JD 540B winch won't hold

[Skiddersally]

Hello need some winch help please. I've never had a problem till today with the winch. Started a new job today. Had to pull the knuckleboom in and the winch worked fine. Backed down over the hill hooked to one popular tree and winched it up, but it wouldn't hold. Will winch in fine but no hold. Took side cover off. With the wich break set I can grab hold of the break band and move it around. With the winch break set I can pull cable out buy hand. I've never had a problem with the winch slipping at anytime at all until this morning. A
nyone else ever run into this??? Thanks

[teakwood]

What model is you winch?

[Southside]

I am assuming here that your 540B has the same winch as my 540A.  The cover was on the driver side of the skidder, the brake band on mine had an adjustment bolt that had to be set to a tight tolerance - I had it in my service manual but sold the machine and manual over a year ago, I think it was in the range of 1 1/8", but the manual said exactly how to measure the tolerance and what to set it to.  Mine slipped like yours did, one day it was fine the next day it would slip out. I set the adjustment wrong the 1st time and it was even worse, re-read the manual, set it right, and it worked like a charm.

I know this is not exactly what your are looking for but hope it helps. 

[RAL68]

I have a 440 b and had the same problem last summer. I'm not sure if it is the same winch or not. But there are 2 springs behind the small cover on the winch one or both those springs might be broke. Be on the left hand side if your are sitting in the drivers seat.  Hope this helps.

[BBTom]

If you look at the pdf I attached here, you can see that line item 6 is a spring that when broken will not hold the brake band against the drum.  The band pulls itself tight against the drum when the drum tries to turn out, the small cylinder releases the spring pressure to allow freespooling. 

[deere540]

 

  
 Sounds like maybe there is a broken spring.  That happened to my old 540 and it reacted similarly.  They are not terribly hard to replace, but the brake needs to be adjusted correctly afterwards.   I'll look at my shop manual today and post the brake band adjustment procedure for you.  Hope that helps.

[Offthebeatenpath]

SkidderSally,

Not sure but this thread may help...

https://forestryforum.com/board/index.php/topic,72024.msg1085840.html#msg1085840

[Skiddersally]

Ok I went out this morning and checked the springs don't appear to be broken. They both have tension on them and the anchor is level. The nut under the anchor way backed off . It was Loose and away from the bottom of the anchor.  It's just mid blowing I pulled the truck in the winch held I hook to a log and it won't hold at all. Thanks for all your help