Dodge 2500 (2009 year). Manual

CAUTION! (Continued)

• Always keep remote control lead clear of the

drum, wire rope and rigging.

• Inspect for cracks, pinches, frayed wires, or loose

connections. Replace if damaged.

• Be careful not to pull the Winch Cable Collar

through the rollers. Watch and listen to Winch for
proper snugness.

1. Inspect the winch, winch mount, and wire rope for
damage. Do not use the winch if the mount is loose or
rope shows excessive wear or damage.

2. Put on gloves.

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3. Disengage the clutch to allow free spooling of the
winch drum, rotate the clutch lever on the winch to
disengage. Freespooling conserves battery power.

4. Free the winch hook and attach the hook strap. Free
the winch hook from its anchor point. Attach the hook
strap to the hook (if not attached).

5. Pull the wire to the anchor point. Pull out enough wire
rope to reach your anchor point. Be sure to keep a certain
amount of tension on the wire as it can become twisted

Free Spool

Hook Strap

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317

and over-wrapped when slackened, leading to wire rope
damage. To prevent losing the end, hold the hook strap
while you work.

6. Secure to the anchor point. Once you have established
your anchor point, secure the tree-trunk protector or
choker-chain around the object.

CAUTION!

Always be certain the anchor you select will with-
stand the load.

Tree Trunk Protector

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NOTE:

How to choose an anchor point:

A secure

anchor is critical to winching operations. An anchor must
be strong enough to hold while winching. Natural an-
chors include trees, stumps and rocks. Hook the cable as
low as possible. If no natural anchors are available when
recovering another vehicle, your vehicle becomes the
anchor point. In this case, be sure to put the transmission
in NEUTRAL, apply the hand brake and block its wheels
to prevent your vehicle from moving. Ideally, you’ll want
an anchor point that will enable you to pull straight in the
direction the vehicle will move. This allows the wire rope
to wind tightly and evenly onto the spooling drum. An
anchor point as far away as possible will provide the
winch with its greatest pulling power.

7. Attach the Clevis/D-shackle and Tree Trunk Protector.
Attach the shackle to the two ends of the strap or chain
and through the hook loop, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).

8. Lock the clutch. Lock the winch drum by rotating the
clutch lever on the winch to engage.

NOTE:

Always ensure the clutch is fully engaged or

disengaged.

Clevis/D-Shackles

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319

9. Connect the remote control to the winch control box,
located behind the front bumper. Be careful not to let the
remote control cord dangle in front of the winch. If you
choose to control the winch from inside your vehicle,
always pass the remote through a window to avoid
pinching the cord in the door. Always disconnect the
remote control when not in use.

10. Put wire rope under tension. Using the remote con-
trol switch, slowly wind the wire rope until no slack
remains. Once the wire rope is under tension, stand well
clear of it and never step over it.

11. Check your anchor. Make sure all connections are
secured and free of debris before continuing with the
winching procedure.

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12. Check wire rope. The wire rope should be neatly
wound around the spooling drum. Improper winding
can cause damage to the wire rope.

13. In certain situations you
may decide to throw a heavy
blanket or similar object over
the wire rope. A heavy blan-
ket can absorb energy should
the wire rope break. Place it
on the wire rope midway be-
tween the winch and the an-
chor point. Do this before the
wire rope is put under ten-

sion. Do not approach or move the blanket once tension
is applied. Do not allow it to get pulled into the fairlead.
If it is necessary to move or remove the blanket, slack the
tension on the wire rope first.

14. Establish

ⴖno peopleⴖ zones: Make your intentions

clear. Be sure that everyone in the immediate vicinity
surrounding the winching operation is completely aware
of your intentions before you pull. Declare where the
spectators should not stand - never behind or in front of

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321

the vehicle and never near the wire rope or snatch
block. Your situation may have other

ⴖno peopleⴖ zones.

15. Begin winching. With the winching vehicles engine
on and light tension already on the wire rope, begin
winching slowly and steadily. Be sure that the wire rope
is winding evenly and tightly around the spooling drum.

For additional assistance, the winched vehicle can be
slowly driven while being pulled by the winch. Continue
pulling until the vehicle is on stable ground. If you are
able to drive the vehicle, the winching operation is
complete.

No People Zones

Using The Remote Control

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NOTE:

• Avoid overheating the winch motor. For extended

winching, stop at reasonable intervals to allow the
winch motor to cool down.

• What to look for under load: The wire rope must

always spool onto the drum as indicated by the drum
rotation decal on the winch. As you power-in, make
sure the wire rope winds evenly and tightly on the
drum. This prevents the outer wire wraps from draw-
ing into the inner wraps, binding and damaging the
wire rope. Avoid shock loads by using the control
switch intermittently to take up wire rope slack. Shock
loads can momentarily far exceed the winch and wire
rope ratings. During side pulls the wire rope tends to
stack up at one end of the drum. This stack can become

large enough to cause serious damage to the winch.
So, line up pulls as straight ahead as possible and stop
winching if the wire rope comes close to the tie rods or
mounting plate. To fix an uneven stack, spool out that
section of the rope and reposition it to the opposite end
of the drum, which will free up space for continued
winching.

16. Secure vehicle. Once recovery of the vehicle’s is
complete, be sure to secure the vehicle’s brakes and put
the transmission in PARK. Release tension in the wire
rope.

17. Disconnect the wire rope, and disconnect from the
anchor.

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323

18. Rewind the wire rope. The person handling the wire
rope should walk the rope in and not let it slide through
the hand, control the winch at all times.

WARNING!

To prevent serious injury, NEVER put your fingers
inside the hook area as you are powering-in.

NOTE:

How to spool under no load:

Arrange the

remote control lead so it cannot be caught in the winch.
Arrange the wire rope so it will not kink or tangle when
spooled. Be sure any wire rope already on the spooling
drum is wound tightly and evenly layered. Tighten and
straighten the layer if necessary. Keep the wire rope
under light tension and spool the wire rope back and
onto the winch drum in even layers. Stop frequently to
tighten and straighten the layers as necessary. Repeat this
process until the winch hook is the same distance as the
full length of the remote control from the winch. Pinch
the hook between your thumb and forefinger and attach
the hook strap. Hold the hook strap between the thumb
and forefinger to keep tension on the wire rope. Walk the
wire rope towards the fairlead, carefully spooling in the
remaining wire rope. By pulsing the remote control
switch.

19. Store the hook on the most outboard loop of the tow
hook.

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20. Disconnect the remote control. Disconnect the remote
control cord from the control box and store in a clean and
dry place. Winching operations are now complete. Put
the cap on the solenoid plug-in.

NOTE:

Always store the remote control in a protected,

clean, dry area.

Rigging Techniques

Various winching situations will require application of
other winching techniques. These could range from too
little distance to achieve maximum pull using straight
line rigging, simply increasing pulling power, or main-
taining a straight-line pulling situation. You will have to
assess what technique is correct for your situation. Think

⬙safety⬙ at all times.

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325

How to Change the Pulling Direction

All winching operations should have a straight line from
the winch to the object being pulled. This minimizes the
wire rope collecting on one side of the drum affecting
pulling efficiency and damaging wire rope. A snatch
block, secured to a point directly in front of the vehicle
will enable you to change your pulling direction while
still allowing the wire rope to be at 90° to wind properly
onto the spooling drum.

Increasing Pulling Power
In some cases, you may find yourself needing more
pulling power. The use of snatch blocks increases me-
chanical advantage and that increases your pulling
power.

Change Pulling Directions

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Double Line

Because pulling power decreases with the number of
layers of wire rope on the winch drum, you can use a
snatch block to double line out more wire rope. This
decreases the number of layers of wire rope on the drum,
and increases pulling power. Start by feeding out enough
wire rope to free the winch hook. Attach the hook to your

vehicle’s frame/tow hook and run the wire rope through
a snatch block. Disengage the clutch and, using the
snatch block, pull out enough wire to reach your anchor
point. Do not attach the hook to the mounting kit. Secure
to the anchor point with a tree trunk protector or choker
chain. Attach the clevis/shackle. Attach the shackle to the
two ends of the strap/chain, being careful not to over
tighten (tighten and back-off 1/2 turn).

POWER STEERING
The standard power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will provide mechanical
steering capability if power assist is lost.

If for some reason the power assist is interrupted, it will
still be possible to steer your vehicle. Under these condi-
tions, you will observe a substantial increase in steering
effort, especially at very low vehicle speeds and during
parking maneuvers.

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327

NOTE:

Increased noise levels at the end of the steering

wheel travel are considered normal and do not indicate
that there is a problem with the power steering system.

Upon initial start-up in cold weather, the power steering
pump may make noise for a short amount of time. This is
due to the cold, thick fluid in the steering system. This
noise should be considered normal, and it does not in any
way damage the steering system.

WARNING!

Continued operation with reduced power steering
assist could pose a safety risk to yourself and others.
Service should be obtained as soon as possible.

CAUTION!

Prolonged operation of the steering system at the end
of the steering wheel travel will increase the steering
fluid temperature and it should be avoided when
possible. Damage to the power steering pump may
occur.

Power Steering Fluid Check
Checking the power steering fluid level at a defined
service interval is not required. The fluid should only be
checked if a leak is suspected, abnormal noises are
apparent, and/or the system is not functioning as antici-
pated. Coordinate inspection efforts through an autho-
rized dealer.

No chemical flushes should be used in any power
steering system; only the approved lubricant may be
used.

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STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!

Fluid level should be checked on a level surface and
with the engine off to prevent injury from moving
parts and to ensure accurate fluid level reading. Do
not overfill. Use only manufacturer’s recommended
power steering fluid.

If necessary, add fluid to restore to the proper indicated
level. With a clean cloth, wipe any spilled fluid from all
surfaces. Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in Section 7 for the correct fluid type.

PARKING BRAKE
The foot-operated parking brake is positioned below the
lower left corner of the instrument panel. To release the
parking brake, pull the parking brake release handle.

NOTE:

The “Brake Warning Light” will come on and

flash to indicate that the parking brake is applied. You
must be sure that the parking brake is fully applied
before leaving the vehicle.

Be sure the parking brake is firmly set when parked and
the shift lever is in the PARK position. When parking on

Parking Brake

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329

a hill, you should apply the parking brake before placing
the shift lever in PARK, otherwise, the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK.

WARNING!

• Always fully apply the parking brake when leav-

ing your vehicle, or it may roll and cause damage
or injury. Also be certain to leave the transmission
in PARK. Failure to do so may allow the vehicle to
roll and cause damage or injury.

• Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leaving

unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Do not leave the key in
the ignition. A child could operate power win-
dows, other controls, or move the vehicle.

(Continued)

WARNING! (Continued)

• Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged

before driving, failure to do so can lead to brake
problems due to excessive heating of the rear
brakes.

When parking on a hill, turn the front wheels toward the
curb on a downhill grade and away from the curb on an
uphill grade.

The parking brake should always be applied whenever
the driver is not in the vehicle.

BRAKE SYSTEM
If power assist is lost for any reason (for example,
repeated brake applications with the engine off), the
brakes will still function. However, you will experience a
substantial increase in braking effort to stop the vehicle.

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If either the front or rear hydraulic system loses normal
braking capability, the remaining system will still func-
tion with some loss of overall braking effectiveness. This
will be evident by increased pedal travel during applica-
tion, greater pedal force required to slow or stop, and
activation of the “Brake Warning Light” and the “ABS
Warning Light” (If Equipped) during brake use.

3500 Dual Rear Wheel Models Only
The brake system power assist is provided by a hydro-
boost unit which shares fluid with the power steering
system. You may experience some clicking or hissing
noises from the hydro-boost system during hard braking
conditions.

NOTE:

Under cold temperatures, pedal effort will be

higher than normal until the power steering fluid reaches
operating temperature.

Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System

WARNING!

The Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System contains
sophisticated electronic equipment. It may be sus-
ceptible to interference caused by improperly in-
stalled or high output radio transmitting equipment.
This interference can cause possible loss of anti-lock
braking capability. Installation of such equipment
should be performed by qualified professionals.

The Four-Wheel Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) is de-
signed to aid the driver in maintaining vehicle control
under adverse braking conditions. The system operates
with a separate computer to modulate hydraulic pressure
to prevent wheel lockup and help avoid skidding on
slippery surfaces.

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Dodge 2500 (2009 year). Manual - part 20