Trailer Winch Hook

[Shewillbemine]

Ok, so I've been using my boat for a few months now and noticed that the winch hook snap "gets caught" under the rubber stop on my trailer after retrieving the boat.

 

What's happening is that as I winch the boat, the snap part nudges against the stop and causes it to bend to its side, and actually enough to come off the hook itself so that it's now "on the outside". This obviously defeats the purpose of the snap portion, which is to prevent the main hook from slipping off.

 

Am I just winding the hook to closely to the rubber stops? Should I attempt to guide it more to the center? I don't have actual pics but tried my best below.

 

After it makes contact with the rubber stop, there's too much pressure on the side axis and it gets bent sideways and then "outside" the hook.

 

 

And this is what the general winch/trailer set up looks like:

 

[Fishing Rhino]

First, you do want to winch it tight.  Trailers are designed like that so that the bow is held tightly to the roller. 

 

I just looked at my boat, and the snap does deflect, but it does not get dislocated like yours.  Does the snap/retaining clip line up with the hook when it's not connected to the boat?  Those hooks are not precision made.  I had one that barely had enough gap to get it onto the bow eye, and it was a bear to get it off.

 

One other thing you can try.  Disconnect the strap from the boat, and pull it out all the way from the winch.  There is a bolt that goes between a pin and the axle of the winch, and there is a bolt which goes through the eye in the strap.  Remove the bolt, and slide the strap out from between the pin and the axle.  Turn the strap so the other side is up, slide it between the pin and axle, and reinstall the bolt.

 

This will put the other side of the hook up.  If the problem is caused by a distortion in the hook, it may solve your problem.  You'll have to get used to connecting the eye to the boat from the opposite side.  I'd do this only after exploring my options with the seller.  If it was a private sale, you are on your own.