Winch conversion from wire to chain sprocket

[thehomeengineer]

Hi All

I am in the process of building a motorised trailer mover and purchased a new 4500 lbs winch as the drive unit. Like most of my homemade projects I try to keep the cost to a minimum. However this was a brand new winch so the budget is blown . Other new items include a battery chain sprockets, wheels and bearings. I already had a length of 3/8 pitch chain.

The first issue was how to connect the smaller drive sprocket to the cable spool on the winch as the sprocket was a smaller diameter than the spool. So decided to cut the spool in half and mount a second boss to the sprocket and rejoin the two half’s of the spool back together on either side of the bosses.

The winch was taken apart and in my mind this was going to go one of two ways as this was a new perfectly working winch about to be butchered. So nervously the spool was setup in the lathe and parted off, support at the tailstock end with a pressure pad to prevent the spool from coming out of the 3 jaw chuck. Success the two halves were then machined to length and bored.

The sprocket was then modified and and both the spool halves and the sprocket drilled and bolted back together and refitted to the winch.

The photos will hopefully clarify modification.



Spool with wire removed.

Winch motor and clutch assemblies.

Parted off and part assembled sprocket ready for finishing.

Modified sprocket and bored spool halves

Winch back together

New drive wheels and trailing support wheels. ( no expense spared on this project )

Next job will be to mockup the assembly and build the chassis.

Will keep you posted on progress and build as it happens.

Thank you for viewing
The Home Engineer