Winch Maintenance

Im not real sure about the winch but the cable should be sprayed with wd40 or something similer evey now and then.

i always make sure the silicone around the motor is not cracked , if it seams in bad order i remove motor casing and re seal it with new silicone

There was an article in 4WD Monthly Mag about 12 months (more?) ago. It didn't mention the winch itself so much, but rather the solenoid pack (ie: the black box with the plug socket and big red "W" on top. That needs to be kept in excellent order, by removing the 3 small hex-head screws to release the black cover, revealing the inards. These need to be visually inspected for corrosion and any loose/frayed wires etc; then liberally sprayed with WD40 or similar. The article reckons this should be done every 3 months, but I bet not too many are done that...mine included!!! It was this article which led me to remove my solenoid pack from it's purpose made pozzy in the ARB bullbar (in a lazer cut-out "W" shape) and relocate it to the top of the bullbar's main beam so I can get to it more easily.
I had ARB give the winch itself a once over (cost about $120- from memory) as I didn't want to muck about with those planetory gears etc.
Also check all the 12v cables to battery etc....they have a tendancy to wear through the insulation where they pass through bullbar holes and body bits near the radiator.
Cheers,
Roachie

Best maintenance is to give it a run every few months to circulate the grease and ensure the relays aren't sticking. If it's been under water it often pays to have a look inside to see if any has got into the gear box. Also check the wiring for loose connections and corrosion. Craig...............

Yep... I would pull out a length of cable every coupla months and power it back in again just to make sure the lubrication in the gears gets moved around and that the armature and carbon brushes get a moving around also.....
I wouldnt panic about getting them serviced unless you think water had got into it because dc motors and attached gearboxes are designed to do heaps of work...

The winch motors on the back of tow trucks get hammered every day and only get looked at when they are starting to fail.... Same as our starter motors on our engines which we never worry about either...

Also just check all the connections in the solenoid box are good and i use a little wd40 in there and in where the cable plugs into to keep corrosion down...

Be careful not to try and keep using your winch with a flattened battery because that causes higher current which can damage armatures....(rotating part of electric motor in winch)........

Sara +Mark, I installed a 9000 lb Warn and did one trip to Arnhem land including the crossing at Roper bar.
The winch was not used, but on our return the operating lever would not move.
Pulling the gearbox apart I was suprised to find the splines all rusted up.
Plenty of WD40 and a regrease put the winch back into service OK.
The suprise was the fact that a 4wd winch was not made to be waterproof,considering where they are mounted you would expect that the unit would be sealed with an extended breather.(I believe Leslie shock absorbers do this in Melbourne).
The previous advice to run the winch every couple of months is sound,as at least you will become aware of any faults,in addition a yearly inspection, or after any water crossing ,is your only protection against costly failure.
Regards