Winch Servicing

Depends who you talk to. Some say get it serviced every 12 mths others say 2 years. Even if you don't use it, driving around in the rain isn't good for it. Should wind the cable out and in on a regular basis if it's exposed to the elements to get a bit of heat into it to help keep it dry. The xd9000 isn't very water proof and there is a guy in melb who specialised in water proofing them buy machining the winch housing to fit another seal and o ring etc. There would have to be someone in Perth that does a simialr thing.

Leroy

Don't forget to service the solenoid pack too. This is a relatively easy job (compared to servicing the winch itself). All you need to do is remove the 2 or 3 small bolts that hold on the plastic cover and give the whole area inside a good squirt of WD40 or equivalent water dispersant stuff.
As for the winch itself, using it is the best way to stop it stuffing up. Do it regularly and the blody thing won't get a chance to seize up/rust etc.

Cheers
Roachie

As you may have seen above, we are about to start selling a whole pile of winches in Australia.

The manufacturer we use suggests servicing is not necessary, but regular usage is essential. They recommend once a month to pull the cable out, then run it back in. Kinda like manual hubs.

I think it is probably best to get a service after 1-2 years, depending on how it is treated. This is not so for the servicing itself, but more just to see what the insides look like after that amount of time. If all is still good, prolong the next service. If all the grease looks dirty, or hard, or there looks like there is any damage, either shorten the next service interval, or look for a new winch.

The WD-40 in the solenoid is a good idea, as is pulling out the cable, and applying a little amount of grease every once in a while (if it is a steel cable). Not sure about the plasma cables.

We will be selling covers for our winches, but the covers won't fit properly if the winch is inside an ARB-type bullbar. If you can get a cover to fit, they are probably a good idea, just to keep most of the mud and water off the cable. Aslo, it is a good idea to protect the solenoid as much as possible by mounting it under the bonnet, or sealing it somehow.

Cheers,

Chump