Help choosing winch line extension. (1 Viewer)

[Artie]

Apologies in advance if this has been covered.

Current set up is 12.5k lb winch with 80 feet of 7/16 amsteel.

1. Should extension be same diameter as what’s on my winch?
2. Length: one long one or 2 shorter ones?

We are typically in the southeast, we ride alone, and we tow a Conqueror camper. What’s on the winch is likely enough for this area but we will travel out west once to twice a year where we may need an extension. I feel like one big length would be a pain so I’m leaning towards a 50 foot and maybe a 25 foot 7/16 amsteel.

Thoughts?

 

[gnob]

Everyone's needs are ultimately different. I have been considering extentions. Thought about some kind of spool to keep a longer extention from becoming tangled.

 

[BMThiker]

I sent one of my old synth lines to a winchline shop for analysis of becoming extensions. He sold me a new 80' rope and reused my hook, then converted my old line into 2 extensions. I didn't get an exact measurement of each piece, but I think they are around 40' as my original line was 100' iirc. I keep them rolled up like a hank of yarn - something about the fiber and rope weave, they don't really tangle, unlike 4mm paracord. I also use a figure 8 type of roll technique, then wind the tail around the middle a few times which alleviates tangle when you want to deploy. I keep them in the poly bag they arrived in to keep debris off them and it stuffs into my recovery bag pretty well.

Shorter extensions will give you more flexibility and can be used more easily as static safety lines to hold a position while you winch from the front.

 

[BMThiker]

I like this guy's method for coiling. I used to do this over my knees sitting Indian style with my old climbing ropes. But with a smaller length of rope, the elbow/hand coil is easier.

 

[1911]

Everyone's needs are ultimately different.

Yep. It depends on where you wheel (what kind of terrain, and what is available to anchor to), whether you go solo or in a group, etc.

Shorter extensions will give you more flexibility and can be used more easily as static safety lines to hold a position while you winch from the front.

This, but again it depends on where you wheel and how far it typically is to an anchor point. When I go by myself, I'd rather have a long one but YMMV. With enough shackles you could piece together the shorter ones into a longer one for sure.

In answer to the OP's first question: yes, you would use the same diameter for the extension as the winch line. You wouldn't want less strength for the extension, and there's not much advantage to having it stronger than the winch line, which would then be the weakest link - plus the disadvantage of having the bigger-diameter extension take up more space.

 

[woodsman 44]

Yes on the same diameter like 1911 said, don’t go smaller.
I have 3/8 150’ synthetic on my Warn 8274 and I have 100’ extension just in case nothing is close by..

80’ of rope on a winch is nothing especially if u have to do a redirect, u will run out of rope really quick..extension are the way to go fo sho

 

[BMThiker]

To clarify, the advantage of a shorter rope on the drum of the winch is to increase pulling force. The fewer wraps on the drum, the more pulling force you have. I wanted a shorter rope because most of my pulls are short (east coast terrain) and can use the extensions to make snatch block or longer runs than my primary line allows.

Ultimately, you need to be confident that you're pulling within the rated working load of all elements - the line, the d-shackles, the tree saver, the soft shackles, etc.

 

[Artie]

Ultimately, you need to be confident that you're pulling within the rated working load of all elements - the line, the d-shackles, the tree saver, the soft shackles, etc.

I hear ya there. So far we haven’t scrimped on recovery gear and I feel like we have upper limits on gear that will suffice as far as what the winch can pull and my GVWR at our fattest with our camper.

I think a 50 and a 100 foot extension should be adequate for my needs. I’ve got 4 bubba rope soft shackles and the 2 soft shackles that came with the factor 55 snatch blocks I have… I may snag a few more soft shackles in different sizes just so I can avoid using the d-rings I have as emergency back ups. Those along with a factor 55 tree saver and some of their other straps and a load distribution plate, and a deadman earth anchor kit should get us out of any trouble we would get in… but please feel free to point out any thing I may be missing.

If my wife had her way both drawers would be full of recovery gear so I gotta have our bases covered and keep her feeling like we have enough for our needs. Our primary use is overlanding and running trails, nothing rated red at this point.

 

[woodsman 44]

I have one of these for an extension..you have to splice the end that would go onto the winch drum though…I spliced my own

 

[Artie]

I have one of these for an extension..you have to splice the end that would go onto the winch drum though…I spliced my own View attachment 3030482

About how big is that? Trying to get an understanding of how much space whatever I get will take up

 

[ChaseTruck]

You can always double up a long extension rope if less distance is needed.
Knowledge how to work with synthetic rope - like splicing - is a good recovery tool, as well.

Not all splices or loops are created equal, particularly not on Amazon-sourced ropes. I've re-done all splices on my winch ropes.

Our 80 has ~80 feet of 3/8 rope on the drum of a HF12k, and a 30 foot extension in the box.
On my K5, I've dropped to ~50 feet of 3/8 on the drum (on that Ramsey 9.5, that came out to one layer less on the drum compared to 80 feet), and an ~80 foot 3/8 extension in the box. with that truck, essentially all my winch pulls have been short - to get up ledges or over/off a rock.

And old-style D-ring shackles are not such a bad thing. When you need to hook onto another vehicle, they may be the better option.

 

[woodsman 44]

About how big is that? Trying to get an understanding of how much space whatever I get will take up

I just put my extension in a bag..

 

[Artie]

I just put my extension in a bag..View attachment 3032190

That’s not nearly as big as I was expecting.

 

[george_tlc]

^ Same here, extension in a heavy duty bag.

5/8" synthetic bought quite a few years ago on ebay from a fella that got off cuts front amsteel and back then a bargain. About 90' of it.

And yeah, good to have old school shackles and used them a few times my past trip to DV to rescue folk.

cheers,
george.