Re: Winching backwards

[David Nedved <david_nedved@domain.elided>]

--- "John A. Landry" <jlandry@domain.elided> wrote:
> How about running the winch cable through a length of narrow diameter
> exhaust tubing secured as a guide up under the truck?  One might
> still want
> pullies or some sort of fairlead arrangement to guide the cable into
> the
> opening of the tube.
> 
> Just a thought.
> 
> John L.

Hmmm... although the only way to know for sure would be to try, I would
foresee a few obstacles:

1.) getting the cable threaded through the tubing without removing and
re-swaging the hook.  Especially if the scout is bogged down to the
axles in mud, snow, muck, funk, whatever plagues you in your part of
the country.

2.) the interior of the tubing would be subject to the abrasion of the
cable at every point that it forced the cable to change directions. 
Granted, you could build these up with 1/2" steel or something, but
you're just prolonging the wear... both on the points that cause it to
change directions, and the cable itself (eek!)

My best solution would be a good fairlead where the cable goes through
the front bumper, a pulley on the end of both the front and back bumper
(on both sides if you want flexibility) and a pulley in the middle of
the back bumper.  This way you could route the cable out the front
bumper fairlead, around the end of the front bumper, down the side of
the truck, around the edge of the back bumper, and then around the
pulley in the middle of the bumper and straight out the back.  Any of
these kind of solutions has the disadvantage of applying considerable
compression force on the frame.  You might very well end up with a
trapezoidal scout frame, which would only drive in circles!

I haven't read the IHC list much at all recently, but isn't Tom Mandera
the one who delights in coming up with bizarre and complex solutions to
these sort of "armchair engineering" problems?

By the way, speaking of bumpers, does anyone know a a dirt cheap
bracket for mounting something like a railraoad tie for a front bumper?
 It's about time I had a bumper, but I don't want to spend a lot of
money (like I said, dirt cheap). Since I can't even afford a bumper,
much less a winch (or wench) to sit on it, take everything I say with a
shaker of salt!!!
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