synthetic winch cable info needed

[sledge916]

Hello all

I have searched and wanted to know what the general consensus is regarding synthetic winch cable. I have a warn 8000 on the front of my 80 that weighs in at its heaviest 7000 pounds my cable is getting kinda rough.

I had amstel blue on my old 40 several years ago and did not like the fact that it would stick together after you winched the truck, meaning it was very hard to get it out to winch again.

I love the fact that it is lighter and won't scratch up your hands.

Just wanted to check and see what the latest and greatest was with the synthetic cable. What has been working good for you guys. And if there were any bargins to be had out there.

Could I fit 100 feet on a warn 8000?

Thanks all

Sethro

 

[e9999]

my recollection is that synth is stronger than or as strong as wire rope for the same diameter, so, if right, you should be able to put in at least the same length as the original wire rope.

 

[1911]

Could I fit 100 feet on a warn 8000?

yes, I have 100' of 5/16" Amsteel Blue on an M8000 in my FJC.

 

[Southeast Overland]

100' of 5/16 = yes.
85' of 3/8 = yes.
100' of 3/8 = it will fit when spooled in tight and nice but get sloppy or have a side pull and you'll be in trouble.

Synthetic winch line is stronger, lighter, easier to handle, and stores less energy when under tension. On the flip side though it is more prone to abrasion and susceptible to heat. To deal with the heat factor put your abrasion guard/heat wrap against the drum, and also don't spool out under power in a M8000 or similar winch that uses an internal brake inside the drum.

If you have run cable line for awhile you will need to make sure your spool is still smooth - or if it is not make it smooth with light sand paper and a new coat of paint. Also check your fairlead for burrs and if you have rollers make sure they overlap in the corners and won't be able to pinch the synthetic line.

Amsteel Blue is still available and is good for a basic line. If you want something stronger you can go with one of the MasterPull Superlines which are heated and stretched, or Superline XD which is heated, stretched and has a cover over the line to help with abrasion.

Some stats (just for an example):
Amsteel Blue 5/16 = 12,700 lbs breaking strength
Master Pull Dyneema 5/16 = 13,000 lbs breaking strength
Master Pull Superline 5/16 = 21,000 breaking strength
Master Pull Superline XD 5/16 = 21,000 breaking strength and has extra cover along entire line

Of course price goes up as you get the nicer lines also.

 

[opie74]

Sledge, if you found the line was difficult to pull out after a loaded pull, its because it wasn't spooled on under sufficient tension to start with. What happens is the line will sink into the wraps if the wraps aren't tight. Its not difficult to get the initial spooling tensioned well, but it takes 2 people. One in the vehicle running the steering wheel and brakes, and the other running the control and helping the line lay in nice.

Amsteel Blue is susceptible to heat degradation. It starts around 122 degrees with an 8% degradation and progresses from there. However, SK75 is not a good conductor of heat. Samson wanted to know what long term effects heat degradation did to SK 75, so they headed to the Middle East. One of their tests was to place a section of SK75 on a hot plate set at 158 degrees. After 200 minutes sitting on the plate, only the bottom 3rd of the test piece conducted the full 158 degrees. Also, "heat protector" on the drum wrap only prevents the line from melting to the drum should temps come close to the melting point, which hoovers around 297 degrees. It does nothing to insulate the line from heat, and hence any degradation from heat. The upside is any heat degradation is not permanent. Line strength returns after the line returns back to ambient temps. Something else to keep in mind is the minimum breaking strength is 10% less than the average. So most companies factor in a 10% loss right out of the gate.

Normal use of your planetary winch in power in only with the occasional power out will not effect Amsteel Blue in the long term. If you regularly power out, either go with an all Technora line, or have a length of Technora end for end spliced onto your Amsteel Blue line. MP uses a liquid crystal polymer line to achieve this, but LCP lines suffer heavily from UV degradation, even covered up.

Something else to keep in mind when considering a synthetic line.... Since synthetics have a lower overall percentage of elongation, shock loading can bring the line to its failure point faster than something like nylon or polyester. Quicker than you would think. I watched someone trying to winch over some rocks and while they were running the winch, they were hitting the throttle trying to "bounce" over the rocks. What they were doing was shock loading the line and it failed. Best to let the winch do its thing with maybe a little help with the go pedal.

Synthetic lines WILL recoil. The draw is they store less energy and recoil with less mass. So the damage should be less than with a wire rope. But do not get caught off guard. The same safety precautions should be taken with either type of line.

 

[Master Pull]

There is alot of good information in this thread, as stated earlier we do have a few lines that are different then everyone elses on the market today- Superline and Superline XD.

Both have been heated and pre stretched to give maximum strength in the smallest package possible. They do last long too, I have an XD that is over 5 years old and still going strong. We have seen ropes over 8 years old that are still in great shape and are being used to this day. It all depends on how you care for and use your rope. Anyone can go out and destroy something the first time they use it, but with proper care and a little thought rope can last a long time.

-Alex