
The best part of owning Jeep is adventure! Off-roading, rock crawling, muddin’, the works. No matter what kind of off-roader you are, chances are at some point or another you’ll get stuck. Of course, the golden rule of off-roading is to never go alone, that way you have someone to pull you out. However, stuff happens. You both get stuck, you decide to go alone, the situation is just too sticky for another Jeep to come get you. That is where the winch comes in handy! A winch is a handy device to pull you out of any situation without needing another truck or Jeep.
No Jeep model comes standard with a winch, however, Wrangler Rubicon models are winch-ready which means they have equipment that easily allows for a winch to be hooked up. No matter which Jeep model you get, whether it be a Wrangler or a Renegade, there is a winch that can be attached. If you aren’t interested in having a winch on your vehicle, they make portable electric winches that you can take with you when off-roading which require no other vehicle or yours to have an attached winch. As long as you have tow hooks, you can hook the portable winch up to your car and then follow the same directions as below.
Of course our favorite brand to buy a winch from is Mopar. Mopar is the official parts company for FCA brands including Jeep, so they definitely have some great options. Some other aftermarket resellers that make winches compatible with Jeeps are Morris 4X4, Summit Racing, and AutoAnything, but what is even more important than the brand you buy is knowing how to use it!
How to use a winch:
- Connect the remote control – The first step is connecting the winch remote control to the designated port according to Live Outdoors, then route the line and make sure there is no way the remote will pinch.
- The hook – Now that the remote is in place it is time to roll out a couple feet of line. There needs to be enough slack to disconnect the hook.
- Anchor point – Do you have your anchor point selected? If not, choose one! A thick tree, tree stump, or buried log are always our go tos. Any sturdy piece of nature will do. Once you’ve chosen it you can pull the line from the winch to the anchor. Pull the line straight to the anchor point using winch controls.
- Connect and hook – Now it is time to connect to the anchor point and hook the winch line. To connect to the anchor point, wrap the winch strap around the anchor point in a U shape and at the lowest place possible, slide a d-shackle through the strap, and secure the shackles anchor bolt. Hook the winch line by sliding the winch hook up through the d-shackle and re-engaging the clutch on the winch controls. Wind the winch back till there is slight tension!
- Winch it – Alas, you are ready to winch! To use the winch, just slowly spool the cable back into the winch using the remote control and continue reeling till your vehicle is on a steady surface!
It’s that simple!
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Photo source: Rugged Ridge