Winch Questions

[just me]

I had found dimensions drawings of the rod and plate a few months back when I built my winch. Don't know where they are now. The rod is aluminum, the plate s steel.

[isaac_alaska]

the plate on mine is steel, but only has 4 holes in it, while there are a total of 8 holes in the top of the winch. mine only covers half of the top.
the rod on mine is a piece of all-thread. i'll leave it for now, it's close to the same strength as the original aluminum piece would have been.

[Elwood]

Here is a good site with lots of information on the LU4. The site owner has generously posted this and other interesting information that may be useful.

http://www.imageevent.com/moosecreekmaple/lu4winch

While the Moose Creek write-up on the LU4 rebuild is worth reading, I question the specification in the caption of photo 42 that the "worm shaft must have 1/64" to 1/32" end play to allow for expansion due to heat during operation. Do not set shaft without end play." The spec is attributed to a "Dodge Manual", but which one is not noted.

I've never seen a shaft with two opposing tapered roller bearings (which control the end play) set up with that sort of freeplay. The TM9-8031-2 manual does not give an endplay measurement, but does specify adding or subtracting gaskets to achieve a slight drag on the shaft while rotating it after seating the bearings, which should be less than 1/32" (0.03125") of shaft endplay.

As this graph from General Bearing Co. shows, an endplay of +0.03125" would significantly shorten the bearing life, in addition to whatever effect it would have on the bronze gear and steel worm interface of the winch drive. http://www.generalbearing.com/assets/fi ... %20TRB.pdf





Also, I'm leery about the advice in caption 55 to generously apply some heavy grease to the spacer in the clutch end. Holding the spacer in place during assembly is helpful, but anything with sulphur in it should not be allowed inside the winch housing on either end. See: http://www.machinerylubrication.com/Rea ... es-effects