DIY wheel winch. Homemade winches and self-pullers. What is a self-extractor?
With this homemade product, you can pull a stalled car out of mud, sand or snow, without outside help.
The device is a winch that fits onto a car wheel. The photo shows step by step process manufacturing homemade device for towing a car in field conditions.
For our homemade product you will need this collapsible disk from a scooter.
Take half the disc and place it on the rim car disk, then apply markings with a marker exactly along the centers of the holes on the disk. Our disk has 16 holes, they may differ for each car brand.
We make eight hooks from the rod. The length of the end of the hook is equal to half the diameter of the holes.
We weld the hooks to the disk through one mark, each time applying it to the disk, so that there is no displacement from the markings and can easily fit into the holes on the car disk.
Then the hooks can be shortened slightly so that in the field they do not make it difficult to install and remove the device from the wheel. We connect the two halves of the disk with bolts and nuts.
This is what a homemade wheel winch looks like after painting.
And here is the process of testing a device for towing a car in field conditions. We take a cable or strong rope, insert it into the hole for the disc nipple and knit a simple knot.
We tie the second end of the rope to a peg driven into the ground or to the nearest tree or post. We start the engine, engage the gear, and while driving, the car will pull itself out of the mud.
The winch is one of the most necessary tools, which every off-road conqueror should have. After all, without this mechanism, it will be almost impossible to pull your car out of a ditch or ford. Some car enthusiasts purchase ready-made winches and install them on power bumpers, while others make them with their own hands.
And if you doubt your choice suitable tool, you can try to make it yourself. Our article today will help you with this.
What kind of homemade winch can be?
It should be noted that devices of this kind are divided into several categories depending on the type of their design. So, a homemade car winch can be:
- manual;
- electrical;
- hydraulic.
However, despite different designs, all three types of devices have the same operating principle. It consists of the following: it is wound on a drum, which in turn rotates through a motor gearbox or thanks to the efforts own hands. To understand this in more detail, let's look at each of these types separately.
Electric winches
Often, the operation of these tools uses a car starter or a cargo generator. This homemade winch can also be powered by a separately installed electric motor. In other cases, car enthusiasts modify the starter and generator to operate in engine mode.
However, whatever the origin of this quinoa, it must have a high torque so that the mechanism can pull a 2-ton huge jeep out of a ditch. And since the main energy for operation is absorbed from the battery, car enthusiasts install batteries of higher capacity. However, an electric motor, no matter how powerful it is, should not discharge the battery so much.
Hydraulic devices
The design of such winches is more complex than that of their electric counterparts. As a rule, the drive is carried out using an oil pump. Despite their large sizes, winches similar type have great advantages - they provide the highest possible traction force, taking a minimum of on-board network energy from the car. In addition to SUVs, such homemade winches are installed on a tractor or walk-behind tractor.
Handheld devices
These instruments are made according to the same principle as all others. However, here the role of the engine is not performed by a starter or an oil pump; all efforts are made manually, that is, by human efforts.
The power of such a device directly depends on the physical strength of the operator and the total length of the lever. Therefore, the homemade one is equipped with a rather long lever. This creates the greatest possible traction forces.
How to make?
A drum with a cable is the key component that makes up any homemade winch. The drawings of this device must be as accurate as possible so that the mechanism works correctly and reliably. It’s good if you have such a drum ready-made, because it’s much more difficult to make it yourself.
How to make your own drum? To do this, you need to take a piece of pipe with thick walls, and using electrodes and welding machine attach cheeks 5 millimeters thick to it. The driven gear must be attached to one of the last parts. The pipe itself is supplied seats for bearings.
You can make a drum for a winch in another way. To do this, you need to have several hubs from any Zhiguli or Volga. They should be machined into a place for welding and the halves should be attached to a mandrel. required diameter to achieve alignment of all parts.
It is best to take a gearbox with a large gear ratio(worm type). The main advantage of such a mechanism is that there is no need to create a drum brake. Most often, car enthusiasts purchase a gearbox from trolleybus doors - it is easiest to mount on the site.
If you decide to make a homemade winch driven by a starter, it is best to take a model with a planetary gearbox. This is what early Zhiguli engines were once equipped with.
To create a mechanism with a starter, the first step is to prepare a platform from a metal sheet. It needs to be welded to seats, on which the drum shaft will then be mounted. After this, the gearbox is installed here with the input shaft facing up.
Mounted to the gearbox from above homemade adapter. We need it in order to install the starter. A gear with a certain tooth module is mounted on the input shaft. Afterwards the starter is finally attached to the structure. On final stage wiring is being done. That's it, now this winch can be installed on a car.
How is it installed on an SUV?
The first step is to determine the exact location for placing this equipment. It is best to secure the winch in the center of the bumper, and on its lower part. If an SUV with plastic bumper, then, naturally, it will not withstand a load of 2-2.5 tons, and will simply come off the body. Therefore, instead of a plastic one, we install a durable, steel (power) impact element.
Next, on the power bumper you need to make a platform from metal plates for the winch. Thickness steel sheet should be at least 0.5 centimeters. The holes are then marked here and drilled with an electric drill.
Now the metal platform is ready to be installed on the bumper. It is worth noting that the winch is mounted here at the very last stage. First, the plate is attached to the bumper, and then the traction mechanism is installed to it. If the device is installed, the control panel is additionally connected to the vehicle’s on-board network. The connection to it occurs according to the following scheme - the “plus” is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the “minus”, respectively, to the negative terminal. That’s it, at this stage, the installation of a winch on an SUV can be considered complete.
How else is this device useful?
One of the main features homemade mechanisms of this kind is the possibility of their use for purposes other than their intended purpose. This means that a homemade one can move heavy loads in the garden at any time.
To do this, it is not even necessary to remove it from the bumper (but in this case, you need to drive the car close to the location of the cargo, which is not always possible to do). Also homemade device can help you when uprooting old trees, stumps or transporting logs. Sometimes such a winch is used to move pallets with construction materials.
Nuances
However, this tool has its limitations. Homemade winches not entirely safe and therefore not suitable for lifting loads, since they do not have a stopper. However, having made this tool once, you will not be afraid that your iron friend will get stuck off-road. At any moment, a homemade winch can pull an SUV out of a ditch, no matter how deep it is.
The winch is an integral part of any real SUV. So, a winch for UAZ and cars like it is a real helper in bad weather. But what if you just need a simple and cheap unit that will help out a passenger car on a country road? A do-it-yourself winch, both electric and manual, is perfect for this. Let's take a look necessary materials and the manufacturing process.
What will you need?
If you are interested in a do-it-yourself winch from a starter, you can get by with cheap and common options. The motor from the VAZ-2101 electric starter is well suited as a power unit. They are quite common and cheap, but they do not have much power, but for a small sedan or SUV, for example, GAZ 69, they are quite enough.
You also need a shaft with gear and bearings, a piece of pipe for the drum and two round metal plates. You will also need sheet metal, various rods, bolts and nuts.
A self-made electric winch is good because you can use a lot of lying around and unnecessary materials.
Among the tools, you definitely need a grinder, a welding machine, and an adjustable wrench.
A winch is often needed on long and difficult trips. If you're an adventurous person, you'll also benefit from learning about building an expedition rack. Read this one. And for a fishing trip you will also need a boat trailer. Read about making it yourself.
Winch manufacturing procedure
In fact, the process of making a winch is quite simple, but it is worth following the order so that you do not have to redo the same work several times.
1. First of all, you need to connect the electric motor to the gearbox. To do this, weld a tube to the engine gear. Drill the other end through and weld two nuts. Next, put the tube on the gearbox gear and screw in the nuts that will serve as a retainer. To prevent anything from wrapping around the shaft, it is worth covering it with something. For example, you can peel off a piece of thin-walled plastic pipe.
Very important! Before fixing, be sure to check that the gearbox is reducing and not increasing the engine speed.
2. Now you need to make the second important part of the car winch with your own hands, namely the drum.
To do this, we take a piece of pipe and weld two metal round plates to its sides, which will limit the rope. The plates must have a through hole through which we pass the shaft with the gear and weld it.
It is important to maintain alignment, otherwise your shaft will wobble and cause unnecessary vibrations.
We weld two bearings on each plate (but not internal part). Next, we pass the drum shaft through the bearings. To assemble the entire structure, you need 4 bolts, which we thread through a hole in one and the other plate, and screw a nut on the other side. As a result, we do this from 4 corners.
4. The gearbox must be attached to one of the plates so that its gear engages with the shaft gear.
5. Finally, you need to make a frame. To do this, you can make a rectangle from square profiles and weld square plates to it on one side, and also fix the motor and gearbox.
6. And finally, make the remote control. To do this, just one button is enough to close the contact. It must be spring-loaded so that when released, the contact opens.
7. Such a self-made car winch has one important nuance, namely, it cannot be fixed directly to the car. A fabric tow rope will have to be attached to the frame, which will act as an insulator. To get rid of this nuance, it is necessary to isolate the motor brushes from ground.
Hand winch
A do-it-yourself manual winch is structurally similar to an electric one, so you can follow the instructions described above, however, instead of an electric motor, you need to attach a handle that you have to rotate by hand. Thanks to the gearbox, it will be possible to significantly reduce the load on a person, but the power of such a winch will still be determined precisely by muscular strength. This is worth considering if you own a full-size crossover or SUV.
Now you know how to make a winch with your own hands. It has a fairly simple design and can be easily made from common and cheap materials, which will allow you to extra costs make even a temporary solution before purchasing a branded unit.
At first glance, the presence of a winch is only relevant for SUVs. But given the specifics of our roads, it is recommended to have at least a simple homemade version this device. Is it possible to use a starter as the main power unit, and what difficulties are encountered when making a homemade winch?
Requirements for the structure and its components
The purpose of the winch is to move cargo (car, trailer). It is a drum with a cable winding mechanism. The latter is attached to a support object (post, tree). Unlike car-mounted models, a homemade winch from a starter is mobile. A chain or steel rope can be used as an attachment to the machine frame.
Homemade design
To make a homemade winch, you should pay attention to the following nuances:
- It is recommended to use a starter model with a planetary gearbox.
- The winding drum design must have a brake mechanism. An alternative is to install a worm gearbox with a large gear ratio (40/1). In this way, the load on the starter power unit can be optimized.
- The body must withstand the maximum load, which includes the weight of the vehicle and the force to pull it out.
Winch design
IN steel frame made from sheet iron ( minimum thickness 1.5 mm) and reinforcement strapping, a shaft with worm gear, connected via a gear to the starter. Rated load for steel cable should be 1.5 times the mass of the vehicle.
Frame making
The first step is to make a design drawing. It directly depends on the size of the starter and the winding shaft. These components must fit inside the housing while still leaving enough space for mounting the control unit and holding handles.
It is possible to provide 2 types of transmission of rotational energy from the starter to the shaft - using a gear transmission or a belt drive. It all depends on the type of materials at hand. If you have a reliable pair of wheels (larger and smaller diameter) with an end groove for installing a belt, you can make such a winch. But you need to remember that it will have significantly less useful power, which is explained by the specifics of the design.
To make the case you will need:
All blanks are made according to a drawing drawn up in advance. It must take into account not only the attachment points of the starter and shaft, but also additional stiffeners made of rods. After all the elements have been made, but not yet welded to each other, you should check that their actual dimensions are correct. To do this, the components are assembled into a single unit, into which the starter and shaft are installed. Only after this can welding work be carried out.Installation of basic elements
First, the drum shaft is mounted. As additional element you can make a simple type of cable guide. It consists of two plates with a roller between them. The cable will slide along it, which will prevent it from tangling and will promote uniform winding on the drum.
If the transmission from the starter to the shaft is carried out using a gear pair, the input shaft must be located on top. It is advisable to provide the ability to adjust the location where the starter is mounted. This way you can achieve optimal coupling between the gears.
The final stage of making a winch with your own hands is the installation of electrical wiring. To do this, you can use simple wires to connect to batteries with crocodile terminals. Be sure to install a switch between the wiring and the starter. As a result, the resulting mechanism should be powered by a car battery.
The operation of the winch is checked in stages. First, you need to apply a small load to ensure the reliability of the transmission mechanism. By gradually increasing the degree of load, you can experimentally determine the maximum mass that the resulting winch can “handle.”
To understand why a car winch is needed, you need to consider what cars this device is installed on. Most often, manufacturers equip vehicles designed for off-road driving with similar units.
The thing is that when the vehicle starts to slip or cannot climb the slope, it is the winch that allows you to get out of this situation. At its core, it is a traction mechanism that can work both due to the physical strength of the driver and with the help of an electric motor.
When the car gets stuck and cannot get out of the trap, it is enough to secure one end of the cable to some static object. Let's say you can wrap it around a boulder or several trees. After this, the driver will only have to press a button or grab the handle of the device, with the help of which the car will be pulled out of the trap.
How to pull out a car using a winch is shown in the video:
Why does a regular passenger car need a winch?
You have often seen serious SUVs equipped with a car winch. Thus, automobile companies make it possible for the buyer to understand in advance that this car is intended for harsh operating conditions. Driving on off-road, mountainous terrain and windbreaks - that’s why such a vehicle is needed.
Unfortunately, with our road conditions, every trip out of town turns into a real adventure. It is especially difficult to get to your favorite dacha or cottage in rainy weather. The road turns into a real mess, and it’s easy to get stuck in another hole filled with muddy slurry.
Attention! Automotive winch mounted on passenger car, allows you to safely drive on almost any off-road.
But the price of such a device in the store is not at all small. Fortunately, the design itself is not particularly difficult, and every driver can do it with his own hands.
Video about the electric winch:
How are winches classified?
A car winch is one of the most popular tools among motorists. The fact is that due to its versatility it can be used not only for towing vehicle, but also for moving goods.
It is not surprising that professional engineers and car enthusiasts came up with many designs for this device. Conventionally, they can all be classified according to the following parameters:
- size,
- designs,
- technical specifications.
Accordingly, there are several classifications. Moreover, in many respects the possibility of assembling a car winch with your own hands depends on these parameters.
Attention! In order to truly collect complex design with outstanding technical parameters will be needed technical education and expensive components.
Classification of winches depending on the type of structure
All structures can be divided into two types: stationary and removable. The first ones are “tightly” attached to the front part of the body. Their main disadvantage is that due to the nature of their operation, corrosion begins to corrode the main structure of the car.
Important! Stationary automobile winches are highly reliable.
It is generally accepted among drivers that removable car winches are better than stationary ones. The main advantage of such products is that the driver himself can improve his car if the need arises.
The removable winch can be installed both in front of the car and in the rear. It all depends on the specific situation. Moreover, the device can be stored in the trunk. So it won't spoil appearance your vehicle.
Hand winch
Manual car winches are considered the simplest. They are easiest to construct with your own hands. But their operation will require a lot of effort from you.
Of course, the lever allows you to significantly reduce the physical effort required to drag the car. However, you are unlikely to be able to do this alone.
Usually, to pull a car using a manual winch, it is necessary for one person to be behind the wheel, smoothly squeezing the gas pedal, and another to turn the lever. Otherwise, you are unlikely to succeed.
The advantages of this particular design include:
- compact sizes,
- reliability,
- ease of operation and installation.
If we take standard standards, then automobile manual winches are capable of working with loads whose weight does not exceed 1000 kilograms. Typically, people take such devices with them for their own self-soothing. They are not suitable for serious testing.
Mechanical winch
An automobile mechanical winch operates via a motor. Its main difference from the mechanism that works thanks to physical strength, is that the driver does not need to make any effort to tow the car.
Important! The main disadvantage of an automobile mechanical winch is that if the engine is not working, it will be completely incapacitated.
Devices of this type are often installed on UAZ vehicles. The undeniable advantage of mechanical winches is power. It was quite enough to cope with such large machines. Despite this, the design itself is bulky and heavy.
A mechanical winch can look very good when installed at the factory. But it is extremely difficult to design and install such a unit with your own hands. Nevertheless, there are still enthusiasts who decide to undertake such a difficult task.
Electric car winch
The electric car winch is most popular among SUV drivers. The drum rotates thanks to an electric motor. It is powered by the car battery. In fact, even if your engine stalls, you can get out of a sticky situation thanks to the battery's charge.
The most difficult thing in using a car electric winch is correctly calculating the battery consumption. If you spend too much energy, you won’t be able to return home on your own.
Attention! The lifting capacity of the eclectic car winch can reach 4000 kilograms.
In theory, the power of this device is enough to hang a car from a tree. Provided the branches can bear it. It is also worth noting the high reliability of the unit.
Hydraulic winches
It is believed that this type of automobile winch has the most complex design of all. In principle, this is not surprising. The gadgets work thanks to an oil pump. The design itself consists of the following basic elements:
- oil pump,
- drive,
- oil tank.
The hydraulic car winch provides a smooth ride and has great power. The disadvantages include increased risk of explosion.
Winch from starter
You can make a car winch from a starter yourself using basic set materials that are in any garage. The basis of the device will be a regular car starter. The unit itself will operate using a battery.
Advice! It is highly desirable that in the design car starter there was a planetary gearbox.
Excellent starters for car winches can be found in old Zhiguli cars. These devices are equipped with planetary gearboxes, so you don’t have to worry about installing them.
Preparation
To create anything, you need to be well prepared. So take a piece of paper and make a list of the materials you will need for a car starter winch. You need to remember to include the following points:
- Drum - this part can be made from a simple pipe. It is enough to weld the cheeks to it; their thickness should be about five millimeters.
- Gears.
- Gearbox.
- Cable.
- Welding machine.
- Metal sheet. With its help, you will carry out the entire design process in the future.
- Bulgarian.
- Cables.
- Measuring technology.
- Starter.
After you have assembled this entire kit, you will need to clearly assemble the device and install it in accordance with the instructions.
Attention! If you don't have a car you don't need, you can find a starter at a junkyard or buy it at a car market.
Making a car winch from a starter with your own hands
Before you begin the assembly process, you will need to prepare a site appropriate for your task. It will consist of a thick sheet of steel. It is on this that the installation of the structure will take place, followed by the following stages:
- Using a welding machine and bolts and nuts, attach the drum seats. Carry out installation.
- Connect the drum to the gearbox. The input shaft is directed upward.
- Connect the gearbox and starter. For this operation you will need an adapter. With its help you can install the starter.
- Equip the input shaft with a gear. The tooth size must ideally fit the entire structure.
- Activate the starter. If the shaft and gear connect quickly and easily, then everything is in order and you can continue the process of assembling the car winch.
- Place the gear onto the gearbox shaft. To do this, you can use the flywheel crown.
- Securely fasten all structural elements.
- Connect the electrical wiring.
- Install the control panel.
During the assembly process, oil, dust or some other dirt may have gotten onto the car winch. Clean the device carefully. Only after cleaning it will be possible to apply a primer.
Advice! It is best to choose the paint color to match the color of the car.
The best place to install is top part bumper It is well suited for maximum loads. If you doubt the reliability of this element, make a platform for attaching a car winch with your own hands.
On the video how to make a winch from a starter:
DIY hand winch
A manual car winch can be made with a minimum of materials. That is why, in critical situations, this information will help you pull the car onto a level surface on your own.
To make a manual car winch, you will need a strong axle. An ordinary crowbar would be better suited for this purpose. Its strength is quite enough to tow a car.
The axle is driven into the ground. Other options are possible, the main thing is that the base is securely fastened. The end of the pipe must be placed on the resulting structure. A lever is placed under the coil.
Attention! You can use a shovel or a strong stick as a lever.
The other end of the cable will need to be attached to the car. As you can see, similar design can be collected in an open field, using only what is on hand. This ideal option when there are no others.
DIY hydraulic winch
The main difficulty when creating a hydraulic car winch with your own hands is finding a suitable motor. It is very important that the hydraulic motor fits on the front bumper.
Attention! NSh-100 can be used as a pump; power steering will also cope well with this task.
Cut out the channel on which all installation will be carried out in the future. For better fixation, you can weld two more elements. Hook their ends securely onto the radiator.
After this, cut the shaft according to the dimensions future design car winch. Make rings for the bobbin. Install brass rod bearings.
After you have welded all the elements together, you can install the automotive hydraulic winch on the car. Don't forget to make a sliding gear on the shaft for quick unwinding.
The general principle of creating a mechanical winch with your own hands
Structurally, the device resembles the options described above. Except that a mechanical car winch is connected to a shaft. The platform for interaction is the transmission.
Attention! The winding speed in a mechanical type automotive winch is controlled by decreasing and increasing the engine speed.
A device of this class can be driven using a transfer case. Unfortunately, due to the complexity of installation and connection, few drivers risk assembling this particular design.
Operating rules
In order for the device to serve faithfully for many years, it must be used correctly. Here general rules:
- The device can only be used to move objects horizontally.
- The unit cannot be used for installation of bridge elements and power transmission lines.
- Be sure to use gloves when working with the cable.
- Before starting work, you need to check all structural elements for functionality.
- The cable can only be approached or touched after the device has been switched off.
These simple rules will allow you to insure yourself against various surprises and avoid accidents while using the device.
Results
As you can see, it is quite possible to assemble a car winch with your own hands. Moreover, to create simplest design you can use improvised means such as a crowbar or a shovel. More complex options require a motor or the ability to connect to a motor.
