How to choose a winch

Preparing for a car expedition and driving over rough terrain on off-road vehicles requires an appropriate level of training and the availability of special tools that allow the car to get out of a difficult situation even alone. Such a tool is a winch, with which you can not only overcome any, even the most impassable road, but also pull out a comrade if necessary. All that is required motorists - to determine the criteria and choose the right winch for their own needs.

content

1. Top car winches manufacturers
2. Working principle of winches and their types
3. The main criteria for choosing a winch

Top car winches manufacturers

The release of auto accessories is carried out by many famous manufacturers. Their products are not only sold in the public domain, but also installed on off-road vehicles "from the factory", being at the same time a structural element. This state of affairs greatly simplifies the selection and purchase of the winch - the functionality, technical parameters and even regular attachment points are often determined by the manufacturer. You can recommend to purchase products of the following brands:

1. T-Max;

2. Come-up;

3. Warn;

The products of the above brands are considered by many “jeepers” to be decent, they prefer it when preparing cars for professional off-road. When choosing a particular model, regardless of the purpose that the buyer pursues, you should be guided not only by the technical characteristics, but also by the reviews of real buyers who are represented on the Internet.

Working principle of winches and their types

The main function of the winch is the movement of goods in a vertical plane. The mechanism of such a device consists of the following elements:

1. Drum, which is wound on a strong steel cable;

2. The framework intended for fastening of the winch to the car;

3. The mechanism driving the drum;

The principle of the winch is both mechanical and more advanced - hydraulic and electric, which do not require special expenses and physical effort. Depending on what type of drive is equipped with one or another winch, and they are divided into types.

Mechanical winch

The most simple and unpretentious in operation type of device. It is set in motion with the help of muscle strength, and therefore all kinds of control elements and complex mechanisms are absent as a class. It shows efficiency in difficult field conditions and where the operation of other types of winches is limited. Due to the simplicity of the design, allows installation on almost any type of modern cars.

Virtues

• Simple construction;

• Ability to install on any and all types of cars;

• Inexpensive;

• They function even in the most difficult conditions;

• Unpretentiousness in service and care;

disadvantages

• Requires physical fitness to perform functions;

Hydraulic Winch

By their functional features, hydraulic winches are much more productive than mechanical analogs.They have high power and perfectly cope with the tasks assigned to them. They are integrated into the standard hydraulic system of the car and do not require any physical effort when performing mechanical operations.

Virtues

• High toughness;

• Ability to perform various technological operations;

• Reasonable for many cost;

• Wide range of work and its smooth adjustment;

disadvantages

• The complexity of installation and installation due to the need to implement a full-time hydraulics of the car;

• Do not operate on a dead engine;

Electric winch

The most common devices that have decent functionality and powerful pitch. They are built into the vehicle’s on-board network and are powered by electricity generated by the generator. The traction motor, which lies at its base, creates an effort of up to 4 kilowatts, allowing even full-size SUVs and trucks to be pulled out. Another inherent advantage is the presence of a remote control that allows you to control the device and its operation from a distance.

Virtues

• High traction;

• The presence of a remote control allows you to control the device at a distance;

• Work from a regular onboard network of the car;

• Relative ease of installation and connection;

disadvantages

• Expensive devices;

• Protrude to cause current leakage and battery discharge as a result;

• Leads in the onboard network;

The main criteria for choosing a winch

Winch design

Modern models of this class are available in two types of versions. This parameter correlates with the type of drive, however, it differs somewhat in its features.

1. Drum winches include all kinds of devices. As noted above, the cable is wound on a special drum, which is driven by a particular mechanism;

2. Lever type winch - a private type of similar mechanisms, compact and easy to install. A small drum with a cable is also activated here, but the main element is the ratchet mechanism, which is driven solely by manual force.

Traction

Everything is quite simple here - the higher the thrust of one or another winch - the more powerful this device is and the larger weights it can handle. As a rule, most amateur models have a pulling force in the region of 3-5 tons. Professional models, hydraulic or electric, can develop up to 10-15 tons or even more tons, thus allowing them to cope even with powerful and large-sized equipment, like the GAZ-66 or URAL.

Here it should be noted, and such a thing as the load index. This parameter indicates the maximum static force that a particular winch model can do with a point. This parameter is measured in pounds (1 pound - 0.45 kilograms) and the larger this parameter is, the more powerful and prepared is the one or the other winch. However, for the majority of amateur tasks, as well as for semi-professional jeep trials, excessively powerful winches are not required, models with a load index of 6000-8000 are quite enough.

We should not forget that the more powerful the device, the higher its reliability and durability, as well as larger dimensions and thicker cable. All this directly affects the overall weight of the winch and directly affects the functioning of the hydraulics or electrics of the car. In addition, the overpayment in this situation, the pleasure is very doubtful, because the more powerful the device - the higher its price.

The material from which the cable is made, as well as its length

Modern cables for cars are divided into two conditional categories:

1. Metal cables are well known to all. Powerful and durable, it allows you to cope with heavy and bulky cargo.The disadvantages of such a load are the tendency to wrinkles, excessive rigidity and a very large weight;

2. Synthetic cable - a modern analogue of steel, is an interweaving of thousands of nylon fibers. This cable is great for everyday use, it is not afraid of moisture and corrosion, much softer and more flexible, not prone to the formation of creases and does not weigh down the weight of the mechanism. The “reward” for such advantages is the low dynamic strength;

As for the length of the cable, the optimal value is 20-40 meters. Only with lever models, the length can very often exceed the 50-meter mark, thereby significantly expanding the functionality.

 

---

Attention! This material is the subjective opinion of the authors of the project and is not a guide to purchase.