Winch cables

[ZUKEYPR]

Who locally has the best deal on replacement winch cables?

 

[Milner]

Rocky Mountain wire rope will make one up cheap....been a few years, but the last one I got was $50+- for 100ft.

 

[Win Heger]

I've got the cable coming off my new Warn XD9000i, 125' 5/16" includes the hook. Never used, never wet. I'm by St George, $50.00 picked up. I'll, also, have the Warn fairlead available, $50.00.

Win
435/635-4000

 

[fergusor]

cable sucks

 

[fullsizeyota]

Win has a smokin deal on that cable.....


i took my cable off after 1 use.. the rope is totally worth the money.... seriously, the rope wont recoil if it breaks... its also is MUCH easier to uncoil off the winch drum.. usually when you need it, you need it fast. the rope just pulls right off, even if its wrapped over the top of itself...

cable has it's place....on a tow truck pulling every direction alll day long, but for rec. like this, the rope is totally worth it, plus it's got a little saftey factor which IMO is worth it

 

[Win Heger]

My rope replacement just arrived, can't wait to get it on. My main reason to change was that my wife and I are out alone alot of the time and easier is better. I had to give up 25 feet but that shouldn't be a big deal.

Win

 

[Bart]

Playing devils advocate here, and don't get me wrong, I love the rope I have on two of my winches. BUT

Has anyone ever seen a cable (in good shape) break? I've used cable for more than 100 pulls and have never broke one. I have seen numerous breaks with rope, even in good shape.

Now, there are those that use old cable with frays and rust, and I wouldn't want to be caught within a mile of them, but for most people a good cable is going to work just fine. In fact I left the new cable on my Warn 8000 (on my TJ) just for that reason.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

Playing devils advocate here, and don't get me wrong, I love the rope I have on two of my winches. BUT

Has anyone ever seen a cable (in good shape) break? I've used cable for more than 100 pulls and have never broke one. I have seen numerous breaks with rope, even in good shape.

Now, there are those that use old cable with frays and rust, and I wouldn't want to be caught within a mile of them, but for most people a good cable is going to work just fine. In fact I left the new cable on my Warn 8000 (on my TJ) just for that reason.

Bingo.. I was just to start at thread regarding winches & cables... I have personally never seen one break, and ones I have seen that have previously broken, did nothing but fall to the ground.

A wise man (Mark Whately from Alaska) stated in a similar thread:

Many people are inappropriately scared of winch cables. Cables do break. I've broken a few. 5/16 and 3/8. Some failed due to prior damage or being improperly rigged and getting cut. Other failed due to cascading strand failure because they were over stressed. This type of failure generally occures over a longer time span than a cut (a second and more usually). When it goes, the cable tends of unravel and release the load slowly. No big deal either way really. Cable stores very little energy. It stretches VERY little (something on the order of an inch-inch and a half over a 100 foot run when pulled to the breaking point IIRC). Nylon snatch straps store LOTS of energy. That's how they do their job. They store the energy by stretching and recoiling. That is also what makes the dangerous. The recoil. Since winch cable doesn't stretch much it doesn't recoil enough to worry about.

You will sometimes see cable jump a good bit when something lets go. But this is not because of the cable creating the "jump", but because of either stretching in the rigging/attachment point which is relieved when things break or from a loaded suspension of the rig that the cable is still attached to unloaded quickly when the cable releases. This will get your attention and often send the cable slithering across the ground, but it will not usually do any significant damage to anything. I've been slapped in the leg by cables doing this. Gets your attention and makes you say "DAMN!", but that's about it.

Pay attention to your rigging and your recovery points and the cable will not give you grief.