Truckster (Vic) replied:

If its on a hill, winch up as much as you can, chock wheels, winch out, have winch assistant, load cable onto drum, when gets the slack out, have winch assistant dissappear, do it all again.

In MUD.. Try ya best to do the above!

As soon as clear of situation, spool it all out and fix it, you may need it again in 1 klms, and if its stuck on the drum, your screwed.

Reminds me I gotta do that tomorrow..

Member - Ken replied:

Roachie

I have never been in a position to experience this

However (always one of those)

When I was in the Birdsville caravan park about 4 weeks ago. I was camped alongside of an 'old bushie' who had a very interesting rig.

Built into the front bar under the winch was a 'hayman reece' type socket.

In it was a matching piece of square tube with a approx 30Deg angle on the end and a captive pulley in the end of the angle.

Now what this 'apparatus' did in effect, was keep the winch rope in front of the winch and assisted in keeping it from fouling as you describe as well as allowing for the rope to pass under neath to a similar one at the back for reverse winching.

All you had to do was slip it out and turn it in the direction you wanted to winch and 'bobs your uncle so to speak'.

The owner said it worked a treat. I can't pass comment on that as I didn't se it in action.

Regards

Ken Robinson

fozzy replied:

if in sand/mud can simply steer from side to side to get a more even spool-doesnt always work and sometimes have mind on other things.
if your energetic can take cable further up hill than necessary which cuts down angle of cable
if track is narrow and rutted (like most of time) then as per truckster above)

PerthGQ replied:

Roachie,

The problem is known as excessive fleet angle, which can/should be managed a number of ways, one being similar to the method described below with the dolly sheave out front.

A web-site that might offer some technical info on the subject is:

http://www.jeamar.com/?action=tn&prodID=cfa

Hope this helps...Keith

Wayne (NSW) replied:

Roachie,
To avoid the build up of the cable, turning the steering wheel from side to side as menton early and also the use of a snatch block. The extra cable that whould have to be let out to use the snatch block would mean that the drum would have less cable on it when you start the recovery and hopefully the full length of the cable would not be used. This should mean less of a build up.

Wayne