Thread: Tensioning Rope

Why don't you just hook yourself up to a tree and winch yourself up a slight hill, with the remote you can stand at the front and guide the rope onto the drum, I use a shovel handle to guide the rope on. Leave at least one layer of rope on the drum.
Easier still just get someone to lean back on the hook while you wind it in, it doesn't need to be too tight, Regards Frank.

Is it steel wire or plastic? If steel, just go for it, it doesn't need anymore than someone leaning on it.

If it's the plastic don't worry, just make sure it's hooked onto the, well, hook. Then wind the first 4-5 layers on, as you do, have a small cable tie under the layers. When they are wrapped do the tie up around them all. This is so when you free spool it out it will stop at the max limit (keeping the min no of wraps on the drum) and not run all the way out. Then spool on in a fairly haphazard manner, I generally space the layers about a strand width apart so when I run back the next layer runs across these groves. The next layer runs into the groves left by the first run, and so on. The plastic needs some bite to stop it slipping. I've actually tried different methods and doing this I can have no slip on the 2nd layer while winding in and off the drum, with no attachment just using like a capstan and making sure the incoming layer passes over the outgoing.

It's hard to explain but the plastic copes without neatness while steel needs it to prevent damage.

wrap a lenght of chain around an old spare tyre hook your winch rope to that and winch the tyre up the road.

to maintain tension on the rope while its stowed, attach the eye to somewhere convenient and then hook an ocky strap around the rope and stretch it to somewhere that you can see the hooks.

While your at it. winch in the first 4 turns onto the drum , go climb into the drivers seat and have someone wrap some insulation tape around the rope where you can see it. If when you go to winch in the future you can see this marker on the rope have someone confirm that you have your 4 turn on the drum prior to winching. (I use red tape for this one)

winch in and complete the bottom layer on the drum. Mark the rope again where you can just see it, if when you are paying out your winch you see this marker you usually have about 5-8m (depending on your rope diameter) of rope to go before you are out of rope. If you are powering out under load now is the time to stop and asses your plan for a rehook. (I use yellow tape here)

complete the next layer of the drum and stop to mark the rope again. If you once you winch in past this point you are starting to run out of pull on your winch, most winches 4x4 type winches are rated on their bottom layer of pull and drop something like 70-150KG of pull per layer of rope wound onto them and repositioning the winching vehicle to take advantage of these missing kilos can be the difference between a successful recovery and a stalled winch. (I use green tape here)

I also know of people (and I do it on request) who mark their winch ropes every meter or so with bright reflective tape, fluro or glow in the dark heatshrink. I personally recommend the use of the green and yellow stripped stuff

If you go to this link it gives instructions on how to install rope on a winch



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