The 4x4 Winch Makes Recovery A Cinch

By Author: Vikram Kumar
Total Articles: 9595
Comment this article

A lot of people feel that if they have a big vehicle they must have a winch. They are not necessarily looking at it from a utilitarian viewpoint but from a cosmetic one. It just seems so much cooler to sport one on the front of your vehicle. What has to be considered is that winches are very effective tools in getting you unstuck in difficult conditions or even in pulling other vehicles out of mud or sand. A winch by itself is not much good if you are stuck in a place that has no trees or any strong anchor point. It is important for you to acquire a winch kit, extension straps and a ground anchor.

Do you need a winch?
You might have a 4X4 but if you are gong to be using your vehicle only for city travel and have no interest whatsoever in roughing it out in the wild, you don’t really need a winch at all. But if there is even a remote chance that you will be making a few rough trips in harsh environments and traveling to remote, uninhabited locations go and buy a 4X4 winch right away. The winch doesn’t come cheap and neither do the accessories but they are worth every penny if needed.

The ultimate recovery ...
... tool
The 4X4 winch is the ultimate in recovery equipment. It is heavy-duty, very reliable and does not buckle even in the worst conditions. This product performs brilliantly and is versatile too. Choosing the right winch is the key to its. The weight of the vehicle is another important factor that has to be considered. The winch capacity must be one-and-a-half times the gross weight of the vehicle. The wire or rope retrieval speed should also be checked. In addition to the anchor and the winch kit there is another tool that can optimize the effectiveness of the winch.

Taking the pressure off the winch
The snatch-block is a tool that complements the winch function. It halves the load on the winch thus doubling its capacity. Sometimes the direction of the winch is not linear to the object that needs to be pulled. In this case the snatch-block can be used to change the direction of the pull. Attaching the snatch to the cable is simple. The plates have to be slid 90 degrees apart, the cable placed around the pulley and the plates realigned. There are various models to choose from and it is best to take the advice of experts who have some experience with using winches.

Precautions
The minimum breaking-strength of the snatch-block, bow shackles and the straps should never be exceeded. The breaking strength of the other accessories such as the cables, hooks, chains and clevis pins should match the breaking strength of the straps. Kinks and twists in the webbing should be avoided and the straps should always be coiled before storage. Maintain all the equipment well and drive safe.

Resource box:

The snatch-block doubles the pull capacity of a 4x4 winch . You can order high-grade winches and snatch block from Sherpa4x4.