Winch Recommendation???

Littlevees

Jim Venable
Considering installing a winch on an open trailer for loading a Miata. Not really sure what the minimum capacity should be so ideas or recommendations would be appreciated. Jim
 
#1
The worst purchase you can ever make is a 'cost saving' cheap winch.

#2
You can buy hand operated winch's with the capacity to load a Miata (about 2,500 pounds? ). But you will spend about 2.5 hours of your racing weekend cranking the handle to load the car at home and then at the track.

#3
Considering #1 and #2 above and knowing the vehicle weight...... over 100 to choose from......

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/automotive/15737591/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_auto_1_4_last

Don't cut it too close on that 2,500 pounds. Your ramps could increase the 'apparent load' on the winch depending upon winch mounting and ramp angle. I don't know, maybe 3,000 pound capacity minimum ??

If the prices are too much, just start pushing the car on the trailer. Usually a few extra hands will suddenly appear on the rear fenders :) Or, ask for some help... that always works at ICSCC races!
 
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Good advice Richard.

Here's a story about a winching event that happened to me.

I have a rather large trailer, big enough to put my F250 4 x 4 pickup into. This trailer gets backed down my driveway, and parks on a decent incline. I usually work on everything myself, but because of too many things on my list for the month, decided to tow the truck elsewhere for a transmission rebuild. Even though the truck will fit into the trailer, it's a tight fit, so winching it in makes more sense. So I did. The winch was a 3500 lb rated winch. It did it fine, maybe struggling a little, but it did it.

So off I go, drop off the truck and arrive to pick it up again. I'm parked behind the shop on level ground, with the F250 at the end of the ramp, and start winching it in. About halfway up the ramp, the winch breaks. Not the cable, but the pawls or internal gears. There goes the pickup, rolling backwards down the ramp, and probably 50 feet down the parking lot.

Thankfully there was nothing there for the pickup to hit, and I wasn't standing along side or worse, behind it as I was winching it in. It was a real eye opener how far it rolled, and how quickly it happened. A person's first reaction is to grab onto it and try to slow it down, but that's a guaranteed way to get run over by your own car. This was on dead flat ground. If it had happened in my driveway, the truck would have ended up in my neighbor's kitchen, and then probably all the way down the hill into Bothell. Not good.

So now I'm imagining all the times I winched my race car into the trailer, both at home, and at the track. I'm usually parked opposed to someone else in the paddock, and a car rolling out the back would crash into someone else's pit at best, or run over them at worst.

The take aways for me were many. I purchased a legitimate recovery winch rated at 8000 lbs. Not cheap at $600 or so, but in the grand scheme of things, a lot cheaper than some of the alternatives. I also added remote activation capability, so I don't have to stand near the car, or ideally, will ride in the car so I can use the car's brakes if need be.

As usual, your results may vary...
 
Jim-
I did a fair amount of research online and also looked at what the folks running circle track down at South Sound Speedway were running and they were mostly using ATV/UTV winches. I found several brands such as Viper/Venom/Gorilla and Superwinch that were all similar. I went with a Viper 4000 lb model to allow a little extra pull because of the ramp angle as Richard mentioned. The Viper also runs steel gears and some only run plastic or composite. It also has a brake system but I cannot exactly tell you how that works. It pulls up my 2400lb PRO-7 car on a open wheel trailer with no real strain. My biggest selling point was the Viper has live customer service versus an answering machine or email system. I bought a system with a universal mounting bracket and then mounted it to another piece of steel on my trailer. The model I bought was a Viper MX4000 and purchsed it off ebay.
Hope this helps a little and tell your son to keep the good work in the Novice program.
 
Thanks for sharing Randy....good story with a lesson. From this point forward I will certainly change the procedures and precautions I take when using a winch.
 
Thank you all for the info, stories and education. Very helpful. Definitely steel gears and extra capacity are in order.

Randy, good advice to not try to stop a run away car. One of my sisters best friend lost her life in high school trying to do such. We still shake our heads over that. Tip. Unless there is a bunch of bodies around to help when loading or unloading a non running car I do my best to remember to lay a short 2x4 on the side of the trunk to block a tire in the event we need to stop the car. Once the car is on the track we immediately block a front and rear tire for safety until the car is secured. Jim
 
Dang it. Meant to say when the car is on the trailer but you all probably figured that out already. Must have been my country oval wheeling coming out.
 
I was gonna say, I'm sure the competition appreciates you blocking the tires once on the track ! :)

RUN AWAY CARS:

Yes BAD idea to try and stop them. Had it happen in a rental car once out of Boston while visiting brother-in-law in Maine in the middle of winter!

Driveway inclined, not used to car. Started engine and moved it then put it in 'park' with lights off and couldn't see indicator. Got out of car leaving door open to finish loading.

Sure enough, it wasn't in park and started backwards about 10 seconds later. I took 2 step and KNEW there was no way I could get around the door and into the car in time before it hit the tree. Brother-in-law DASHED off trying to save it. YELLED let it go, BOB! LET IT GO! and he stopped before getting himself trapped between the door and the tree.. WHEW!!

Door was folded forward solid against the fender.. Duhh... Managed to get it semi-closed for a VERY cold ride back to the Boston airport. Good thing I took out the extra insurance on that trip :)

Some you can save, some you just gotta let go.
 
Thank you guys for your recommendations and experances.
I currently drive my car on my trailer. I hate doing that as it is hard on the clutch.
But based on this thread I will wait until I can afford a real winch rather then a cheap one I can afford now and possibly have problems down the road.
 
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