Winch Modifications

[BobRip]

I got the PT winch for my 422 today. It pulls well, but I have a few issues and also want to be able to winch from the back. I don't have solutions for all of the issues. So I guess I will need some help.
I took a few pictures.

1. There is no freewheel mode on the winch. You have to hold the Aux PTO handle to winch in or out. I tried tying the hoses together with some fittings I had. This works, but you have to put a lot of force on the cable to overcome the motor. I really need suggestions for this one. On the picture on the PT web site the motor drives the winch through a chain. On the winch I got it is direct drive. I expect the picture is of the older winch rated at 5 tons, not mine rated at 2 tons. There may be enough room on the spool to unwrap the cable. Do able, but awkward.

2. I need to tow from behind as well as from the front. I plan to connect it to my 2 inch receiver on the back and on the front. I will save the quick attach plate for another project. The winch unbolts from the quick attach plate, so it should be easy to remove.

3. The winch is pretty heavy. The box says over 70 pounds. I expect it's closer to 100. Of course removing the quick attach plate will help.

 

[woodlandfarms]

OK.. Wait.... Direct Drive? What kind of motor are they using?

And 2 Tons? You expected a 5 ton?

Hmmmm....

 

[MossRoad]

The motor is reversible. Maybe there is some type of valve you can get to tie the lines together when engaged so you can free spool the motor? It would require a valve and probably two more hoses and fittings. Look around the surplus center website, or just give them a call and ask the questions. They are very helpful over there.

 

[KentT]

Boy, that's some big, stiff cable for 4,000 lbs. I'll bet it's the same cable that they put on the larger winch...

Looks easy enough to remove the QA plate, for sure...

One of my concerns would be the fact that there's no fairlead on it -- it could really make a snarl out of that cable if the winch isn't pointing directly toward whatever you're pulling...

 

[BobRip]

OK.. Wait.... Direct Drive? What kind of motor are they using?

And 2 Tons? You expected a 5 ton?

Hmmmm....

I expected 2 tons. I knew they had changed it. I also would normally expect the picture to be updated. Of course with PT updating the picture is an option. This is a pretty minor deal.

 

[BobRip]

The motor is reversible. Maybe there is some type of valve you can get to tie the lines together when engaged so you can free spool the motor? It would require a valve and probably two more hoses and fittings. Look around the surplus center website, or just give them a call and ask the questions. They are very helpful over there.

Moss, I put a coupling between the hoses to do what you suggested. I can now unreel the cable with about 100 pounds of force (just a guess). It would be easier to use a manual winch. If I put the bypass close to the motor it might help a little, but I don't think very much.

I sent a picture of the coupling. Two male connectors coupled together.

 

[BobRip]

Boy, that's some big, stiff cable for 4,000 lbs. I'll bet it's the same cable that they put on the larger winch...

Looks easy enough to remove the QA plate, for sure...

One of my concerns would be the fact that there's no fairlead on it -- it could really make a snarl out of that cable if the winch isn't pointing directly toward whatever you're pulling...

That cable is very big. I am with you, probably the same as the larger winch.
Would it make sense to put a fairlead on it? I am game if it is available and you guys think it is a good idea.

 

[BobRip]

OK.. Wait.... Direct Drive? What kind of motor are they using?

It has a name plate on the motor which says "Power Trac" with their part number. It is reversible with the aux PTO handle of course. You can't reach that handle from the winch. I could run some paracord to the PTO handle and wrap is around my foot or something like that. I need to consider the safety aspects of this.

 

[BobRip]

Does anyone have experience using a winch blanket? I tried to find them and all seem to come from the UK. It looks like they require them for competition of some kind. Would it help with the PT?

 

[J_J]

Does anyone have experience using a winch blanket? I tried to find them and all seem to come from the UK. It looks like they require them for competition of some kind. Would it help with the PT?

Bob,

Several things, the picture of the new direct drive winch is on their web site under attachments. The old winch assembly was to strong for the PT, so they downgraded.

For cable pull out/freewheeling, you could attach a gate valve across the hyd motor, and open the valve when you want to freewheel the cable/drum.

On the winch blanket, are you talking about something to put on the winch cable to help with whiplash. People have put jackets, sweat shirt on the cable.

Is that handle on the winch a reverse or a freewheel handle. They should know that your hyd flow is fwd or rev.

 

[BobRip]

Bob,



For cable pull out/freewheeling, you could attach a gate valve across the hyd motor, and open the valve when you want to freewheel the cable/drum.

On the winch blanket, are you talking about something to put on the winch cable to help with whiplash. People have put jackets, sweat shirt on the cable.

J_J, I tried what you suggested for freewheeling and it works if you can pull on the cable with about 100 pounds of force, and it's slow. Just not very practical.

For the winch blanket, my wife found an old blanket that I can use. It's about 4 x 4 feet.

 

[J_J]

OK.. Wait.... Direct Drive? What kind of motor are they using?

And 2 Tons? You expected a 5 ton?

Hmmmm....

Carl,

The older hyd winch probably had a smaller hyd motor, and they geared it up to get the torque, via chain, The larger hyd motors probably have enough torque to get the job done using direct drive at a certain rpm.

Bob,

Are you using aux hyd for the winch, or the PTO hyd?

 

[woodlandfarms]

OK, I am an idiot

What is a winch blanket and how would you use it? My winch stays quite warm without one ;-) Or is it just that the previous winch was made by michael jackson (lets see if you guys get that one).

But seriously, what is it and what do you use it for?

 

[KentT]

OK, I am an idiot

What is a winch blanket and how would you use it? My winch stays quite warm without one ;-) Or is it just that the previous winch was made by michael jackson (lets see if you guys get that one).

But seriously, what is it and what do you use it for?

A winch blanket is a heavy blanket, usually with weighted ends, that you drape across the cable when you're pulling. It is there to absorb the impact, should the cable snap, and keep it from whip-lashing around. Some people just drape a coat or something across the cable... same idea.

I've heard mixed results on how well this actually works. It can work in some instances, for sure, but the cable can also pull "through" the blanket or jacket, and still do damage...

 

[BobRip]

Carl,

Bob,

Are you using aux hyd for the winch, or the PTO hyd?

It's the aux hyd. That way they can use the existing valve for wind and unwind operation. It also makes for smaller hoses. Of course the power is less.

 

[BobRip]

A winch blanket is a heavy blanket, usually with weighted ends, that you drape across the cable when you're pulling. It is there to absorb the impact, should the cable snap, and keep it from whip-lashing around. Some people just drape a coat or something across the cable... same idea.

I've heard mixed results on how well this actually works. It can work in some instances, for sure, but the cable can also pull "through" the blanket or jacket, and still do damage...

I read a comment where someone had witnessed three cable breaks with blankets and saw the cable just drop to the ground. It's a big help, I am sure, but not perfect.

 

[BobRip]

I got a fair lead from Northern Tools today. It was in the discontinued bin. After doing some research I can really see the need for one.

I modified my 2 inch receiver on the back of the PT today by adding a second receiver over the original This way I can keep the winch out of the mud and keep other things from dragging on steep slopes. It was pitch dark in my paint booth (a tree with a wire hanging off of it), so the pictures were hard to take. I attached one.

 

[woodlandfarms]

On this whole winch blanket.. I guess I get it if you are standing in the path of the wire, but everytime I have seen cable break, the line basically goes slack, That the reason you use wire instead of chain is to keep the slap to a minimum.

I guess what I am saying is that I believe in safety first, so why not on the blanket, but also seems like a way to extract dollars from your wallet that does nothing...

Then again, what do I really know.. I have never been rubbing elbows with a wire when it has failed.

 

[SpringHollow]

Back when i was looking for a used pickup, there was one with a hole in the windshield. The owner was pulling with a winch, something broke and it came flying back and killed the driver inside of the truck. (My guess is that he started using the truck itself to pull also). So definitely get out of the way. Another advantage of a gas portable winch - use as long a line as you want so it is easy to get out of the way with puleys, you can stand a little to the side when using it, and low stretch rope does not snap back like wire or chain.

Ken

 

[cqaigy2]

I guess what I am saying is that I believe in safety first, so why not on the blanket, but also seems like a way to extract dollars from your wallet that does nothing...

Then again, what do I really know.. I have never been rubbing elbows with a wire when it has failed.

I've never seen blankets used but i have seen cables snap and some of them, all you see a puff of dust and the cable is gone. It typically ends up in line with the pull or as you could probably guess, if using a snatch block or similar the cable may get bound up into it during the recoil and will bring the big chunk of metal with it. Brush up on your geometry and don't stand where cable might go if something fail including angles if your using pulleys and their anchor point fails.