wifesaysimadumbass

alright you guys with winch ropes heres your chance to impart some knowledge upon those who do not have such knowledge. I have a ramsey platinum 9k# winch in my Arb bumper. I have used it a total of 5 times and somehow managed to kink the crap out of it in several places. i was thinking of shortening it but now i think i will just bite the bullet and by a rope.
here are my Questions

1) is it as strong as cable? do i have to upsize (therefore losing length) to keep the same strength

2) how long does it last? Will uv light kill it? can it be cut easily?

3) how cost effective is it (price of a new cable vs. new rope)

obviously i did not watch careful enough once so i like the idea of just wind it in and dont worry too much

alright guys thanks alot

Corey

iTrader: (1)

1. It is just as strong as wire rope.
2. Take proper care of it, sun can damage it over time.
The way mine is setup, hardly any sun can see the rope.
I had to cut mine near the end of the attachment that holds it on the spool.
Used a hand saw on it, and it worked OK.
3. My Masterpull rope was more than double the price of steel, but it has come down.
There are other brands too that have been advertised on the forum.

Many sanctioned off road events have outlawed steel winch line if that tells you anything.
Very dangerous compared to the safety of these new lines.

wifesaysimadumbass

thanks corey

joez

Dont have it on my rig, and i NEVER will. I wheel with plenty of people who do have it to know not to buy it for the terrain i wheel.

1. For what we use it for, the difference is negligable.

2. Uv damages it, Mud ruins it from the inside out, and it cuts much easier than wire cable.

3. Can be had for relatively cheap, but the good stuff still goes for over $450.


Steel cable is not dangerous when respected and taken care of, and will last 10x longer than rope. The one and only time rope is safer is if it gets cut and breaks in the middle. If the hook comes off the tree saver, that hook is gonna come back just as fast as if it were steel line. Just because rockcrawlers require rope doesnt mean its better. I could say the same thing about helicopter lifting companies, they still use steel for a reason, and they are anal about weight.

GRNTACO

First, steel cable is very dangerous, that's why it is not allowed in rock crawling events. SAFETY FIRST! "If the hook comes off the tree saver, that hook is gonna come back just as fast as if it were steel line" :pat: NOT!

Second, the "good stuff" is still under $200.

Third, the comment about it lasting 10X longer is like my opinion in the second statement, it's just an opinion.

Fourth, most synthetic of the same diameter is 1.5X stronger then steel cable, that's a fact.

Winch rope is a consumable item no matter if it's steel or synthetic, I went with the safer, stonger line, SYNTHETIC!

joez

Have you seen what happens when a tree saver breaks with synthetic rope? I guess not. I have, first hand, and it does recoil just as fast as cable. Just because it comes pre-stretched doesnt mean it doesnt store energy.

Steel cable is not dangerous IF RESPECTED AND PROPERLY CARED FOR. In rockcrawling events lines are more likely to break in the middle from abrasion, which is why they now require rope. Rope has far less weight and when it breaks, it doesnt travel near as far or carry the force. It is safer when it breaks clean in the middle, but not when a hook is attatched to it.

In my club, my VP used to work for a helicopter lift and recovery company. These people are anal over as little as 5 pounds, and they run steel line. When they ran synthetic, they experienced that it not only didnt last nearly as long, but it was weaker, and would break more often. Sure, it saved them 70 pounds, but it wasnt worth it. They switched back to cable because it is stronger, lasts longer, is cheaper, and was safer.

The biggest single problem with synthetic rope is the hype arround it, that it is completely safe. I cant tell you how many times i have seen people walking over it when a rig is being winched, because the internet told them when it breaks it just falls to the ground

Like i said, for the terrain i wheel, i will NEVER run synthetic rope. Nobody in this area who wheels regularly has had synthetic rope last longer than a year, mud gets in the fibers and frays it from the inside out.

wifesaysimadumbass

wow this is starting to get fun! im in so cali so i dont know what type of terrain you have in illinois but out here im sure it's different. i really appreciate your opinion though i know from first hand experience when i used to race sailboats we used all synthetic lines and the strength was unreal but we had to replace everything once a year. but saltwater is a little different than anything!

joez

If i lived out west, i would consider running synthetic. If you see mud though, mud is like acid to synthetic rope, it just tears it appart. Today i had my tailights buried in mud twice, and had mud over the headlights once. 5 minutes later we were wheeling sand dunes. Here in the Midwest there is to much stuff that destroys rope, and from what i have personally seen, it doesnt offer enough of an advantage to make up for the downsides and added cost, at least not for me.