7 ways to prevent winch theft
Winch theft is a major concern for many winch owners, especially if you park your equipment in the yard or leave it in the Wal-Mart parking lot for a few hours. You have invested a good deal of change in your winch. Now how can you make sure you don’t get scammed?
Here are 7 ways to prevent winch theft.
- Buy a winch lock or a shear bolt lock. They prevent access to the bolt and can only be removed with a special key. Just make sure you don’t lose the key, in case you ever need to remove the winch!
- Weld a section of C-channel over the bolt heads to prevent access to the bolts.
- Weld a cap onto one or more of the bolts. If you ever need to remove the winch for repair or replacement, you will need to polish the cap.
- Weld the bolts and nuts. Some have done this and it has worked well; others claim that extreme heat can weaken the screws. So while it’s not the best option, it is an option. Most winch manufacturers advise against welding the bolts because it could compromise the strength of the bolts.
- Secure the winch with a cable and lock. While not the safest option, it may be enough to put off the casual thief looking for an easy target. At the very least, it slows down the thief and gives you a better chance of catching him in the act.
- Use a winch cover. Sometimes the best way to prevent your things from being stolen is to keep them out of sight. Out of sight, out of mind.
- Remove the winch and replace it only when you leave the road. Sound like too much work? It’s what I thought. But it is an option. If you mount your winch with a receiver hitch instead of a permanent winch bracket, this option sounds a bit more realistic.
If you have another way to protect your winch from theft, let me know in the comments!
