Identification | Operation | Installation | Preventive Maintenance | Safety | Theory | Terms | Specifications

WINCH INSTALLATION

General:
The winch must be securely mounted to a rigid surface which will not flex when the winch is in use. The winch should be mounted with the centerline of the drum in a horizontal position. The mounting surface must be flat within .020 in. (.51 mm) to maintain proper alignment of the worm gear housing and bearing leg assembly.

!WARNING!
Flexing or uneven mounting surfaces will produce internal winch distortion which may result in rapid component wear, overheating, poor winch performance or improperly engaged drum clutch mechanism which may disengage and drop or lose control of a load causing property damage, severe injury or death.

The winch should be mounted or operated perpendicular to an imaginary line from the center of the cable drum to the first sheave or load to ensure even cable spooling. Make certain this fleet angle does not exceed 1 1/2 degrees. Fleet angles greater than 1 1/2° will cause uneven cable spooling onto the cable drum which may result in damaged cable.

It is the responsibility of the person(s) installing the winch to make certain that the winch is secured to the vehicle with equivalent or greater strength capscrews than Braden has used to secure the winch to the base angles.

The winch base angles should be securely mounted to the vehicle frame in a manner acceptable to the vehicle manufacturer. The frame adapter brackets should be bolted to the winch base angles as close to the worm gear housing and bearing leg assembly as practicable. This method would provide the greatest strength and minimize distortion.

All mounting fasteners must be SAE Grade 5 (8.8 metric) or better and evenly tightened to the torque values shown in the chart found in the Specifications section of this manual.

Mechanical Drive System:

General If the winch is mechanically driven, make certain guards are installed over exposed drive train components (PTO shafts, couplings, sprockets and chains, etc.) to protect against injury. A sufficient final sprocket reduction between the hanger bearing or pillow block and the winch is recommended to reduce torque loads applied to the PTO drive shafts and to provide a reduced winch line speed for better load control. PTO driveline angularity must not exceed the driveline manufacturer's recommendation.

Hydraulic Drive System:

General
If the winch is hydraulically driven, make certain the entire hydraulic system is clean and all components (control valve/linkage, pump, relief valve and filters) function properly. Hydraulic lines, hoses and components must be of sufficient size to assure minimum back pressure. Back pressure is measured at the outlet or low pressure side of the winch motor when the winch is operated. Back pressure is caused by all restrictions to flow between the winch motor and the reservoir. High back pressure will cause excessive system heat, require higher pressure to achieve specified winch performance, waste horsepower and damage winch/motor seals. Consult the motor manufacturer's service literature for maximum allowable back pressure.

Hydraulic Fluid
We have briefly listed the most important characteristics which should be considered when evaluating a hydraulic fluid.

Correct Viscosity
Good water separating ability
High viscosity index (VI)
Good anti-rust properties
High film strength for proper lubrication
Good resistance to foaming
High oxidation resistance
Good anti-wear ability

We recommend that a premium quality, industrial anti-wear, hydraulic fluid be used with the motors on Braden products. Consistent use of the proper fluid, which matches the motor design and application will reduce motor wear and give better overall performance.

Viscosity
One of the most important hydraulic fluid characteristics to consider is viscosity. The oil selected must have the proper viscosity to maintain a lubricating film between bearing and sealing surfaces at maximum operating temperatures and still be able to flow easily during a cold start-up.
Viscosity Index (VI) is a measure of the way viscosity changes with temperature. The smaller the viscosity change with temperature, the higher the VI. Multiple viscosity oils, such as SAE 10W-30, contain additives to improve viscosity index. As a general rule, we do not recommend the use of multiple viscosity oils. Oils with a viscosity of 100 SUS (21 centistokes) at working temperatures will provide best overall performance.

The following chart provides some general guidelines for selecting a hydraulic oil.

Cold Weather Operation
Oils selected for use in cold weather operation should be selected in accord with pump manufacturers guidelines. In general, the minimum pour point of the fluid should be at least 20°F (11°C) below the minimum expected startup temperature. Startup procedures should allow for a gradual warm-up until the fluid reaches a reasonably fluid state.

Filtration
Cleanliness of hydraulic fluid is of extreme importance. Experience has shown that excessive contamination will severely affect component life. In general, a filter with a Beta 10 > 20 and a system cleanliness of ISO 18/13 should be adequate for motors used on Braden products. Other components in the hydraulic system may require a higher degree of filtration.

Direct Mount Hydraulic Motors (Char-Lynn)
The mounting flange, support bearing and shaft seal has been eliminated from these motors to greatly reduce the package size of the winch when compared to conventional add-on adapters and motors.

The orbital motor drive shaft couples directly to the winch worm shaft. The conventional worm shaft oil seal and motor shaft seal are replaced by a quad-ring seal and seal container which must separate the heavy worm gear oil from the hydraulic oil.

To achieve optimum motor life, run-in new motor for approximately one hour at no more than 30% of rated pressure before application of full load. Always be sure all hydraulic lines and motor are filled with oil prior to any load application.

Hydraulic system back pressure, measured at the winch motor, must not exceed 100 PSI (689 kPa) or seal damage may result. If higher back pressures are encountered, the motor should be externally drained directly to the reservoir. Refer to "Hydraulic Circuits" below.

!CAUTION!
Failure to properly install and run-in a new hydraulic motor will result in accelerated component wear and unsatisfactory winch performance.

Hydraulic Circuits:

NOTE: A case drain is required for all applications.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Motor Back Pressure Limits:
100 PSI (689 kPa) Continuous (Capstan)
200 PSI (1379 kPa) Intermittent (Winch)
600 PSI (4137 kPa) Peak

Port Sizes:
(A) and (B) Supply Ports, -10 SAE O-ring Boss (7/8 - 14 Thread) (T) Tank Port: Single Speed, -4 SAE O-ring Boss (7/16 - 20 Thread) Two Speed, -6 SAE O-ring Boss (9/16 - 18 Thread) (S) Two-speed Shift Port, -4 SAE O-ring Boss Port (7/16 - 20 Thread)

TWO SPEED WINCHES:

• 100 PSI (689 kPa) Differential pressure is required to shift the motor into high speed.
  
  
• A customer supplied 3-way hydraulic valve is required to shift the motor into high speed. A ¼ in. (6 mm) valve rate for over 2.0 GPM (7.6 lpm) is adequate and may be manually, electrically, or otherwise remotely actuated to suit the application. (NOTE: In low speed, the 3-way valve must connect the motor port S to tank to prevent a false motor shift to high speed.)
  
  
• The most efficient motor operation results when the haul-in flow is applied to port B. (NOTE: Safety brake must be oriented correctly.)
  
  
• Due to the design of the Char-Lynn 2-speed motor valving, some applications may experience a high pitched noise when operated in one direction of high speed rotation. This can be corrected by creating a limited back pressure on the motor port B (port closest to the motor mounting flange). This may be accomplished by installing relief/free flow valve which will apply a back pressure to only port B of the Char-Lynn motor. A typical valve would be Sun Hydraulics # YCFC-FEN-BK, 250 PSI (1724 kPa), Braden part number 29656. (NOTE: A relief/free-flow valve such as 29656 is required with all 2-speed motors.)

  Run the winch at full speed, no load, and increase the back pressure until the high pitched noise decreases. This will typically occur at 250-300 psi (1,724 - 2,069 kPa).

Parker Hannifin 700 Series Two-Speed Motors

Beginning in August, 1997 the Parker Hannifin 700 Series motor replaced the Char-Lynn 2000 Series as the optional two-speed motor for worm gear products. The Parker motor uses a 12 volt solenoid shift valve to shift the motor between low and high speeds. The back pressure valve required for the Char-Lynn motor is not needed with the Parker motor. These two features should simplify installation of winches with the Parker motor. The two-speed function in the Parker motor is a series/parallel design which should provide better efficiency than the Char-Lynn motor. Mounting flange and shaft dimensions are the same as the Char-Lynn motor, so field replacements can be made easily. Note, however, the Parker motors are ½ to 1 ½ inches longer than the Char-Lynn motors they replace. Also note that a CASE DRAIN IS REQUIRED.

The Parker motors are normally supplied to operate in low-speed, high torque mode with the solenoid de-energized. The motor is shifted into high-speed, low-torque mode by energizing the 12 volt solenoid. This sequence can be reversed by reversing the main motor spool as shown in the following drawing. The motors are also equipped with a manual override selector on the solenoid. If for some reason 12 volt power is not available, the motor can be manually shifted as shown in the following drawing. The hydraulic schematics that follow show the motor operation with the spool in the "normal" position.

Parker Hannifin 700 Series Two-Speed Hydraulic Motor
Motor is shown with the solenoid de-energized and the power elements in parallel (low speed, high torque mode). This is the "normal" configuration for the motor.

Energizing the solenoid shifts the motor into high speed, low torque mode.

The main motor spool can be installed in either direction, as shown above, to reverse "normal" motor operation. Note that the spring is always on the side of the spool opposite the pilot port.

Normally Parallel Spool Position
Solenoid de-energized = low speed, high torque mode
Solenoid energized = high speed, low torque mode

Normally Series Spool Position
Solenoid de-energized = high speed, low torque mode
Solenoid energized = low speed, high torque mode

Motors are installed at the factory with the spool in the normally parallel position.

The two position manual override selector is also shown above.
The motor can be manually shifted if the solenoid is faulty or 12 volt power is unavailable.
Position 1 is the normal operating mode.
Position 2 is the equivalent of energizing the solenoid. Note that with the selector in this position, energizing the solenoid has no affect on motor operation.

These 2 diagrams show "normal" motor operation as shipped from the factory.

Low Speed
Power elements in Parallel
(solenoid de-energized)

High Speed
Power elements in series
(solenoid energized)

Wire Rope Installation:

All winches are rated at bare drum line pull. As the cable drum fills, the line pull will decrease (loss of leverage) as the line speed increases (larger circumference). Therefore, install the minimum length of cable possible for your application so that the winch will operate on lower layers (smaller diameter) and deliver the maximum line pull.

Using larger cable will not always increase strength as the larger cable may be more prone to bending fatigue failure than smaller wire rope. Consult your wire rope supplier for his recommendations for the wire rope and other rigging which best suits your application.

Most winches utilize some type of worm shaft brake which acts with the worm gear system to hold the load. Most of these brakes allow free rotation of the worm shaft in the haul-in direction and lock-up to provide resistance in the pay-out direction. Install the wire rope so that when the worm shaft turns easily, the wire rope is pulled in. If you wish to wind the cable onto the drum for the opposite direction, underwound vs. overwound, refer to the winch "Safety Brake" section of this manual. It should be noted, that some winch models are designed to operate without a worm shaft brake and rely on the worm gear set alone to hold the load.

!WARNING!
On winches equipped with worm shaft brakes, the wire rope must be installed for the correct direction of drum rotation for the brake to be effective. Winding cable onto the winch with the brake set for opposite rotation may result in the loss of winch load control and cause property damage, severe injury or death.

Generally speaking, wire rope is secured to the cable drum by one of three common methods; u-bolt clamp, set screw or wedge and pocket. Refer to the procedure which matches your winch.

!WARNING!
Worm gear winch cable anchors (u-bolts, set screws, wedges, etc.) are NOT designed to hold rated loads. Winch loads applied directly to the cable anchor may cause the cable to pull free and result in the sudden loss of load control and cause property damage, severe personal injury or death. A minimum of 5 wraps of cable must be left on the drum barrel to achieve rated load. Do not use knots to secure or attach winch cable. We suggest that the last 5 wraps of cable be painted bright red to serve as a visual warning.

U-Bolt Clamp:
Prepare the end of the wire rope as recommended by the wire rope manufacturer. Pass the wire rope through the u-bolt clamp until the end extends 1 ½ - 2 wire rope diameters beyond the clamp. Evenly tighten the u-bolt clamp nuts until the wire rope deforms slightly under the u-bolt and the rope is held securely.

Set-Screw Clamp: Prepare the end of the wire rope as recommended by the wire rope manufacturer. Insert the wire rope into the anchor hole in the cable drum barrel until it is visible from the open end but does not protrude beyond the end of the hole.

Tighten the set screw until the wire rope deforms slightly under the set screw and the rope is held securely.

Wedge and Pocket:

Prepare the end of the wire rope as recommended by the wire rope manufacturer. Pass the free end of the wire rope through the small opening of the cable drum anchor pocket. Loop with wire rope and push the free end about ¾ of the way back through the pocket.

Install the wedge in the loop then pull the slack out of the loop with the working line. The wedge will slip into the pocket and secure the wire rope into the drum.

Cable wedges are designed to accommodate specific wire rope sizes. Refer to the applicable sales specification brochure for additional information.

!CAUTION!
The free end of the wire rope should be toward the center of the cable drum and the working line should exit the anchor pocket next to the drum flange to achieve even spooling of wire rope.