Respool under load to make the cable tight.
After you use your winch, it’s important to make sure you respool the cable so that it’s tight. If the cable is spooled too loosely, the strands can intermingle and create a “birdsnest” that’s next to impossible to untangle without a headache. Here are a few tips on respooling the winch cable. To respool under load using your vehicle, see this article.
Wear leather gloves to protect your hands while respooling the winch cable. To make the cable spool in tight rows, keep a slight load on the cable during respooling. Hold the cable in one hand and the remote control switch in the other. Start as far back and in the center as you can. Walk towards the winch, keeping load on the cable as the winch is powered in.
Do not allow the cable to slide through your hand—this can burn your hand or tear up your skin from loose barbs and rough spots in the cable. Don’t let your hand get too close to the winch.
Stop powering in the winch when only a few feet of cable is left to spool. Disconnect the remote control switch and finish spooling in the cable by hand. Rotate the drum manually with the clutch disengaged.
On hidden winches, spool in the cable under power, but make sure to keep your hands clear of the winch.