How to Keep the Cable Tightly Wrapped on a Winch Drum
- 1). Pull the loosely wound cable and attach it to a solid object. A tree, solid pole or other heavy, stationary object is best.
- 2). Put your truck or SUV in neutral and slowly start winching in. Allow the vehicle to roll forward as you are winching. This will provide just enough pressure against the winch to keep the line tight.
- 3). Guide the cable onto the drum, keeping the layers tight and the winds tight together. This helps the cable stay tight after it is fully wound.
- 4). Continue to winch the cable in until you reach the end. Hook the recovery hook on the end of the cable onto a tow hook or ring on the frame or bumper and winch it in until the cable tightens up.
- 5). Store the winch line tight until you are ready to use it next time and it will stay tangle-free and ready for use. Do not pull the line so tight with the winch that you stress the line, just keep it taut.
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