Thread: Are you winching with steel cable or rope?

Lots of varying ropes around. What do you want considered?

Ive run both rope and cable. Ive got cable on my perentie at the moment but my previous 4x4s ive used dyneema. I haven't had to use the cable yet but ive used the rope a lot. Rope is certainly lighter. If it breaks it wont slingshot like cable. If it frays you wont spike your hands on wires. Its easier to wind back on your winch. Wire cable needs to be wound on properly otherwise when you put tension the cable sinks in between the wraps and tightens on itself and will damage the wires. Rope can be wound on messy without problems. Also cable will work harden over time.
You will need to change to hawse fairlead to run rope
Wire will rust over time if not maintained. The galvanising will rub off with use and you need to keep it oiled with lanotec or grease it.

Originally Posted by NT5224

OK ladies and gents

My apologies because I know this issue goes round and round...

Don't apologise for puns!

Sorry, i have nothing constructive to add...

My opinion is that if you're not winching regularly then to stay with the steel. I say this because the steel doesn't degrade with age and UV light like the rope does. Interesting comments about steel rusting as mine has never rusted but I don't live near salt air.

If you are winching regularly and spend a bit of time actively using and maintaining the winch, then go to the rope as it lighter on the 4WD and to pull, is safer if it breaks and it can be retied on the run if it does break, but you will find quickly that it is also susceptible to abrasion from dirt getting into it and from rubbing on the ground and on rocks.

Steel cable scores everything it touches, and this will tear the rope, so I would also be reluctant to change a winch over from steel to rope, or at the very least repair the winch drum of all damage from the steel and replace the fairlead (with one that has a lot of roller overlap or with a hawse)

As Sunnie says the only drawback to rope is that it is recommended that you wash it after use, which, if your using it regularly might be a pain. It does only take 10 mins though. Rope also fades with sunlight if exposed constantly, I'm not sure if this actually weakens the fibers though. If it's tucked away then sunlight UV isn't an issue. It is perishable on rocks etc.

I switched to rope from steel due to weight [made a massive difference]. Rope is way safer it it breaks, is supposedly stronger than steel and can be spliced as well.

Happy travels

Anyone know what sort of lifespan dynema has by chance?
Ive got rope on mine but sometimes feel wire will take more abuse.
Rope for me came down to the fact that I travel alone a lot and it's less of a handfull

started with steel than replaced with rope.....I have a pto


I have never owned an electric winch but do read that you have to be careful when winching out under load with heat build up from the brake on an electric......not an issue when winching in under load, I think some electric winch have in internal brake and others have an external (keep in mind I have never owned an electric) happy to be corrected


I'm not convince you need to change to a hawse type fairlead, id the roller overlap and there are not sharp bits than I would run rollers.........with my set it had a cast iron hawse fairlead for the steel rope, it was a problem as it wasn't as wide as the drum. when I changed over to rope I had a custom hawse fairlead made by nugget


you still need to be a bit careful when laying rope onto your drum, you need to criss-cross it otherwise it will pull through to the bottom of the drum and be a bitch to get out


my rope is rarely used, I started removing it after each trip, washed it and stored in the garage.......it look like new and doesn't sit in the sun all day. It also makes you check the winch before each trip when you wind it on.....a number of time I have seen owners go to use there electric winch once stuck only to find it has a fault.......generally less things to go wrong with a PTO.


I reasonably comfortable when I'm winching myself as the rope doesn't slide/run over rocks.....when winching other in be mindful of where the rope runs over hard surfaces.


I posted a thread on how I selected my rope........than didn't follow my own recommendation


how i selected my a synthetic rope

Originally Posted by weeds

started with steel than replaced with rope.....I have a pto


I have never owned an electric winch but do read that you have to be careful when winching out under load with heat build up from the brake on an electric......not an issue when winching in under load, I think some electric winch have in internal brake and others have an external (keep in mind I have never owned an electric) happy to be corrected


I'm not convince you need to change to a hawse type fairlead, id the roller overlap and there are not sharp bits than I would run rollers.........with my set it had a cast iron hawse fairlead for the steel rope, it was a problem as it wasn't as wide as the drum. when I changed over to rope I had a custom hawse fairlead made by nugget


you still need to be a bit careful when laying rope onto your drum, you need to criss-cross it otherwise it will pull through to the bottom of the drum and be a bitch to get out


my rope is rarely used, I started removing it after each trip, washed it and stored in the garage.......it look like new and doesn't sit in the sun all day. It also makes you check the winch before each trip when you wind it on.....a number of time I have seen owners go to use there electric winch once stuck only to find it has a fault.......generally less things to go wrong with a PTO.


I reasonably comfortable when I'm winching myself as the rope doesn't slide/run over rocks.....when winching other in be mindful of where the rope runs over hard surfaces.


I posted a thread on how I selected my rope........than didn't follow my own recommendation


how i selected my a synthetic rope

You're on the money re internal/ external brake with rope, unfortunately I ant recall which one is a no no and melts rope
Someone will pipe in who knows more than my old brain can store now days