Locking your winch?

[timgco]

So, here's a questions for all winch users.
I have a Warn winch bumper and will be installing the rockstomper rope. All outside components on my rig are locked in place and would have to be cut off to be stolen.

But what about our Winch rope? You could easily unspool a line in about 30 seconds.

Anyone have ideas for locking your winch line or locking the winch so that you cannot free spool it off?

[timgco]

So, here's a questions for all winch users.
I have a Warn winch bumper and will be installing the rockstomper rope. All outside components on my rig are locked in place and would have to be cut off to be stolen.

But what about our Winch rope? You could easily unspool a line in about 30 seconds.

Anyone have ideas for locking your winch line or locking the winch so that you cannot free spool it off?

[PARAGON]

I guess you could find a lock large enough to lock the thimble on the end to one of the tow hooks or back up to the chrome crossbar on the front of the winch. But I don't know if there is enough room in the eye of the thimble for a lock to pass through.

You could fab a cover over the clutch lever that could accept a lock or you could take the detent screw out of the lever and remove it. Sticking it back in only when you need to use the winch to free-spool (like a key).

[JohnB.GWU.]

two words... THE CLUB.

jk, but maybe something to lock the unspool in place or just remove the line lock lever.

OR, you could fab a quick release for it by cutting the lever, making a sleeve with two pins like on sway bar quick disconnects. (but then again i dont know how much room there is in the Warn bumper) It is feasible for those of us with the stock winch mount system who leave the winch locked to the front/rear of the h2, and maybe even for those with the bumper depending on how much space you have to work with.

A really cool idea would be to use an electric motor (like the one that shifts the tcase) to remotely lock and unlock the line. You could make it wireless with the kit from ramsey. You could unlock the winch via remote from a safe distance, have a Discovery or Jeep owner drag the cable out for you, then lock the line and activate the winch all from the comfort of your Crazy Creek camping chair while sitting in the shade under a tree drinking your beer. Hell, your feet wouldnt even get muddy.

Now that's an off-road recovery at its finest!

[tower]

Just locking the thimble woldn't keep someone from disengaging the clutch and rolling out the line. Then they can just cut the thimble off, unscrew the eyelet (or cut that end too) and take it home.

[tower]

LOL!