Quick Ways To Maintain Your Winch

The last thing anyone wants or needs is to get stuck in a situation where you have the gear you need to get yourself out, but it isn’t working. These few handy tips for regular winch maintenance will help ensure you don’t end up stuck without a paddle (or a winch) when the situation calls for it. 

Perform seasonal winch maintenance

A good way to remember that you need to check your winch is with the changing of every season. Like anything mechanical in your shed, things don’t last forever. Still, the more preventative maintenance you do on your winch, the more likely you are to have it ready to recover your 4x4 from any hairy situations for a long time to come. 

4 easy winch maintenance tasks that you can perform at home 

Though a licensed mechanic should carry out any major servicing or repairs, there are still a few things you can do with your winch at home to ensure it remains in good working order. 

1. Inspect your rope

Whether you’re using synthetic rope or steel cable, winch cable maintenance is important to ensure no fraying or barbs in the line. A damaged line on your winch can be dangerous, so you must check it regularly to make sure it is still safe for use.

2. Wash your line

Though steel winch cable maintenance mainly involves checking for rust, frays or burrs in your line, synthetic rope requires a little more attention to ensure it stays in the best possible condition. Synthetic winch rope maintenance requires you to unspool your line, wash, and dry it, which is a good way to avoid any decay or damage in the future. 

3. Check your battery terminals

Without power, a winch is not worth its weight in anything, so you need to make sure your battery is still in good enough condition to operate the winch. Check the terminals for any corrosion that could lead to your battery not working so that you’ve always got the power you need. 

4. Tighten your fixtures

When you’re a tough mudder, it is only natural for some fixtures to come loose over time. As part of your seasonal inspection, it’s good to ensure that all the fixtures on your winch are properly and tightly fastened, avoiding unforeseen mishaps on your next trip. 

Perform your own pre-4WDing checks

When it comes to winch maintenance, 4x4 owners know that with great winching power, comes great responsibility. There’s no point in having a winch if it doesn’t work when you need it. Before any 4WD trip, it is best to do a pre-emptive check of your vehicle and all accessories, including your protection and recovery gear. 

If you use your winch and regularly perform maintenance, then your pre-trip checks should be fairly quick and easy to complete. 

• Turn on your winch to make sure it is running properly
• Inspect your cable or rope for any kinks
• Check that your battery terminals are tight enough

Remember to take care of your winch after your trip

Two of the most important factors in maintaining your winch are things that you should check after every 4WD trip. 

1. Make sure there is no moisture build-up inside your winch

Moisture is a winch’s worst enemy. Whether you’ve spent a lot of time with your winch submerged or there is simply a condensation build-up within the unit itself, this moisture can be winch-destroying. It is important that you check for moisture after returning from every adventure.

2. Perform your winch cable maintenance

If you’ve had to use your winch during your trip, then it’s likely that there will be a build-up of dirt or sand or some other debris on the cable. When you return from your trip, you should unspool your winch line and clean it. Steel cable winch maintenance is as easy as hosing the unspooled line down and ensuring you feed it back onto the winch evenly and without kinks. 

On the other hand, synthetic rope winch maintenance means that you will be better off washing the rope in slightly soapy water to remove any hard-to-reach grit before rinsing, drying and re-spooling it.

If in doubt, ask the question

For proper winch maintenance, 4x4 enthusiasts may not have the answers, but there is always an expert out there that will have all the answers to your questions. It is always best to consult a professional if you are unsure about how to maintain your winch properly or if you find any issues during your regular maintenance checks. 

Whether it’s your mechanic, an electrician or an official service centre, plenty of places can help you with any winch maintenance questions.

Speak to 4x4 Mods Australia for the best advice

A winch is a valuable 4WD accessory that you will want to keep and maintain for the longest possible time, so you must make the right decision when it comes to buying your winch in the first place. 

The team at 4x4 Mods Australia have years of experience in dealing with some of the world’s greatest winch brands. From purchase to maintenance to services and warranties, all you need to do is contact our friendly team, and we will ensure that you get all the assistance you need.