The Roller Fairlead in front is designed to keep the wire rope within a certain “area” to be fed or unfed from the drum. The Cable Tension Plate is located on the backside of the drum and is used to keep pressure the wire rope as it goes out or in. There is no specific mechanism on the winch that feeds the wire rope onto the drum in a precise/even manner, like you would find on a bait caster fishing reel.
Typically when you are retrieving the wire rope it will spool back on fairly evenly if it is a straight pull. If this is not happening, the operator should pause when this is first noticed and adjust the wire rope to the side it needs to go, and then proceed. At no time during this should the winch be “active” because personal injury is possible. The operator should use a devise, like a large open ended wrench, to help guide the wire rope back on track. The operator should NEVER guide the wire rope back onto the drum when it is moving with their hands, injury will occur if this is done.
What is happening is much like what happens when you reel up a garden hose onto a garden hose reel. Sometimes it gets stuck in a “groove” and continues to spool to one side or the other.