synthetic winch rope question

Okay, I've decided to switch to Synthetic rope for saftey reasons and I've been searching around but haven't if I need to run same diameter and length as what came with my winch or if I need to adjust for differences in material?

I'm running a mile marker 8,000 with 5/16th 100ft steel rope.


Are there any brands to avoid?

Read this by Bill Burke. http://www.bb4wa.com/articles/amsteel.htm

I would personally say dont run it if your steel cable is still good. Synthetic is good but as soon as it touches metal uner tension it breaks. My brother has it and said if it breaks any more he's going back to a steel cable. The synthetic also stretches out with time and becomes less strong. With steel cable if you spool it strait it will last a long time and is perferctly safe if people back away.

Also, if your steel wire is in good shape, consider going to a Hawse fairlead. I've read several of the more-experienced guys on here say (write) that they were switching to the Hawse type because of the wire getting pinched between rollers.

Timber said:

Also, if your steel wire is in good shape, consider going to a Hawse fairlead. I've read several of the more-experienced guys on here say (write) that they were switching to the Hawse type because of the wire getting pinched between rollers.

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I am switching to aluminum hawse as well. My brother in law drives a recovery tow truck and he was telling me about a steel cable breaking that came thru the back window of his truck, fourtantly he wasn't in there at the time. So I'm willing work with rope over steel just for a little extra saftey.

I went with 3/8"s. My 8274 came with 5/16" stock, but since I was using synthetic, I wanted the extra insurance. Researching on pirate4x4.com, there were a few reports of failures with the 5/16", but couldn't find any problems with the 3/8". Bought it from a local rigging store for $1.56/ft.

The biggest issues are ultraviolet and burn-in.If you have extra cash every year then thats the way to go.For my new winch and bumper Im also going with a Hawes failead.

I have used synthetic winch rope from 5/16" to 7/16" (8mm to 10mm) and I am now using 5/16" Amsteel Blue. I prefer to run a smaller diameter rope as the spool fills up fast with the thicker ropes and the winch has the most pulling power on the first wrap. It is still stronger than the same size wire rope.

I now use a Superwinch EP9 with end mounted brake. Winches that have the brake inside the spool can get hot and the heat degrades or even melts the synthetic line. If your first wrap is flat and melted together and your rope snaps under tension, you may be using the wrong type of winch with your rope.

Winch ropes, steel or synthetic, last longer if they are not pulled under tension through the ground or over rocks. If there is a choice between doing a self recovery or using another winch vehicle, the self recovery will keep the rope static in relation to the ground and the winch will wind itself along the rope.

Synthetic line is much easier to handle for setting up your rigging and taking it down again. A synthetic rope with a hook is easy to throw. It can be quickly gathered up without having to be respooled. It can also be made into extensions that are easy to stow and light to carry.

If the rope gets dirty, it can be hand washed easily in cold or warm water without detergents or fabric conditioners. Keeping the rope clean helps it last longer. Synthetic rope won't last forever, but neither will steel. Both types need to be looked after properly.

I pulled 100 feet of 5/16 steel off of my winch and put 80 feet of 3/8 synthetic on. I'll never go back.

I was going to order 65', but when I called they had a sale going on 80', and it worked out to the same price. How often do you have to pull more than about 20 feet?

go 3/8"... it's going to get beat up offroad and you'll be glad you went 3/8"

I've yet to make a hard pull with my Tmax. I did, however, just order some Amsteel. Is it necessary? No probably not. Is it a waste of money? Not from what I read. Most that have it, swear by it. I really like the saftey factor. I get nervous with heavy tension on a cable. Kinda spooky to me at times. If I had not fell into some money(just enough to cover the cost of Amsteel) I wouldn't have gotten it. Hopefully, it'll be here today. If you're looking for a good deal, Scott at www.rockstomper.com has great prices.

Hale

RCP Phx said:

The biggest issues are ultraviolet

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Are you sure about that? The marine industry sees much more sun than we do fourwheeling. I doubt UV is much of an issue. Also if you put a line protector on the last 20' of line, it pretty much covers the exposed rope when spooled up.

1996cc said:

Are you sure about that? The marine industry sees much more sun than we do fourwheeling. I doubt UV is much of an issue. Also if you put a line protector on the last 20' of line, it pretty much covers the exposed rope when spooled up.

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The biggest issues are rocks, etc... The line will get damaged offroad long before the sun can damage it.. I used the line protector.. it still gets damaged... Not that it's going to break but hey if it does i'll just tie it into a knot and repair it when i get back home...

RCP Phx said:

The biggest issues are ultraviolet and burn-in.If you have extra cash every year then thats the way to go.

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Yeah, that's SPOBI.

Amsteel said:

How does synthetic rope hold up to UV exposure?
Amsteel Blue has a proprietary urethane-based coating, factory-applied, to help it resist UV radiation. Additionally, Amsteel Blue was not actually designed for the 4WD industry; it was developed for offshore commercial fishing purposes, where it would be exposed to nearly-constant sunlight. Because of these design criteria, it resists UV exposure very well.

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Synthetic gets cut and abrades easy so the thicker you start with the better. Make sure you put your old line to good use like this:http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=941703

Haleyes said:

Yeah, that's SPOBI.

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No its not,Ive lived in Phoenix for 43 years and nothing "made" will withstand our enviroment for long.Even aircraft windshields break down here,I dont know where they test all these products,but it sure isnt here!

Has anybody measured the weight difference between steel cable and synthetic rope? Would be interesting to see if the synthetic rope will have an impact on the amount of front end sag that is associated with carrying a winch on the front.

RCP Phx said:

No its not,Ive lived in Phoenix for 43 years and nothing "made" will withstand our enviroment for long.Even aircraft windshields break down here,I dont know where they test all these products,but it sure isnt here!

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Fair enough.