Another winch rope install

[Master-Pull]

I figured I would put up pictures of what we did last week, this was on a very clean Duramax. We get plenty of questions about installations and what is the proper way to get a rope onto your drum. I do some photo installs every so often and here is one we last week.

The guys from Bell Off Road came by with a truck they have been working on for Duck Dog Waterfowl that will be displayed at SEMA next year.

Here are the photos:

First step is a new fairlead. Start by getting the old steel rollers off, they can be reused if they are smooth and roll easily, other options include replacement rollers that are aluminum or a plastic. We use aluminum hawse fairleads with our rope, they are 100% made in the USA! This will help protect the rope as you use it, it will also lighten the front end and provide a better approach angle.


We decided on using 3/8ths inch Superline (rated to 24,000 lbs) for this 12,000 lb winch. It comes with our Aluminum Winch Stop Thimble, which is machined and anodized in the USA, and a Kevlar heat protector to help keep the rope from being damaged in the event the winch overheats.


We advise uncoiling the rope fully and laying it on a clean surface before you start, this will make it easier to install! If you don't have a very long shop to use you can always lay the rope out in an S shape.


Feed your rope through the fairlead and make sure it wraps underneath the winch. This will allow it to properly spool on and go through the fairlead at the correct angle.


You can see where we had to put some tape around the end of the rope to pull it through the winch drum. If the rope is too large to fit through the whole in your drum then you can taper it by cutting a few strands 3-4 inches from the end. Then tape the rope back up so it is cone shaped. From here feeding it through should be a breeze.


Once the rope is snug inside the winch drum, cut off the excess so you have a smooth end. You can see the orange Kevlar heat protector that will cover the first layer of the drum to protect the rope from winch heat.


Use an allen wrench to tighten down the set screw and keep the rope firmly in place. Remember that this screw and in other cases our drum link are only there to hold the rope on when it being spooled on. You never want to have less then a 1 set of wraps around the drum when you are winching a vehicle, the wraps cinch tightly against the drum and hold the rope in place.


We advise always wearing gloves while winching. Keep your hands clear of the fairlead and slowly winch in keeping tension on the rope to help it spool in neatly and tightly.


Having someone working the winch controller while you spool in will free up both your hands to ensure a tight neat wrap.


The large base on the thimble makes sure it will never be pulled into the winch. Once it is snugged up you are all set to go.


-Alex

[Squatchout]

Thanks for the post. I have a couple of questions. I have an old Ramsey 8,000lb worm gear winch I've owned for years. It holds 150' of 5/16 steel line if I remember correctly and it spools over the top. It has a roller fairlead that stands upright on the mount. I've sold the truck this was on and plan to overhaul it and remount it in a new fabbed bumper on my current truck.Because these winches mount a little different than planetary styles I'll keep the same type of mount and fairlead. In the process I'm thinking of switching to synthetic winch rope. New truck is about 4,000lbs. Suggestions on the rope to use and a fairlead that mounts in a similar fashion for the synth rope. This winch will still be used for work as well as wheeling. Winching logs up hill ect.

Couple of pics of the winch on my old Powerwagon.

[Antichrist]

Useful information for people I'm sure, but I don't like showing someone spooling a rope in with hands that close to the fairlead.
The person holding the rope should be further back and the operator watching to make sure the wraps are neat.
Another example of someone doing something not safe because synthetic rope is "safer".

[Master-Pull]

Useful information for people I'm sure, but I don't like showing someone spooling a rope in with hands that close to the fairlead.
The person holding the rope should be further back and the operator watching to make sure the wraps are neat.
Another example of someone doing something not safe because synthetic rope is "safer".

With fast winches I agree, but with something that was painfully slow (this was a Gorilla winch I believe) it was not going to pull our hands through. We made sure the rope was behind us without any twists so there was nothing to catch in my hands as I spooled it in. I understand what you are saying and had it been a different winch I would have had my hands 3-5 feet back.

Thanks for the post. I have a couple of questions. I have an old Ramsey 8,000lb worm gear winch I've owned for years. It holds 150' of 5/16 steel line if I remember correctly and it spools over the top. It has a roller fairlead that stands upright on the mount. I've sold the truck this was on and plan to overhaul it and remount it in a new fabbed bumper on my current truck.Because these winches mount a little different than planetary styles I'll keep the same type of mount and fairlead. In the process I'm thinking of switching to synthetic winch rope. New truck is about 4,000lbs. Suggestions on the rope to use and a fairlead that mounts in a similar fashion for the synth rope. This winch will still be used for work as well as wheeling. Winching logs up hill ect.

Couple of pics of the winch on my old Powerwagon.

For that winch you can use any of our four different types of rope, if you go with a Superline or Superline XD you can use the 5/16ths size but if you decide to go with our Basic, or the Amsteel Blue then I would use the 3/8ths to keep a minimum of 2:1 safety factor. Do you think you are going to want to use a full 150 feet? For the fairlead, is it the same as a roller fairlead for the electric winches that most people use? You could probably get away with using a aluminum hawse on there and maybe building a new mount for it. Those rollers look somewhat old, if you can clean them up and remove any burrs then you could use them with rope.

-Alex

[Antichrist]

With fast winches I agree, but with something that was painfully slow (this was a Gorilla winch I believe) it was not going to pull our hands through. We made sure the rope was behind us without any twists so there was nothing to catch in my hands as I spooled it in. I understand what you are saying and had it been a different winch I would have had my hands 3-5 feet back.

Visuals have a lot more impact than words and inexperienced people, for the most part, will ignore disclaimers (assuming they even see them) and base their actions on what they see.

[Stumpalump]

When mounting an aluminum hawse over a steel opening I like to bunch the line up on one side a little to see if the line will rub on the steel before it hits the aluminum. A little grinder work is all it takes to make sure the line will never contact any of the steel bumper. The line comes up at quite a steep angle when the drum is full and it can rub on the square edged opening of the steel. Just thought I'd bring it up since I never hear that mentioned and would hate to hear somebody scuffed up one of your nice lines.

[Antichrist]

That's a good thing to do even with a roller fairlead, though I just hold a section of the rope up off the drum at the maximum height it might reach. Same on the side.

[Master-Pull]

Very good point. I have talked about it a few times on here (because it actually happened to my personal rope) over the past few years. Thanks for reminding me of it though!

-Alex

[emmodg]

I'd have to agree with Antichrist.

Just get in the habit of ALWAYS staying a good arm's length from the fair lead. Winch speed doesn't matter.

We pull new line tight by applying a little brake while winching a truck to a tree.

[UK4X4]

Just installed mine 2 weeks ago- pretty much as above but my warn has the allen key bolt- by the way nice touch to supply a nice shiny new bolt with the winch line !

must admit I had my tension guy stood a little away, I watched the drum and had the controller, I would stop and adjust the spooling while he held the tension

Masterpull has reached Colombia- via an order from Colorado !

This is at El Tablazo- Subachoque Cundinemarca Colombia 11,522ft

Need a dealer ?

80ft of 3/8 amsteel