Posted by Clint Dixon [172.70.130.194] on Wednesday, October 22, 2025 at 07:04:01 :
In Reply to: Winch Brake Band Questions posted by Kevin [162.158.63.138] on Sunday, October 19, 2025 at 16:59:00 :
In a perfect world you would want the brake band to be self energizing. If you were pulling your truck forward (or pulling a load towards the truck) and you stop the winch with a brake band positioned to be self energizing, the band would prevent the winch from paying out cable under the load.
A lot comes into play here though. Do you have a left-hand gear set or a right-hand gear set in the winch housing. Don't trust the direction ("L" or "R") stamped on the winch gear housing. Someone could have swapped out the original gears for a reverse rotation set at one time or another. Also are you paying out the cable off the bottom of the drum (normal position) or off of the top of the drum as you might when using a pole derrick?
Self energizing means that the rotational force of the drum is trying to pull the brake bank tighter against it and as a result is increasing the braking force.
It has been a while since I had one apart, but I believe Braden produced both left-hand rotation and right-hand rotation drum and band covers in order to allow correct orientation of the band. Some covers may be drilled to allow the band to be positioned in either orientation. I don't see it really mattering if the adjustment nuts are near the top of the cover, or near the bottom. Just position them where they are the easiest to adjust.
In reality it will not make much of a difference unless you are winching heavy loads every day.
Junior
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