Winches are one of the most important utilities for an off-road vehicle to have. While most drivers install tires, recovery bumpers and other accessories, they tend to forget winches altogether. A winch can be the difference between a safe off-roading trip and a disastrous one; therefore, anyone who has an off-roading vehicle needs to consider a winch as part of their off-roading upgrade purchase.
Why Use Winches?
Winches
may not be a flashy accessory, but they are an obvious one that every
off-roading vehicle should have installed. When an off-roading vehicle gets
stuck, it will remain stuck without a winch to pull it out. Warn Winches
provide high-quality winches that offer safety and security during an
off-roading adventure, but before purchasing the biggest winch available,
drivers need to consider a few other features and accessories for the best winch
purchase and experience.
Electric
There
is a plethora of winch types available today including hydraulic, ATV, electric
and utility models. For off-roading, it is recommended that a driver stick to
electric winches only. If, however, a vehicle will be doing heavy-duty
off-roading or requires additional towing and pulling features, then hydraulic
winches would be a better fit.
Winch Math
In
order to select the right winch, a driver needs to pick one that has a weight
capacity that is 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle it is being installed on.
This can be calculated by taking the weight of the vehicle provided by the
manufacturer, multiplying it by 1.5 and selecting a winch that meets that load
standard. For example: a 5,000 pound
Jeep would need a minimum 7,500 pound winch.
Accessories
Though
a winch is fine on its own, there are accessories a driver can add-on to create
a more efficient, safer winch as well as maximum power.
Mounts – No matter the
weight capacity of the winch, if it has a poor mount it is not going to be as
effective. Therefore, look for universal mounts that allow you to place your
winch on a variety of vehicle types using any flat surface. In addition to the
surface, make sure the mount you select is manufactured for the correct weight
load of the winch you are installing.
Synthetic Rope –
Though
synthetic rope is pricier than regular wire rope, it provides more stability
and lasts longer. Synthetic rope is lighter than wire and it is easier to
splice or tie into knots. Since regular rope is easily damaged by heat, it also
has a shorter life than synthetic rope.
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