{"id":8021,"date":"2021-05-21T09:27:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-20T23:27:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.4wdsupacentre.com.au\/news\/?p=8021"},"modified":"2021-05-17T15:33:02","modified_gmt":"2021-05-17T05:33:02","slug":"how-to-keep-your-winch-in-top-condition","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/how-to-keep-your-winch-in-top-condition\/","title":{"rendered":"HOW TO KEEP YOUR WINCH IN TOP CONDITION"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019ve ever heard someone talking about their 4WD winch<\/strong><\/a> say \u201cI only used it once, then a year later I went to use it again and it didn\u2019t work\u201d then you\u2019ve probably met someone who doesn\u2019t maintain their winch<\/strong> <\/a>at all. I\u2019ve used the same Domin8rX winch<\/strong><\/a> for years and years that has pulled my 4WD out of trouble all over Australia. Like anything mechanical, the key to a reliable 12V winch<\/strong><\/a> is servicing and keeping it in top condition! So whether you\u2019re new to winches or you have had one for a while without really checking on it, read on to find out the basics to ensure your winch<\/strong> <\/a>doesn\u2019t let down!


The single biggest killer of any winch<\/strong> <\/a>isn\u2019t using it in a tough recovery for example a gnarly bog hole or dirty river crossing, <\/em>It\u2019s letting it sit for months and months \u2013 this is because any moisture in a mechanical<\/strong> winch<\/strong><\/a> will corrode the internals of the winch<\/strong><\/a>, whether it\u2019s the drive shaft, gearbox or electrical parts. Just like your 4WD, you wouldn\u2019t head off on a trip without checking it over and if you want to avoid expensive repair bills you need to keep on top of your 6 month services. The first thing to do to avoid most corrosion issues is really simple – after your trip, spend 5 minutes unspooling and then spooling in your recovery<\/strong> winch<\/strong><\/a>. The heat generated will be enough to evaporate any moisture and it gives you a chance to neatly respool your Synthetic<\/strong> winch<\/strong> rope<\/strong><\/a> and check for any damage. If there is any obvious damage then a replacement winch rope<\/strong><\/a> is a great idea.


If you\u2019ve used your electric winch<\/strong><\/a> a few times for a few tough recoveries then you can take it one step further and regrease your gearbox \u2013 grease can absorb some moisture which means it\u2019ll slowly lose its effectiveness, so this is an important step that\u2019ll mean your winch<\/strong> <\/a>is pulling hard the next time you need it. First you\u2019ll need to pull your winch<\/strong> <\/a>out and get it on the bench \u2013 once it\u2019s up there you can start pulling it apart and checking out the overall condition. In order to service both your gearbox and motor you\u2019ll need just a few basic tools. Plus you\u2019ll need some degreaser, new grease and some sealant when it goes back together. The first thing to do is remove the three steel struts that join the motor and gearbox and that makes it really easy to separate the two halves of your electric winch<\/strong>.<\/a>


If your rope is in good condition we can just set the drum aside so it\u2019s out of the way. Now you bench test the motor really quick to see how it spins up. Ideally you\u2019d use the included wiring and winch solenoid as this makes it really easy to spin the winch in both directions and listen for any noise. Both the Domin8r X<\/strong> <\/a>and Domin8r Xtreme<\/strong><\/a> use series wound motors and you can replace the brushes if need be! If you do hear any noise you can disassemble the motor, check the bearings and replace. Following that fit the motor back together and check the condition of the seals between the housing and the mounting points. Once the motor is reassembled you can start to focus on the gearbox at the other end of the winch<\/strong><\/a>. First you\u2019ll need to remove the bolts around the perimeter of the housing, which gives you access to the planetary gearbox.

If you look at the gearbox in your Domin8r Winch<\/strong><\/a> and the grease looks old, dirty or has signs of moisture you should replace it. You should never mix different greases, and old grease can retain moisture so if you\u2019re at this this stage you need to use all new grease \u2013 but remember doing so is worthwhile as it helps you get more use out of your winch<\/strong> <\/a>long term. Use a small plastic tub, some degreaser and methylated spirits as well as some clean rags. First remove and let the three planetary gears soak in the degreaser. Then have a look at the gearbox housing too \u2013 you should just need to de-grease it. After soaking make sure you get all the old grease off the gears with your rag. Once they\u2019re fully clean you can check for any damage and it\u2019s time to reassemble. Make sure you get a nice coating of fresh grease on everything. You don\u2019t need heaps just enough so that it\u2019s covering every surface and well lubricated. First though, line the gearbox housing with some new grease. It can be a little bit fiddly so rotate the gears to slot them in.

Finally we\u2019ll clean up the gasket \u2013 if your Domin8r X winch<\/strong><\/a> needs new seals get in touch with Adventure Kings and get a whole new set in a winch servicing kit. Otherwise if your gaskets have any tears you can use a liquid gasket sealer to replace them, just choose one that doesn\u2019t set thick and offers good sealing for alloy surfaces even when they get hot. Finally you can reassemble the rest of your winch by re-fitting the bolts around the gearbox housing and connecting the three struts to reconnect the winch<\/strong> <\/a>together. With everything back together, double check the bolts are tight and then bench test again to ensure that the winch is still working correctly. All going well your Domin8r Xtreme<\/strong><\/a> will be like brand new and ready for more tough recoveries. The thing is, even if you follow basic maintenance and spool your winch in and out every 3 to 4 weeks, you\u2019ll know if you need to perform any services well before you need your winch<\/strong><\/a>!<\/p>\n

Your winch<\/strong> <\/a>can save your life and prevent massive damage to your vehicle so if you\u2019re not confident to disassemble and reassemble your winch, then pay a professional to perform the service!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve ever heard someone talking about their 4WD winch say \u201cI only used it once, then a year later I went to use it again and it didn\u2019t work\u201d then you\u2019ve probably met someone who doesn\u2019t maintain their winch at all. I\u2019ve used the same Domin8rX winch for years and years that has pulled…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":123456,"featured_media":7835,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/123456"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8021"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8022,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8021\/revisions\/8022"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7835"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.emgcloud.net\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}