2006 Ford F250 Special Off-Road Package Supplement 1st Printing - Page 11

Driver Controls 9. Slowly wind the wire rope until no slack remains by using the winch switch. Once the wire rope is under tension, stand clear and never step over it. 10. Check the anchor point. Make sure all connections are secured and free of debris before continuing with the winching procedure. Never use the winch as a hoist. Never use the winch's wire rope to tow another vehicle. 11. Check the wire rope. It should be neatly wound around the drum. Improper winding can cause damage to the wire rope. 12. Lay something over the wire rope to absorb energy should the rope snap. Tree limbs, heavy jackets, chain and the like may be used for this purpose. Note: Always avoid continuous side pulls which can pile up wire rope at one end of the drum. This pile can damage the wire rope or the winch. 13. Make sure everyone in the immediate area is aware of the winching operation. Tell them where they shouldn't stand; never behind or in front of the vehicle and never near the wire rope. 14. With the vehicle's engine on and light tension on the wire rope, begin winching slowly and steadily. Be sure the wire rope is winding evenly and tightly around the drum. For assistance, the winched vehicle can be slowly driven while being pulled by the winch. Note: Avoid overheating of the winch motor. For extended winching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow the winch motor to cool down. What to look for under load The wire rope must always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum rotation decal on the winch. As you power in, make sure the rope winds evenly and tightly on the drum. This prevents the outer wrap from drawing into the inner wraps, binding and damaging the rope. Avoid shock loads by using the control switch intermittently to take up wire rope slack. During side pulls, the wire rope tends to stack up at one end of the drum. This stack can become large enough to cause serious damage to the winch. Line up pulls as straight as possible and stop winching if the wire rope comes close to the tie rods or mounting plate. Note: To fix an uneven stack, spool out that section of the rope and reposition it to the opposite end of the drum; this will free up space for continued winching. 15. For vehicle recovery, continue pulling until the vehicle is on stable ground. If the vehicle is able to be driven, the winching operation is complete. 11