Wheel Winches

bldeagle10

Explorer
Anyone have any experience, or even heard of wheel winches? I figure if the price is right it could be cheap insurance till I can afford a winch/bumper combo. What are your thoughts? In the long run I realize it takes up a good amount of space and wouldn't be suitable. but short run wise it could help...

http://youtu.be/JY4cKc4FKSM

first thing I would so is replace that flimsy looking rope...
 

Modeler

W1DCS
While that looks OK to me, with the rope replaced that is, there is a much simpler way to do the same. If you have ever noticed the rear hubs on HMMWVs, they have holes that a bar can be placed through that creates a similar extraction method.
 

JPK

Explorer
Here is another more compact version, but without the easy on/off feature: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-A9kUarZMo&feature=related

On the version you linked to the studs are pretty ingenious, but they look like targets to be bent or broken if you're in the rocks alot. Maybe stumps too. But with one on each side of the truck it seems that it would work better than the one sided version I linked to.

I have heard of wheel winches. The concept seems sound. As the fellow infers in your link, it is going to be slow... But when you're alone just getting out is the goal and a shovel and jack can be damned slow, even a couple of days of repeated effort if you're really stuck.

It's funny but when I was younger and didn't have the $'s for a winch (or for lockers) I got stuck often, ussually in mud. I became very good with a shovel and a jack. Now that I am older (perhaps wiser and less inclined to do go mudding or where I'm likely to get stuck) and have had a winch (and lockers) on the last couple of Jeeps I haven't had to use the winches for self recovery. Close a couple of times though, and for recovering others, but not for recovering my Jeeps.

The wheel winch seems like a reasonable alternative. One plus over a permanently mounted winch is that you could use the wheel winch to pull yourself out backwards as well as forwards. Turning a stuck truck with a winch 180* to head back the way you came can be a nightmare with lots of potential for damage.

Do you have a source in the US? I would consider one for my Suburban, which doesn't have a winch and which was a ***** to dig and pull out the one time I've gotten stuck in it.

JPK
 

bldeagle10

Explorer
i thought about the stress on the axle as well, but i figure unless i get stuck often it shouldn't have much of an adverse effect. I'm going to research a source and pricing for the US later tonight. i feel like even if i have a winch up front, this could be handy to have if i need to winch out backwards. the vid you posted looks great, the only thing i wish is that it had the anchor points like the video i posted, yours does indeed look a lot better/smaller/safer/effective. just seems a bit time consuming. maybe its something that Overland Journal should do a gear test of!!!
 

jeep-N-montero

Expedition Leader
Biggest problem is going to be finding it in a 5x4.5 lug pattern, as most Australian products are geared towards the Hilux/Toyota crowd that uses 6 lug wheels.
 

Black Dog

Makin' Beer.
It is a neat idea but I'm a bit skeptical. Its great for getting yourself out of a bind but what if your buddy is stuck and you aren't able to yank him out with a chain or tow strap? Really there is only one way to see if you like it and that is to get it and try it out. But personally I'd go with a hi lift jack or a black rat hand winch.
 

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