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Time to replace winch cable?

EMSJEEP

EMSJEEP

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Long Island
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Is this really mod tech...anyway...I got a couple of these after doing a 110' straight pull for a Liberty driver that got a little too ambitious...otherwise the cable has seen only minimal use in ~3 years...I don't really have the $$ to replace it now, but if its a safety issue I shall go synthetic...what would be the best to replace it with 125' 3/8? this is a Warn 9.5ti
 
Definately a safety issue. And very dangerous.
 
It hasn't parted...just squished flat....what should I replace it with...thinking Masterpull 125' 3/8? or is that overkill?
 
EMSJEEP said:
It hasn't parted...just squished flat....what should I replace it with...thinking Masterpull 125' 3/8? or is that overkill?
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I just got the Am Steel blue 3/8 rope from MP. I had 100' of 3/8 steel cable on it. I bought 85' of the new rope. If I would have had 100' of the new rope I don't think it would have fit on the winch. I almost ran out of room.
 
lowrange2 said:
I just got the Am Steel blue 3/8 rope from MP. I had 100' of 3/8 steel cable on it. I bought 85' of the new rope. If I would have had 100' of the new rope I don't think it would have fit on the winch. I almost ran out of room.
Click to expand...

Yeah they say 100' 3/8 or 125' 5/16 for my model...ok 5/16 it is...
 
dennis461 said:
How far from the end is the damage?
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I could cut it and have some good length...I didn't unspool the whole thing today, I don't recall if it is damaged down below too...I would rather synthetic anyway, this is a good excuse....expensive but...the time won't get better I suppose. It would also be a PIA to cut and crimp...want to buy a slightly used steel cable with 90 good feet?
 
I would put a good pull on it before I got too excited. Many times a pinched cable will go back almost like new. If it does, then I wouldn't worry too much. But if it is still deformed, then you need to replace.
 
Just curious, how did it kink like that? If it was a straight pull like you mentioned, that shouldnt have happened. Bind up on the drum or something?
 
EMSJEEP said:
Yeah they say 100' 3/8 or 125' 5/16 for my model...ok 5/16 it is...
Click to expand...

I think I read somewhere that once your steel line is kinked, it loses half of its break strength yield. Nobody should be using steel line, period.

Be careful where you buy your synthetic rope. There are a LOT of knockoffs out there that even use the name Amsteel Blue. Masterpull is OK. Only difference between Superline and superline XD (apparently) is that latter comes with a sheath.

You can also get some really good stuff from this guy, at much reduced prices. It's where I got mine.

http://www.jeepswag.com/winchrope/

Read this for some tech:

http://pirate4x4.com/forum/showpost.php?p=10505179&postcount=52
 
Last edited:
stumpXJ said:
Just curious, how did it kink like that? If it was a straight pull like you mentioned, that shouldnt have happened. Bind up on the drum or something?
Click to expand...


It didn't spool correctly coming back on, the line drove itself down a few layers on the drum and started to wrap sideways. To get it off I had to tie off to a tree and reverse in free spool.
 
that one isn't 'kinked' though... it seems to me that if the individual fibers making up the cable have not been seriously stressed - it is PURELY a cosmetic issue... of the people who suggested replacement... why would you suggest that???

if you had an actual KINK - i.e. each strand had been bent around a zero millimeter radius... then YEAH it will lose a lot of strength... but that's only a very minor rearrangement of the braids (not even the strands)
 
NeXJ said:
that one isn't 'kinked' though... it seems to me that if the individual fibers making up the cable have not been seriously stressed - it is PURELY a cosmetic issue... of the people who suggested replacement... why would you suggest that???
Click to expand...



It's still steel cable on a winch. It's just wrong when alternatives are available that aren't that expensive.

If it is really *too* expensive to run synthetic line, either stay out or fly a flag that says "Accidents happen, help this careless wheeler at your own risk".
 
tigerchief said:
It's still steel cable on a winch. It's just wrong when alternatives are available that aren't that expensive.

If it is really *too* expensive to run synthetic line, either stay out or fly a flag that says "Accidents happen, help this careless wheeler at your own risk".
Click to expand...

+1 exactly why I suggested it. I bought my winch with synthetic line right off the bat and its worth every penny for the peace of mind.
 
tigerchief said:
It's still steel cable on a winch. It's just wrong when alternatives are available that aren't that expensive.

If it is really *too* expensive to run synthetic line, either stay out or fly a flag that says "Accidents happen, help this careless wheeler at your own risk".
Click to expand...

And what, pray tell us mighty great one upon the mount of absolute wisdom, was used on recovery winches for all the decades prior to synthetic rope?

Oh, yeah, that's right--every body that ever used cable died, and they killed everybody in a 1 mile radius around them.

Not all "pearls of wisdom" found upon the internet are real "pearls", some of them are BS.
 
x2...on that, you shouldn't listen to everything you hear on these forums 100%. If everyone did, we would all have Rubicon express lifts with 33's and a pre 2000 model cherokee with nothing less than full widths since anything less will break first day out.
 
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