Polaris Ace RZR 570, RZR 570 EPS (2018 year). Manual - part 18

73

WINCH GUIDE

Winch Safety Precautions

18. Never release the clutch on the winch when the winch cable is under 

load.

19. Never use the winch for lifting or transporting people.

20. Never use the winch to hoist or suspend a vertical load.

21. Never immerse or submerse your winch in water. Your dealer can 

provide service on your winch if this occurs.

22. Always inspect your winch and winch cable before each use.

23. Never winch the hook fully into the winch. This can cause damage 

to winch components.

24. Unplug the remote control from the vehicle when the winch is not in 

use to prevent inadvertent activation and use by unauthorized 
persons.

25. Never grease or oil the winch cable. This will cause the winch cable 

to collect debris that will shorten the life of the cable.

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WINCH GUIDE

Winch Operation

Read the Winch Safety Precautions in the preceding pages before using 
your winch.

Tip: Consider practicing the operation and use of your winch before you actually 

need to use it in the field.

Improper winch use can result in SEVERE INJURY or DEATH. Always follow all 
winch instructions and warnings in this manual.
Each winching situation is unique.

• Take your time to think through the winching you are about to do.

• Proceed slowly and deliberately.

• Never hurry or rush during winching.

• Always pay attention to your surroundings.

• You may need to change your winching strategy if it is not working.

• Always remember that your winch is very powerful.

• There are simply some situations that you and your winch will not be able 

to deal with. Do not be afraid to ask others to help when this happens.

1. Always inspect the vehicle, winch, winch cable and winch controls 

for any signs of damage or parts in need of repair or replacement 
before each use. Pay particular attention to the first 3 feet (1 meter) 
of winch cable if the winch is being used (or has been used) for lift-
ing an accessory plow assembly. Promptly replace any worn or 
damaged cable.

2. Never operate a winch or a vehicle in need of repair or service.

3. Always apply your 

vehicle’s park brake and/
or park mechanism to hold 
the vehicle in place during 
winching. Use wheel 
chocks if needed.

WARNING

Hook Strap

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WINCH GUIDE

Winch Operation

4. Always use the hook strap when 

handling the hook.

WARNING! Never put your fingers into 
the hook. This could lead to SEVERE 
INJURY.

A.

Attach the hook itself onto the 
load or use a tow strap or chain 
to secure the load to the winch 
cable.

Tip: A “tow strap” is NOT intended to stretch. A “recovery strap” is designed to 

stretch.

WARNING! Never use a recovery strap when winching due to the excessive 
energy that can be released if the winch cable breaks. This can result in 
SEVERE INJURY or DEATH. See the Shock Loading section on page 80.

B.

Never hook the winch cable back onto itself. This will damage the 
winch cable and may result in winch cable failure. 

WARNING! Replace the winch cable at the first sign of damage to prevent 
SEVERE INJURY or DEATH in the event of failure. For your safety, always 
replace POLARIS winch parts (including the cable) with genuine POLARIS 
replacement parts available at an authorized dealer.

C.

If possible, keep the winch cable aligned with the centerline of the 
winching vehicle. This will help the spooling of the winch cable and 
reduce the load on the fairlead.

D.

If freeing a stuck vehicle by attaching to a tree, use an item such as a 
tow strap to avoid damaging the tree during winch operation. Sharp 
cables and chains can damage and even kill trees. Please remember 
to TreadLightly® (treadlightly.org).

E.

Before operating the winch, be sure 
that the safety latch on the winch 
cable hook is fully seated when the 
load is attached.

F.

Never operate your winch with a 
damaged hook or latch. Always 
replace damaged parts before using 
the winch.

NO

YES

NO

YES

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WINCH GUIDE

Winch Operation

5. Never remove the hook strap from the hook.

6. Release the winch clutch and pull out the winch cable.

7. Pulling out as much cable as possible maximizes the winch’s pulling 

capacity. Always be sure that at least five (5) full turns of winch 
cable are wrapped around the winch drum at all times. The friction 
provided by this wrapped cable allows the drum to pull on the 
winch cable and move the load.

8. Read and adhere to the following information for winch damping to 

ensure safe winch use.

A.

In order to absorb energy that could be released by a winch cable 
failure, always place a “damper” on the winch cable. A damper can be 
a heavy jacket, tarp, or other soft, dense object. A damper can absorb 
much of the energy released if a winch cable breaks when winching. 
Even a tree limb can help as a damper if no other items are available to 
you.

B.

Lay the damper on top of the mid-point of the winch cable length that is 
spooled out.

C.

On a long pull, it may be necessary to stop winching so that the 
damper can be repositioned to the new mid-point of the winch cable. 
Always release the tension on the winch cable before repositioning the 
damper.

D.

Avoid being directly in line with the winch cable whenever possible. 
Also, never permit others to stand near or in line with the winch cable 
during winch operation.

9. Never hook the winch cable back onto itself. This will damage the 

winch cable and may result in winch cable failure.

10. Never use straps, chains or other rigging items that are damaged or 

worn.