You were sick of hitting the 4WD tracks on your own, and through lack of confidence taking the chicken track every time you hit an obstacle. So the time came, you bit the bullet, did your research and grabbed yourself the best value 4WD winch you could find, it was delivered in good time and now is sitting in the box it came in on your garage floor.

LET US CHANGE ALL OF THAT!

This is our best and easiest how to guide, of not only how to install your winch, but also on it’s a basic operation and maintenance guide, for a quick reference!

First thing is first, open up your box and make sure that everything you need is included and ready to go.

The box should include;

– 12,000lb Winch

– Mounting bolts (included; 3/8”UNC x 1-1/4” Dacromet coated bolts and spring washers provided (at least grade 8.8).

– Winch cable

– Winch Hook

– Hawse Fairlead

– Heavy Duty wiring

– Control box

– Controller handle

– Wireless module

MOUNTING YOUR WINCH:

The Domin8r X Winch uses 4 Secure footings that can be used to mount it to an approved winch cradle or winch compatible bull bar.

A material thickness of around 5mm is recommended for a winch mounting plate, and specific fitment instructions for your cradle or bull bar should be followed to ensure the winch is secured according to the mounting system manufacturers best recommendations.

When mounting your winch make sure the winch will spool the cable, in and out from the bottom of the spool and that there is nothing on the mount that will foul with the movement of the cable to the fairlead.

Before your winch is bolted into place you may have to remove the bottom 2 mounting bolts to fasten the fairlead in place. However, on some applications a Hercules Offset Fairlead may have to be purchase due to the mounting locations opening for the winch cable, the fairlead’s job is to guide the winch rope onto the drum evenly.

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ELECTRICAL CONNECTION

Pay close attention to proper electrical cable connection per the diagram below;

• Short red cable (B’) connecting to the red terminal (B) of the motor.
• Short black cable with yellow jacket (C’) connecting to the yellow terminal (C) of the motor.
• Short black cable with black jacket (D’) connecting to the black terminal (D) of the motor.
• Thin black cable(a’) connecting to terminal (A) of the motor.
• Long black cable (1.8m), one terminal (A’) connecting to the bottom terminal (A) of the motor, and the other terminal negative (-) connecting to negative (-) terminal of battery.
• Long red cable positive (+) connecting to positive (+) terminal of battery.

NOTE:

• Your battery must be kept in good condition.
• Be sure battery cables are not drawn taught across any surfaces, which could possibly damage them.
• Corrosion on electrical connections will reduce performance or may cause a short.
• Clean all connections especially in remote control switch and receptacle.
• In salty environments use a silicone sealer to protect from corrosion.
• Check electrical cables and connections after each use.

HOW TO WINCH:

• Ensure the vehicle is secure by applying the parking brake.
• Spool out the winch rope either with the controller or by releasing the clutch mechanism only as fat as you need to, one way to reduce the amount of cable spooled out is to use a Winch Extension Strap to the desired length and connect to your Tree Trunk Protector on a suitable and stable anchor point.
• Disengaging the winch clutch allows faster unspooling of the cable for hooking onto your anchor point.

Operating the free spool clutch:

• To disengage the clutch, rotate the clutch knob to the “FREE-SPOOL” position. This disengages the gearbox and cable brake, allowing your cable to be free spooled off the drum.
• To re-engage the clutch, rotate the clutch knob to the “ENGAGED” position.
• Double check your recovery setup to ensure it is safe – the winch is now ready to pull.
• Plug in the winch hand controller. It is recommended that the winching operation takes place from the driver’s position to ensure maximum safety and vehicle control during operation (steering, brakes etc.).
• To commence winching operation, start vehicle engine, select 1^st gear low range on your transmission, and maintain a steady idle.
• Operate the hand control using the spool in button until the vehicle gains traction and can drive free.
• Regularly check the winch to ensure rope is spooling onto the drum evenly.
• Always use a winch cable dampener on metal recovery components to minimize the risks of recoil in the case of gear failure.

NOTE:

• Never winch with your vehicle in park or with the handbrake on which would damage to your vehicle.
• Always use a winch in conjunction with a rated recovery kit to prolong the life of your winch cable.
• Keep your body parts, clothing, hair and jewellery clear of any components of a recovery to prevent injury.
• Equipment loaded with weight has a lot of energy, on it, always approach with caution, and avoid if possible
• Never allow anyone to stand near the cable or in line with the rope behind the winch. If the rope should slip or brake, it can suddenly whip back towards the winch, causing a hazard for anyone in the area. Always stand well to the side while winching.
• Never use the winch if the rope is frayed, kinked or damaged.