Winching - Park or Neutral ?

Here's a question that I can't find an answer to.

When winching someone out, should I have the truck in Park or Neutral? I'm not too keen on the Park since I can probably snap something in the tranny.

In Neutral holding the brake pedal down with parking brake on?

In Park with parking brake on?

Neutral would be best.

No way something will break in the tranny, other things will break long before you generate that kind of stress, and the truck will jsut slide. Winching usually requires being in park, wedged against a boulder. Holding down the brakes might help a little, but usually you need to be out doing things. Watching your front tires to make they dont get dragged sideways ba enough to break a tie rod or bend the suspension is important.

if you can wedge yourself against something then do it..Find a rock or tree and put your bumper up against it.Your aftermarket bumper is just there to make your truck look pretty or just to hold the winch.It's pretty beefy so use it for what it's made for..

Choose every option that holds you in place, stumps, p-brake, park, chocks, what ever you need, given the expected loads and the available traction....

Of course, if doing self recovery, the opposite holds true.

You can always snub off by running a cable or strap from a rear-mounted clevis to a tree, stump, boulder, or other vehicle. There are these things that are essentially land anchors that can be used when no trees are handy.

Lloyd is rignt, if possible point your vehicle in the direction of the pull (or turn your front wheels front wheels in the direction of the pull) or the force of the pull will do it for you.

Depending on how much of a pull you need, for most light winch pulls, just leave the tranny in drive, and apply the brakes as you winch 'em. If it's a medium to heavier pull, then look to anchor your truck from the rear, w/ a strap to a tree/boulder/whatever. Worse case scenario, you dig a hole about 3-4 feet deep, tie a strap onto your spare tire and the other to your truck. Throw the tire in the hole and bury it... You've now got a deadman anchor, that will hold up through most any winching you'll be doing. However, digging suxs, so I definately wouldn't do this as a first option!