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Want to buy some insurance against getting stuck? Consider installing a winch on your ATV. You may be glad you did.
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New aluminum wheels and extra-grip tires also help put the "all-terrain" in this ATV.
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Figure A
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In this segment of DIY's Weekend Mechanic, host Bruce Bonebrake upgrades a Honda 4-wheel all-terrain vehicle by installing a winch on the front bumper.Materials: In addition to standard auto-mechanic's tools (wrenches, ratchets, extenders, screwdrivers, nut-drivers, etc.), some of the specialty tools that will be needed for these projects include high-speed drill, hole saw, torque wrench and an air-compressor and set of pneumatic tools. The components used in the winch installation (figure A) include the winch, mounting bracket custom-made for this Honda ATV, fairlead rollers, cable, guide and hook. The electrical components include contactor assembly and wiring. The red and black cables connect to the battery and the contactor assembly, while the yellow and blue cables attach directly to the winch. Important: Never substitute smaller gauge cables than those recommended in your winch-installation kit. DIY Difficulty Rating for the Project: This routine maintenance shown in this episode should be no problem for the experienced weekend mechanic. The brake work, wiring and winch addition are a little more challenging. Some experience with motorcycle maintenance and repair would be a plus. Overall, we gave these projects a difficulty rating of 2 on a 5-point intermediate-level scale. It took us about 8 hours to finish this job. Allow yourself a full weekend to complete this project properly.
Winch InstallationThe winch itself (figure B) can be mounted in a variety of locations on an ATV. The mounting bracket that came with our kit made for a direct fit on the front bumper. The contactor assembly (figure C) contains a solenoid connection that can be used to designate whether the winch motor is operating in forward or reverse mode. The connections on this assembly are color-coded to help ensure proper wiring hookup. The hand-operated controller for this unit will be mounted on the handlebar. The kit contains all of the hardware necessary for the installation and wiring. A wired-remote option was installed as well, making it possible to operate the winch from a remote location, without having to be on the vehicle.
- To begin the installation, first remove the headlights and front-grill panel from under the hood of the 4-wheeler (figure D).
- Install the custom mounting-plate onto the winch (figure E) so that the winch will fit securely onto the Honda frame.
With the mounting plate installed, position the winch just behind the grill and under the hood (figure F). The V-shaped mounting plate fits this ATV frame perfectly.With the winch in position, bolt it securely. From our kit, we used 3/8-inch U-bolts to mount the plate to the frame rails (figure G).
Once it's secured in place, release the motor so that you can pull some cable out of the front of the winch, making sure to hold the cable tight so that it doesn't go slack.Position the fairlead rollers behind the grill, and feed the front of the cable through the rollers (figure H). Tie the cable off to the bumper rails before mounting the fairlead rollers.Mount the roller fairlead to the front grill-bars using 1/4-inch U-bolts and 1/4-inch nuts (figure I).
The last thing to mount is the cable hook (figure J), anchored to the cable by a horizontal pin and secured by a cotter-pin.
Winch Wiring and OperationWith the mechanical portion of the winch-installation complete, you can now move on to the wiring.
Located on the winch are two motor terminals color-coded blue and yellow -- for proper matching with the blue and yellow cables provided. These are for the two power cables that link the connection block to the power terminals on the winch housing. The cables are bolted onto the terminals using a 1/4-inch nut. A weather-boot is then installed on each connection to protect the terminals and cable-end from moisture.First, connect the yellow cable to the yellow terminal on the bottom of the wench, secure it with the nut (figure K), and slide on the weather boot.Next, connect the blue wire to the blue terminal following the same procedure (figure L).
Route the two power cables up past the winch and into the interior of the 4-wheeler (figure M). The cables are routed along the frame-rail to the center of the ATV where the contactor assembly is secured.To wire the contactor, bolt the yellow and blue cables onto the contactor assembly, followed by the two power cables that go to the battery (figure N).
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Figure O
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Figure P
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Figure Q
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Figure R
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This 4-wheeler has now been tuned up, had the oil changed, the brakes serviced and a new winch installed.
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With the contactor properly wired, you can now install the operating switch on the handlebar (figure O) and connect it to the winch.You are now ready to connect the power cables to the battery posts, turn on the ignition and check the operation of the winch (figure P).Finally we drill a hole in the hood for the remote-control connector, then wire the connector cable to the winch and ignition wiring, and plug the remote in (figure Q). The remote can be stored on the ATV for later use.To complete our 4-wheeler project, we add four new high-tread tires and chrome wheels (figure R), to give our ATV extra grip for pulling and climbing. Important: Included in this segment are the steps in this automotive procedure as shown in the episode. These steps are general guidelines that are applicable to most vehicles. With any particular vehicle, there may be procedures, specifications, settings, tolerances, components, etc. that are specific to that vehicle. There are also variations according to the type and brand of repair-kit you select. Always consult your vehicle's service manual when undertaking significant automotive repairs, and read and follow the manufacturer's directions and precautions that come with your kit or replacement parts. Safety Alert: Always wear eye protection and ear protection, and follow proper safety precautions, when working with power tools. Also wear eye protection any time that you are working beneath a vehicle. Safety Alert: As a standard safety precaution, always disconnect the vehicle's negative battery cable before you begin work on any electrical or mechanical components. Safety Alert: As a standard safety precaution, don't rely solely on a jack to support the weight of a vehicle. When using a jack to access or work beneath a vehicle, always use jack stands for support. Make sure that the jack and stands that you use are rated for the weight and type of your vehicle.
RESOURCES :
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles
ISBN: 0028624165
Author: editors of Motorcyclist magazine
Warn Industries Inc.
Provided the winch installed on the ATV in WKM, episode 313.
Website: www.warn.com
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