Modifications Make ATV Winches Work Better

Modifications Make ATV Winches Work Better ATV S Pillow block bearings bigger batteries and bigger bumpers have Sidney Stubbs’ ATV-mounted winches working smoother and better He has eliminated worn and frayed strands on his winch cable with a pillow block bearing Bigger bumpers make big winches more effective and a bigger battery protects his ATV and adds versatility “Square guides can damage a steel cable ” explains Stubbs “Most guides also don’t help with spooling the cable ” He recognized that a pillow block bearing could solve both problems “The race is hardened steel and there is nothing to fracture the steel cable strands ” he notes “It is when the cable cuts into softer steel that you get the wear and the wickers The race on the bearing turns with the line ” To provide lateral movement for improved spooling Stubbs used a steel plate with slots for the mounting bolts The plate was mounted ahead of the winch with the bolts tightened just enough to allow smooth movement “The entire pillow block moves left or right as the line unspools or spools ” says Stubbs When he needs more pulling power Stubs slides his 8 000-lb winch into place on his quad “I have one set of receiver hitches for my blade and a second set for the big winch ” says Stubbs “It has a remote control which makes it handy for pulling logs out of the woods ” The size of a quad or ATV is usually the limiting factor to how much dead weight a winch can pull To use bigger winches Stubbs needed to anchor his quad Rather than chain the rear end to a tree and put thousands of pounds of force on the frame he mounted the big winch to a heavy-duty bumper “I can push the bumper up against a tree and use it to pull against ” says Stubbs “It works great for large logs ” Big winches require more power than the standard ATV or quad battery can offer To provide it and make the quad more dependable and versatile Stubbs went to a standard 12-volt automotive battery “I mounted it in a toolbox and replaced the cables with heavy-duty cables that would carry the amps required by the winch motor ” he says “It also means no more rooting around for the OEM battery in its confined area ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Sidney Stubbs RR 1 Site 6 Box 21 Beaverlodge Alberta Canada T0H 0C0 ph 780 354-3112; sid s47@hotmail com

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