Thanks to Matt for this information..
Thanks to Wanderingts for the great questions..
I am in NO WAY an expert... i don't think there's such thing as a matter of fact. Experience is key when it comes to offroading and there is also a lot of opinion & preference involved. I try to keep my answers general since every time i've been stuck, it's been a different method to get me out... so you can't just say "when you're stuck in mud its always best to __________"... because it varies.
1) If someone else is winching you out, where are the best places to attach to a Commander?
For the rear, I always use the hitch via a hitch pin. However, aftermarket points are on my "list" of things to buy... but its generally best to pull from the center line of the vehicle. They sell a nice D-Ring receiver for the hitch; i personally feel that's the best.
For the front, if you don't have the stock tow hooks I would recommend buying some D-Ring shackle mounts. Forgot who makes them but i'm sure they're in Sal's link
2) Is there a way to tell prior to smelling wires burning that your winch is getting too hot? How hot is ok?
You can usually notice a degradation in performance. Also, pay attention to the sound of the winch. You can usually hear when it's struggling. How hot is OK? That's a loaded question. I'd go the other way and say to try everything possible to keep it cool.
3) I hear people talk about doubling your winches pulling power by using a snatch block. How easy is it to double your pulling power but then go beyond the mounting strength of your winch mount causing damage?
This is a bit tricky, it depends greatly on the mount style.
Let's put it this way... if you're stuck to the point that you bend your winch mount, you have MUCH bigger problems than replacing a mount.
Also, the purpose of the snatch block isn't just to double the pulling power of the winch, it's to allow the winch to do half of the work that would be needed for a straight pull. This goes back to the previous question... it's a method to keep the winch cool. For example say you're stuck and it will require 10,000 lb of force to get you out and you have a 12,000 lb winch. You're fine right? Sure... but you're going to be working that winch near it's limit. If you hook up that snatch block, you'll get 10,000 lb of force via 5,000 lb on the winch; so the winch will operate much smoother and cooler (but will need to pull 2x the distance, which is the trade-off).
4) How much of an angle, if any, can you winch without harming your cable, mount, winch, etc?
There's no set number. Good practice is to always minimize the angle as much as possible.
5) In what situations should you winch versus a snatch strap?
If it'd be a quick pull to yank you out, snatch strap will be quicker and easier. If you're stuck pretty good though there's no reason to beat the hell out of the "pull" vehicle by trying to yank you out repeatedly. It's a judgment call.
I've also found that if you're in deep, clay like mud it's usually best to go straight to a winch. Having someone trying to pull you out while you hammer the gas tends to dig you down deeper, whereas hooking up that winch with ~10k lb constantly pulling you forward while you control the throttle works out much better. Remember, there aren't many offroad vehicles that are going to give you the constant pull force that a winch can... either they just don't have the power or they won't have the traction.
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Originally Posted by valpacer
