Winch Line

[Lowrange2]

Personally I'd stick with steel unless it was for a dedicated rock crawler.(which I don't own.)

Steel is simple, but it has it's downsides. One, when it fails, it is incredibly dangerous. Two, it's heavy. Three, as mentioned, frayed wires in the cable HURT. Heavy gloves solve that one though.

Synthetics have a lot of pros - safety in the event of a failure being at the top of the list. Where they fall down is in UV/weather resistance. While great strides have been made in durability, all synthetic materials, and most natural organics degrade over time due to sunlight and atmospheric exposure.

Install a synthetic line on a winch, roll it up, and leave it on the front of your daily driver for five years, using it 4 times. You'll notice color bleaching on the line and fraying. Time for a new line. A steel line would only need cleaned and lubricated in that time, unless damaged during actual use.

Both steel and synthetic have problems caused by improper winding on the drum. Synthetic is reportedly a lot pickier then steel in this regard, and I've read of people having to cut stuck synthetic off a winch. This is a misuse issue that proper winding solves.

Agree with this. I run Synthetic line on my trail rig and I run steel cable on my DD. I don't use the DD winch enough to justify the price but I use the trail rig winch almost everytime I go out.

The synthetic line is far from light duty. I've never broke either a cable line or a synthetic line.

If you use it a lot - go with synthetic. If you don't use it a lot - go with steel cable.

 

[Daltonamorph]

I have 90' of Warn synthetic on my winch. Its a $500-$600 winch line that i got for $50 off a friend or else I would've used steel. Its holding up great, although I can attest to the fact that it doesn't like the elements. Its faded in color a good bit, but is still in good condition. It has snapped twice, both times were my fault for sliding it over a sharp rock I didn't see, and Ive spliced it back 2 different time- After you get the hang of it, its fairly easy and is a big selling point for me. After my current line I think ill be going back to steel simply because of the price and durability.

 

[WebDog]

I went with synthetic after watching one break and just fall to the ground, and the fact that my steel cable started to untwist on the 2nd use.

I have used the new rope probably 10 - 15 times and I love it ever time.

 

[Gonepostal]

Great posts.:variety: Here are my plans. Feel free to be critical of them. :badpc:

I will be going with a receiver mount be it syn or cable. I also will wire for a plug both front and rear. I spend some time wheeling alone here in the mountains hunting, fishing, and working as a consultant. (Yes I know that it’s not a good idea and I carry a Spot for emergencies.) My thought is that sometimes the last thing I want to do is pull myself further into a bog or hole. For those times, I'd rather place the winch on the rear and pull myself back and out of whatever I have stuck myself in.

I haven't gotten around picking a route for rear winch power but it should be easy enough to do and I am sure someone out there is ahead of me on this one.

For the most part I think synthetic will work fine for the wheeling I do and if I am by myself it will be less likely to come screaming through the Jeep if breaks.

On the other side of the argument I have seen line break on a 12000 pound Warren attached a Chevy one ton while working on a seismic crew. The thing did not get the truck or any of the folks trying to free the other one ton but it played hell on a tree that was nearby.

Maybe someone can clarify one other thing. I have been told that throwing a couple of old blankets over the line will suppress a cable, should one break. Anyone know if this actually true?

 

[tbburg]

I have been told that throwing a couple of old blankets over the line will suppress a cable, should one break. Anyone know if this actually true?

Looping a blanket, towel, jacket, whatever, over a cable will help slow the cable in the event of a break, but it won't stop it. What has always scared me was a tow point failure, or a hook loop failure on the end of the line(the loop at the hook is the weakest point of an undamaged cable). When I'm heavy winching, I usually hook a tie strap to the cable a few feet from the hook, and attach it to a different point on the stuck vehicle away from the recovery point. I also throw a blanket or towel over middle of the cable, and stay the hell away from the line under tension.

 

[Gonepostal]

Watched a tow point break on a short box Ford a friend was pulling out of a drift. The tow hook came back and smacked the tail gate on the Chevy doing the pulling, leaving a perfect impression of the hook. My buddy was lucky had the hook flown 6 inches higher it would have come through his rear window at or about where he was seated. This was with a heavy duty synthetic tow rope and is one of my concerns with both syn or cable winch line. Although I think the syn winch line would maybe safer.

 

[Darky]

Watched a tow point break on a short box Ford a friend was pulling out of a drift. The tow hook came back and smacked the tail gate on the Chevy doing the pulling, leaving a perfect impression of the hook. My buddy was lucky had the hook flown 6 inches higher it would have come through his rear window at or about where he was seated. This was with a heavy duty synthetic tow rope and is one of my concerns with both syn or cable winch line. Although I think the syn winch line would maybe safer.

Most recovery ropes/straps are built with elasticity in mind in order to give some kinetic energy to the yank. Winch rope is designed not to have any give so it doesn't snap when it breaks.

 

[tbburg]

Tow ropes and snatch/pull straps are a different animal. They probably have more kinetic energy stored at full stretch then steel winch line under the same load.

 

[Gonepostal]

Tow ropes and snatch/pull straps are a different animal. They probably have more kinetic energy stored at full stretch then steel winch line under the same load.

Most recovery ropes/straps are built with elasticity in mind in order to give some kinetic energy to the yank. Winch rope is designed not to have any give so it doesn't snap when it breaks.

Definitely agree, the kinetic energy in a tow rope is one of its main selling points...unfortunately it's also the aspect that adds danger to the product. I was hoping that the syn winch line was different. Thanks for clearing up that point.

Where I plan on using mine as a portable unit the synthetic line will be much more practical. I might throw it on the front bumper while wheeling, but the rest of the time it can be mounted in the rear cargo area. Looking at Warn right now.....anyone have any other preferences?

 

[Darky]

Definitely agree, the kinetic energy in a tow rope is one of its main selling points...unfortunately it's also the aspect that adds danger to the product. I was hoping that the syn winch line was different. Thanks for clearing up that point.

Where I plan on using mine as a portable unit the synthetic line will be much more practical. I might throw it on the front bumper while wheeling, but the rest of the time it can be mounted in the rear cargo area. Looking at Warn right now.....anyone have any other preferences?

You could always check out Master-Pull, pretty sure they're a sponsor here.

 

[Gonepostal]

You could always check out Master-Pull, pretty sure they're a sponsor here.

Thanks I will take a look at their stuff.

 

[Rock Toy]

Warn, and Master Pull are both good winch rope brands, but they are probably the most expensive. I personally use Amsteel Blue it is good, and less expensive, also I use 100' extensions, that way I have loops on both ends in case I have a problem with the end my safety thimble is on, I can just swap ends.

 

[Gonepostal]

Warn, and Master Pull are both good winch rope brands, but they are probably the most expensive. I personally use Amsteel Blue it is good, and less expensive, also I use 100' extensions, that way I have loops on both ends in case I have a problem with the end my safety thimble is on, I can just swap ends.

Thanks and great idea on the extensions. Hoping to have everything completed and ready for Moab next April or May. The winch will be a nice addition.