knot in winch rope

[Toad]

So yesterday I was pulling my brother in law out of the snow. Some how the rope ended up with a knot about ten feet from the end. Should I be worried about this? Is it going to weaken the rope?

 

[Unimog]

Yes, it will weaken it. If you can't get it out, you can probably splice the hook onto a new eye and throw away the 10 feet. Either way, you should always treat a winch rope/cable as if it were going to break. Just now you know where it will likely break.

 

[UNSTUCK]

I just got done watching a safety lanyard demonstration. They took a brand new lanyard out of the wrapper and dropped a load of 250 pounds with it attached. That lanyard caught the load like it was nothing. Then they took an identical lanyard and tied a simple knot in it and did the same load test. The lanyard snapped right at the knot, like it was a piece of yarn. I figured the knot would have weakened the lanyard, but that it would have still caught the load. In actuality the knot cinches tighter and tighter until it shears itself.

If it's wire rope, throw it away right now. If it's synthetic, cut and splice.

 

[Kevin B.]

This guy has a series of awesome videos on splicing and looping winch line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q22wgYZL9f0

 

[Toad]

well that sucks! Guess I need to cut off the knot and splice it, It was already to short 80 feet

 

[Unimog]

You can buy more rope and splice the two together. A splice will be stronger than the original rope.

 

[Toad]

You can buy more rope and splice the two together. A splice will be stronger than the original rope.

Anybody know how to splice rope and have the tools to do it? I already have some extra rope and splicing them together would be great.

 

[rholbrook]

That's stinks. On my waterskiing ropes I hit the knot a couple of times with a hammer and it loosens the knot so you can undo it. Glad it's nylon rope

 

[bryson]

Anybody know how to splice rope and have the tools to do it? I already have some extra rope and splicing them together would be great.

No tools required. Just click the link that Kevin posted, and watch the other videos by that guy. He explains it very well. It really is pretty simple to do.