Installing Cable on Worm Gear Winches – Step-By-Step

This video gives you step-by-step instructions on installing cable onto every Dutton-Lainson worm gear winch in the 1500 and 2000-series.

WG1500 and WG2000 winches can be purchased here:

https://www.dutton-lainson.com/products.php?cat=20

Worm gear winch cable can be purchased here:

https://www.dutton-lainson.com/products.php?cat=18

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Here is the transcript of this video:

“This video will demonstrate how to install cable on all models of worm gear winches made by the Dutton-Lainson Company.

However, the process of installing cable on one of our 1500-series winches with a standard reel is slightly different than installing it on a 2000-series winch. Also, it’s a completely different process if your winch has a split reel like this, so follow along only when you see your particular winch described in the top left corner of the screen.

Before installing cable onto any of our standard reel worm gear winches, we recommend removing the reel from the base of the winch. To do this, grab two 9/16″ wrenches and use them to loosen the nut holding the reel in place. Take the nut off the end of the bolt, slide the bolt out from inside the reel, then remove the reel from the base of the winch.

Please note: the painted components of our worm gear winches don’t leave much wiggle room between them, so you may have to pull pretty hard on the reel to get it out from the base.

Also, keep in mind that only cable up to a quarter inch thick can be installed on both our 1500 and 2000-series worm gear winches using the method you are about to see. Please contact us if you’d like to put cable thicker than that on your winch, as you will need a specialized reel equipped with a clamp that secures the cable to the reel.

We will start with the process of installing cable on a 2000-series winch with a standard reel. Your first step is to slide the cable to the outside of the reel through the gear side’s middle hole. Next, put the cable through the right-side hole, pull it tight, then bend it back through the last hole on this side of the reel. Tuck the end of the cable underneath the fold you just made, then pull this newly-made knot tight so the cable just reaches the gear’s teeth but doesn’t extend beyond them. Then, fit the reel back into its spot in the base of the winch so that its gears will engage the drive shaft. Line up the reel’s holes with the holes on the winch’s base and slide the bolt through the entire winch. Set the nut on the end of the bolt, then use your wrenches to firmly tighten the nut.

However, before we wind the cable completely onto this 2000-series winch, let’s look at installing cable on a standard reel of a 1500-series winch. This process is very similar to what you just saw on a 2000-series model, but the design of the 1500′s standard reel gives you less space to work with than the one on the 2000, so you may need to use some needle-nose pliers to get the cable through all of the reel’s holes. Once you’ve finished weaving the cable and securing the knot, re-install the reel onto the winch, and secure it in place with the bolt and nut.

Now, to fully wind the cable onto both 1500 and 2000-series winches, simply operate the winch as normal, ensuring that the cable winds over the top of the reel. Be sure to keep a fair amount of tension on the end of the cable as it winds onto the reel so it distributes in nice, even layers. If your winch has a loop drive or a standard handle, this process will take some time because of the slow speed of worm gear winches. If you have a winch with a HEX drive, this final step of the cable installation process will go much faster.

Next, we’ll describe how to install cable on a worm gear winch with a split reel, which is a very easy process. On both 1500 and 2000-series winches, simply slide your cable through the hole in the reel’s middle plate, pull your desired length of cable through this hole, then begin normal operation of the winch. It’s still important on split reel winches to wind the cable in even layers, so having another person pull back on one end of the cable while you pull on the other might be necessary.

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