. Run the winch to feed line out. instead of free spooling it. The design inside the drum for the brake on the winch gets damaged and over heats the brake, causing sever power drain while using the winch AND damages the inside. I'm an old dog, but learned something new.
Just thought I'd pass this along.
 
We teach that very thing in the winch course. And in the basic 4wd class. You are over powering your brakes in your normal winch to wind it out. Best to free spool it. This is really important for the newer winch lines that are not metal. It will melt them in a heartbeat.
 
Which winches is this worst on? Not that it's a practice of mine. Just curious.
 
Not to bust out names but anything with a " drum brake system " will over heat if you spool it out. Just look up your winch you are looking at or already have and if it has a drum brake in it , it will overheat it spooling out. It has to power over the braking system to spool out.
 
So if drum damage, replacing the motor would not bring it back to life either would it?

I have an older warn 9500 that the free spool lever seized up on me so I always just ran it out. It started loosing power. I figured since I've ran it 1,000 miles over 10 years that it was due a motor. Got a new motor in the box waiting on me to change it. Guess I'll be inspecting the drum brake first...
 
I would figure on replacing the brake on it. Really look hard at the inside of the drum also.
 
The drum brake system works just like the drum brakes on the older cars.
 
You should be able to unstuck it once you crack it open.
 
Take it apart, and clean then re-grease the gear side. Should get your free spool working right, but as said, while in there, check the inside of the drum. Most likely you can order those parts. From what I know about all the winches with the exception of the Warn 8274 has this type brake system. Not sure about the old worm gear driven ones though.
 
I had a superwinch that would not free spool, it was super hard. I always powered it out cause of this. Never knew I was damaging it worse each time.
 
The newer Superwinches do not have a drum brake system. Least not the upper line of them. I would recommend buying one without the drum brake if you can afford it. If not just keep in mind where that brake is.
 
While we are on the topic. I'm sure my Milemarker has a drum brake, and I know that synthetic lines are not recommended for winches with drum brakes. How effective are the heat sleeves that come with some synthetic lines at protecting the line from the heat. Btw, I doubt if I have powered out more than 10-20 feet in the dozen or more years I have had the Milemarker.

@QCFX2
 
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You can use drum brakes with your line. The heat sleeve helps a lot. I have seen what the heat will do to them if they do get too hot. A melted mess. That short of powering out is not going to hurt it. This really affects the people that power out all the way to the end of the line to get into the power band they need .

Biggest thing you need to remember is that the brake is there and what causes it to heat up and then the rest period prior to using it again for your pull.
 
krzyabncanuck said:
The drum brake system works just like the drum brakes on the older cars.
Click to expand...

If this is the case, do they also have the self adjuster? If so, does free spooling the winch tighten the adjuster, or do you need to periodically power out to tighten the shoes?
 
Gave more thought in my sleep last night, is the drum brake even needed???

Also, why did Warn even put an "out" button on the controller. :lol:

I googled to view the drum and noticed the new warn winches have a large red sticker telling you not to spool out.
 
You have to be able to power out in order to get a buried rope out from the middle of the spool.
 
I have in the past powered my winch out to lower my jeep backwards down a very steep rivine. 30' or more. Get to the top, break a drive line, you know the story.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
If this is the case, do they also have the self adjuster? If so, does free spooling the winch tighten the adjuster, or do you need to periodically power out to tighten the shoes?
Click to expand...

No self adjusters. It just tightens when you stop. And yes has to be there, to keep the shaft lined up going fro motor to gear box. Take out the brake part and it rattles like hell. And if no brake in there everytime you stop winching, it would reverse and back out.
 
paradisePWoffrd said:
If this is the case, do they also have the self adjuster? If so, does free spooling the winch tighten the adjuster, or do you need to periodically power out to tighten the shoes?
Click to expand...
Kind of hard to explain the way it works right now but it usually has three brake shoes that go out from the center that has a contraption on it to keep it out. In my shop right now but will try to post some pictures later.

Then again up over explained yet another reason why it is needed.
 
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