Winch & Winch Line Thoughts

[chiefox]

Ok people. I have the simi-new JK and looking to upgrade with a new bumper plus winch. have Basicly settled on the Fab-Four bumper, but needing opinions/thought/advice on type winch (pro and cons), and on whether to use steel cable or synthetic rope.

On my TJ I had a 9000 Superwinch with steel cable on an ARB Bull bar. Right now I have just OEM bumper (second one). First one did not stand up well in a small fender bender.

Your thoughts/views/opinions would be welcomed.

((When can i have a stupid name??? I don't say much but I am here often.))

[b1pig]

i dont like the fact that the rope on my ZJ is fading from sunlight exposure. dont like that at all. it's a heckuva lot lighter... and i dont worry so much about poking my fingers with a frayed strand of wire. stuff like that.

[4LWranglerTJ]

read the whole article winches in hell. It will show you what really works and what doesnt. http://www.moabjeeper.com/articles/general/listing.cfm?articleID=353

[tinknocker]

we have warn's on the front of both our jeeps!!! i'm really impressed with Carol's, on board air and a winch in one package!!!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/CLFsPics/jeep%20stuff/IMG_1978.jpg

[DrLewall]

((When can i have a stupid name??? I don't say much but I am here often.))

I see a new tag line here!

[Knuckelhead]

Get a Warn. If you get synthetic rope, make a cover for it...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e333/knuckelhead/winchcover.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e333/knuckelhead/winchcover2.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e333/knuckelhead/winchopen.jpg

[kwrangln]

((When can i have a stupid name??? I don't say much but I am here often.))

Careful what you ask for.;)

I see a new tag line here!

Yup.:thumbsup:

read the whole article winches in hell. It will show you what really works and what doesnt. http://www.moabjeeper.com/articles/general/listing.cfm?articleID=353

Decent article, but like everything else on the internet, take it with a grain of salt. Someone from the Moabjeeper site is a member here, not too impressed with thier mechanical knowledge of winches from the posts here. Read through the following thread and make your own call as to how much faith to put in the article.

http://www.quadratecforum.com/showthread.php?t=69070

As for winches and synth line, here ya go Chief, I did a write up a while back that runs through the different types of winch designs and pros/cons for synth line.

http://www.quadratecforum.com/showthread.php?t=10800

Personally, I'm a diehard Warn fan when it comes to winches, but that is neither here nor there, you have to make a decision based upon your cash levels, ammount of usage, etc. I've recommended Summit branded winches before as they are rebadged T-max winches at a much better price. In the last year, Smittybuilt has also started using a rebadged T-max winch for cheap. I have friends running both and neither has had a problem with them. Ramsey has been around forever and can be counted on with no worries. Look closely at your packaging, how much room do you have for a winch, do you need an intigrated solenoid model, or a flatter model with a seperate control box. Line speed will play an important part in your decision, faster is better, but it costs and here is where Warn usually steals the show.

Take a look around at a few different models, compare the specs on them, and narrow down your search a bit. Once you are a bit closer, we can help seperate the wheat from the chaff.

i dont like the fact that the rope on my ZJ is fading from sunlight exposure. dont like that at all. it's a heckuva lot lighter... and i dont worry so much about poking my fingers with a frayed strand of wire. stuff like that.

Some fading is normal and not hurting anything. This type of line was origionally developed for use offshore on ships, exposure was part of the design parameters.

[Knuckelhead]

A cover keeps the dirt out also...

[patrick hoover]

How often and how hard would your play be. If it's hard core stay with the cable. There is arguements both ways, it's a toss-up.

[Knuckelhead]

If it's hard core stay with the cable.

Why?...

[JeepBSU]

X2 on why....
I'm going with synthetic when funds allow, I'm sick of carefully spooling my steel cable up and being scared of burrs in the line or being scared of a line snapping and flying back into my forehead and end up flying over the cuckoos nest

[kwrangln]

How often and how hard would your play be. If it's hard core stay with the cable. There is arguements both ways, it's a toss-up.

The number of people who use their winch more than a couple times a year who are NOT using synthetic line is dwindling rapidly. It's simple economics. If you inspect and care for your recovery equipment like you should, then you will be replacing wire rope every half dozen pulls due to overlays and birdcaging. Synthetic is not affected as badly by overlays and as such lasts through many more pulls. If proper care is taken during rigging to avoid running your line over rocks, and bending it around stuff without a snatchblock, then synth will last for a long time.

Kinda wondering what your definition of "hard core" is if the folks you consider fitting it don't know the basics of winch recovery and have to stick with wire rope.

The days of wire rope use in the recreational vehicle recovery market are numbered, and I for one am not sad to see it.

[tinknocker]

X2 on why....
or being scared of a line snapping and flying back into my forehead and end up flying over the cuckoos nest

as long as you have a winch weight on your winch line and you use it every time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

there is little chance of that!!!

1 minute after this picture was taken my steel line broke!!! it got pinched inbetween the rollers on the fairlead!!!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/CLFsPics/jeep%20stuff/Badlands_043.jpg

see my son in the passenger seat!!! had i not been using my winch weight something bad could have happened!!!

[tinknocker]

figured i'd post a pic of my winch weight, for those that dont know what they are!!! Qtec sells them there made by ARB and they work!!!

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e182/CLFsPics/DSC00175.jpg

well worth the 30 bucks!!!

http://www.quadratec.com/products/92144_403.htm