How quickly do electric winches in vehicles wear out? What causes damage to it, and what are the most common parts of it that age or fail? on me.
Most levers “never wear out”… because most of them are rarely used. Maybe once or twice a year, sometimes not for several years in a row.
Operating on similar design principles, overhead and basement garage jacks are used dozens of times a day… and can last for years.
Winches are usually fitted to private vehicles as an emergency measure (and can be invaluable in a crisis), but even for off-road safari enthusiasts, they are a ‘last resort’, not routine. While basic knowledge and a lot of care are required to use it well, the essential skill is not to have to!
Therefore, vehicles are unlikely to “age” due to use, and failure is almost always due to “damage” caused by misuse (or long-term neglect).
The basic components of a car winch include the car mounts, the winch body, the electrics (main power lines from the battery, switches and capacitors), the electric motor itself, the gears of the cable drum gearbox, shafts and bearings, the cable itself, its hooks and guide rollers and the remote control switch extension.
The part most susceptible to damage is the towing cable, usually of multi-strand steel, although synthetic fibers are becoming increasingly popular and more convenient nowadays.
It should never be bent or rubbed, or overloaded by excessive weight or jerking. Twisting and friction are prevented at one end by “rollers” at the cable inlet/exit (whose bearings must remain well lubricated) and at the other by never wrapping the cable (!) around an anchor (for example, a tree trunk) nor any part of the stricken vehicle and lock it by tying the end of the cable back onto itself.
For the cable (and the tree), a fiber tow bar or chain must be used to enable the cable to be attached only by its own hook to something else, leaving the cable itself untouched in a straight line to the winch drum.
The thickness of the cables ranges from a few millimeters to more than a centimeter, in proportion to the power of the electric motors associated with them and with a load rating ranging from a few hundred kilograms to several tons.
The gears and shafts in the winch “gearbox” also vary in strength relative to engine power, and also need to run in a good gearbox oil bath.
Potential pulling force and strength can be increased by the use of “double” pulleys (specially designed for this purpose) which allow more than one length of cable to be packed between the puller and the puller.
Running the cable from the winch vehicle to the victim or anchor, through a double pulley and back to the winch vehicle, doubles the cable strength and drag force and halves the wind speed.
Multiples are also the best solution if the cable has to go around a corner. There is not always a straight line between the winch vehicle and the direction in which the towed vehicle needs to be towed.
In these cases, no damage is done by double-tying an independent anchor on one side and passing the cable in triangular directions.
The electric motor should last indefinitely but may need replacement capacitors. The safety of the body mounts, lubrication of the roller, bearings, gearbox, connections and isolation of the power cables from the battery are items of regular inspection and servicing – even if they are not being used.
They live outside the car in harsh, wet and dusty conditions, enduring all the bounces and vibrations of the car.
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