You can go to the hardware store and find some cable clamps. That might help to secure the hook onto the cable. Just take the piece that snapped off and ask for help at the store as to how to secure it again.

 

The town is more or less shut down today because of the snow. I'll see about some cable clamps tomorrow if they open.

I did a temp fix by tying it in a several knots and using some small hose clamps. It held fine until the cable snapped again. ATV winches have very thin cables and aren't made for plowing 24'' of snow.:nono:

 

Get cable clamps to fix it correctly or even better ditch that small atv winch cable and put something a bit thicker on it. If your constantly snaping the cable you need to double it up or get a heavier line for it.

 

I think one of the causes of the cable snapping might have been operater error!!
I believe I had been cinching the cable up to tight. When the plow was up tight against the frame I might have been trying to pull the line in even tighter.:brickwall

 

cable clamps are the way to go. Putting knots in steel cable is a bad idea :nono:, it reduces the strengh by up to half, which is why it might have snapped again. One thing with the clamps, make sure the saddle part is on the live end of the cable, live end being the part that goes to the winch, not the dead end. "Never saddle a dead horse".

 

I did get the cable clamps on Sunday afternoon at a Tractor Supply. I put two on the line thinking it would help hold the line. Since then the cable hasn't snapped or come loose.

Thanks for the tip on which side of the line to install the clamps on. I had no idea when I did the fix so I put one each way.:thumbsup:

 

Swaging tools.

Swaging sleeves and thimbles.

 

Thanks for the links.

I'm deficiently going to keep these in my favorite places!:2thumbsup:

The cable clamps are fine for an ATV winch but you can't pull the hook tight to the fair lead because the clamps are to thick to fit in between the fair lead rollers.

 

When I was plowing with an ATV, I was able to rig up a small snatch block hanging from the roller fairlead. This reduced the angle and increased the bend radius of the steel cable to the plow, which enabled it to last better.

 

Do you have any pics?

 

Make sure you put the clamps on correctly if you use them. The U shaped end should go over the "dead" or terminal end of the wire/cable. The saddle goes under the continuous or running end (back to your winch) of the cable. See the attached pic.

 

Thanks for the visual.
I didn't look for a thimble when buying the clamps. What does the thimble provide to the cable?

 

Just some wear/friction protection for the inside of the wire rope/cable I believe. If mounted correctly it should fit in nice and snug with very little or no play.

 

Billavista wrote a very helpful 'recovery bible'. Here it is again for more than you will ever need to know about winching, etc.

Pirate4x4.Com - Extreme Four Wheel Drive

opCorn:opCorn:opCorn:

 

Wow!! That's definitely going into my Favorite Places.

Thanks