Winch Line Tech

Here is the bottom line. As a tug boat Captain on the San Francisco Bay and the West Coast, I have been working with synthetic lines for years. We would make a point of replacing wire rope and using synthetic line when we could. Yes, the cost is higher, but what you get in return justifies spending the extra cash. Look, if your winch is just for show and you are never going to use it, then don't spend the money. And yes, you can get a lot of good years out of your wire rope if you treat it right. But, the facts speak for themselves, synthetic line is better.

Don't get me wrong, I used wire rope on my Warn winch for years. I admit it, I am cheap. But when it came time to replace it, I went to synthetic line.

Synthetic line is much safer and easier to use than wire rope.

# Will not kink

# Will not develop sharp frays

# Will not conduct electricity or heat (won't freeze your hands)

# Will not rust

# Will not stretch

# Will not store energy or recoil if broken

# Highly flexible, won't get wound up when unspooled

# Will float on water

What is the best brand of synthetic line?

What I found is that the Amsteel Blue Winch Ropes seems to be the best rated and the best at handling the heat that is generated from the drum when powering out (a practice that should not be done in general). I have included some Frequently Asked Question and typical replacement lines recommendations.

What is Amsteel made of?

Made from the revolutionary AmSteel®-Blue 12 strand UHMWPF (ultra high molecular weight polyethylene fiber).

Breaking Strength Comparison (lbs.)

Size Synthetic Wire Rope

5/16" 13,700 9,800

3/8" 20,400 14,400

7/16" 23,925 17,600

Keep in mind that you may also need a new fairlead. (see FAQ)

FAQs

Winch Rope Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Some of the more common questions about winch rope.

What about heat from the winch drum?

Heat is generated in planetary winch drums (Warn laydown-style, Ramsey planetary winches, most Superwinches) only under "Power-Out" condition. This type of use drives the winch motor against the brake (note references by winch companies about "Automatic Load-Holding Brake"). This is similar to driving your vehicle with the parking brake engaged.

Doing so will generate heat if you were to use it extensively in this mode. Similar to driving your vehicle with the parking brake engaged, you can drive out of a parking space without causing problems, but if you drove for significant distance, you would quickly wear out the brake. The same is true for your winch. The "Power-Out" function should be used for relieving tension on the rope, not for extended distances, nor for lowering a load--4WD winches are not designed to be used as hoists. Our testing has shown that powering out for 10-20 feet is not a problem, but will cause excessive wear to the winch brake, so we recommend using the "Power-Out" to relieve tension only.

No winches currently made, if used correctly, will heat the drum on "Power-In" use.

Can I use my roller fairlead with rope?

The roller is susceptible to damage, and if damaged, can damage the rope. We recommend the aluminum fairleads because they are nearly impervious to the type of damage that causes roller fairleads to fail.

Can I use my snatch block with rope?

Yes, as long as it is not burred-up from steel cable.

How does synthetic rope hold up to UV exposure?

Amsteel Blue has a proprietary urethane-based coating, factory-applied, to help it resist UV radiation. Additionally, Amsteel Blue was not actually designed for the 4WD industry; it was developed for offshore commercial fishing purposes, where it would be exposed to nearly-constant sunlight. Because of these design criteria, it resists UV exposure very well.

Here's a table of common winches and the typical replacement lines recommend, as well as some alternate line sizes:

Winch

MileMarker 12k

MileMarker 10.5k 2 speed

MileMarker 9k 2 speed

MileMarker 9k 1 speed

MileMarker E8

Pierce 9000-8"

Pierce 9000-11"

Pierce 12500-8"

Pierce 12500-11"

Ramsey Platinum 95

Ramsey Platinum 9

Ramsey REP 9

Ramsey REP 8

Ramsey ProPlus 8

Ramsey ProPlus 6

Ramsey RE 12

Ramsey RE 8

Ramsey QM 9

Ramsey QM 8

Superwinch X6CD

Superwinch X9

Superwinch Husky 8

Superwinch Husky 10

Superwinch S9

Superwinch S6

Superwinch S45

Warn M15

Warn M12

Warn HS95/HS95i/9.5ti

Warn 9.5XP

Warn XD9/XD9i

Warn 8274/8274-50

Warn X8/X8i

Warn M8

Warn M6

Warm M6SDP

Std. Cable

3/8x100

5/16x100

3/8x100

5/16x100

5/16x150

3/8x90

3/8x125

5/16x150

5/16x95

1/4x100

3/8x125

5/16x150

5/16x95

5/16x100

5/16x150

3/8x90

5/16x100

1/4x50

7/16x90

3/8x125

5/16x125

5/16x100

5/16x125

5/16x150

5/16x100

5/16x80

5/16x50

Rope replacement

3/8x100

5/16x100

5/16x150

3/8x90

3/8x125

5/16x150

5/16x95

1/4x100

3/8x125

5/16x150

5/16x95

5/16x100

5/16x150

3/8x90

5/16x100

1/4x50

7/16x90

3/8x125

5/16x125

5/16x100

5/16x125

5/16x150

5/16x100

5/16x80

5/16x50

Alternate rope

n/a

5/16x125

3/8x80

5/16x125

3/8x80

3/8x125

n/a

3/8x125

3/8x80

5/16x50

7/16x90

3/8x125

3/8x80

1/4x150

3/8x80

3/8x125

n/a

3/8x80

1/4x150

n/a

3/8x125

7/16x90

3/8x100

3/8x80

3/8x100

3/8x125

3/8x80

1/4x175

1/4x100