Rumor of Synthetic Winch Rope Issues in Cold Weather?

[Scott Brady]

Scott, you forgot the one about it melting the minute it touches an in drum brake construction winch.:ylsmoke:

Exactly, although synthetic can crush a drum that is too thin. We crushed one like a can at nearly 12,000 lbs.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Hey all, Up here in the sub-arctic (Northern NY State) I have been "advised" by folks that synthetic winch rope does not do well in a cold weather climate. They state that, when water freezes to ice, it will rub in between the strands and cause premature wear and failure of the synthetic rope. Of course, none of these road scholars actually HAVE synthetic rope on their winches. Please, can somebody with proper experience validate or refute these claims? Thanks!

Complete fallacy, probably perpetuated by twisted cable users, who have yet to join the new millennia. Synthetic winch lines are and have been used on fishing boats plying arctic waters for years, in conditions much more extreme than your winch is going to encounter and have functioned just fine.

 

[Louisd75]

I've only seen synthetic winch rope break. Never wire rope. You can't treat synthetic like your step-brother like wire rope or it won't last. No way would I want a winch rope that has to be kept in a perfect enviroment, a perfect pull position, or a perfect use. I want a rope that can get me out of a life or death situation for either me or my rig that has been subjected to extreme weather and trail conditions after a week on a trail that I now need to use at some insane angle/length or other extreme condition.
Wire rope just needs to be clean and spooled tight and even after last use and it'll last forever, ready for the next time, whenever and wherever that might be.

I've seen both break. I'd rather deal with the aftermath of broken synthetic than broken wire. I'm not sure what you're referring to by extreme length or angle. When you run out of length, you run out of length. No two ways about it. I can use a smaller diameter synthetic on the same drum and get more length. It's also no big deal to carry an extra 100' of extension. As far as angle, no cable, wire or synthetic, likes being run at sharp angles, but my experience has been that it doesn't affect synthetic line as much as it does wire. Comparing personal experience of trying to drag 80' of wire rope off the drum vs 80' of synthetic over crappy ground, synthetic wins hands down.

As far as cold weather... we use synthetic line year round to tie up the ~40,000 ton ship I work on in Alaska. Sometimes we use wire rope of the same strength. They both break.

 

[Thirty-Nine]

Scott, you forgot the one about it melting the minute it touches an in drum brake construction winch.:ylsmoke:

Well, if you're using synthetic without a heat sleeve I might melt. There are plenty winches that use drum brake and synthetic rope. However, that rope has a heat-resistant layer between it and the drum.

 

[4x4BNB]

I've only seen synthetic winch rope break. Never wire rope. You can't treat synthetic like your step-brother like wire rope or it won't last. No way would I want a winch rope that has to be kept in a perfect enviroment, a perfect pull position, or a perfect use. I want a rope that can get me out of a life or death situation for either me or my rig that has been subjected to extreme weather and trail conditions after a week on a trail that I now need to use at some insane angle/length or other extreme condition.
Wire rope just needs to be clean and spooled tight and even after last use and it'll last forever, ready for the next time, whenever and wherever that might be.

And....you can more easily field repair synthetic line

 

[proper4wd]

Speaking of the drum heat issue with synthetic line, has anyone considered having the outside of their winch drum ceramic coated? It would not cost much... probably $100-$150 based on the estimates I've received to coat my intake and exhaust manifolds.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Never thought about it Adam. I've just never had the thing hot enough to worry about it. I imagine it's possible but not probable.

 

[Metcalf]

I have seen heat damage on winches with internal drum brakes. The main issue seems to be when powering the winch OUT for long periods of time. There is more drag on the winch brake when in reverse and can heat up the drum hot enough to cause synthetic winch damage.