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With a lot of people new to the offroad world via Ford offering the bronco I thought it may be a good idea to post some facts about the use of synthetic winch rope. It is overall the best choice for recreational 4x4's and does not have to break the bank.
Why use synthetic rope?
Two reasons, safety and weight savings. If you have ever picked up a winch you know they are heavy items and our vehicles only weigh 5,000lbs, having one (or two) winches attached adds a relatively large percentage of weight. Using a lightweight rope and fairlead reduces the weight by tens of pounds. Safety, well one should not ever be in the path of danger, however in the haste of recovery most newbies will enter into the danger zone without even thinking about it. If there is a failure at tension the flying mass of a syn rope is way less dangerous than the mass of a steel cable coming your way.
Historically the only real downside to syn rope was cost. Many manufactures will charge you $300 or more to buy their winch with the "upgrade". I really wish they would offer the winch without any kind of rope or fairlead, talk about cost savings! The good news is you can get a syn rope for less than $100, if you are willing to learn a few things.
Amazon.com: X-BULL SK75 3/8" x 100’Dyneema Synthetic Winch Rope 23,809 Lbs : Industrial & Scientific
Amazon.com: Ucreative Aluminum Hawse Fairlead for 8000-13000 LBs Winch 10" (254mm) Mount Glossy Silver : Automotive
The key to DIY with syn rope is knowing how to work with the cable and putting on the ends, or splicing, that you prefer to run.
To make an eye you do not need special tools, but they sure do help. A sharp knife, wire, tape, and a pointy object is really all that is required to splice. I suggest you buy Dyneema, which is a name brand, due to not all HMPE being created equal, however if a company puts a rating on their product this can usually be trusted. In short, syn rope works like a Chinese finger trap. The center is hollow, and the stranded fiber bundles squeeze toward the center when under longitudinal forces.
HOW TO SPLICE- 3 ways
Deep bury- This is the simplest and probably the one you would use on the trail. I would say 'quick and dirty' but the dirty part does not apply. The only real downside is the locking point can slip while not under load conditions. This would fall into the maintenace category.
How I SPLICE ROPE! Either on the tracks or at home! - YouTube
Brummel
This is a locking splice that does not require any additional effort other than routing the rope into itself in a specific way. The brummel splice will not slip however, the downside is you lose 5-10% of the strength at that point. This is very acceptable but not optimal.
Brummel lock-splice with one side fixed - YouTube
Whip stitch
This one you just insert the end into the middle of the rope and put in a whip stitch to hold it. It does not slip in a no-load situation and no strength is lost.
Dyneema Eye Splice Demonstration - YouTube
Dyneema Lock Stitch Demonstration - YouTube
As you can see working with syn cable can be very easy. I would suggest when going the cost effective route you inspect the splices. Two things to remember are to taper the end of the bury and make sure you have enough of the end buried. Exceedingly simple. As with most things in life you do not have to have the fancy stuff to get 'er done, however when you do get to a point the margins may matter to you. There is a whole world of high dollar recovery gear out there to enjoy. I would say start with soft shackles and quality attachment points anything above that is just personal preference.
More about general recovery safety:
This video goes over a case study of a fatality and what type of gear that should be used. No affiliation, he just does a great job explaining the situation. This case was a pull rope but the same stored energy applies to a winch recovery.
Breaking down the Arizona Fatal offroad recovery - YouTube
Why use synthetic rope?
Two reasons, safety and weight savings. If you have ever picked up a winch you know they are heavy items and our vehicles only weigh 5,000lbs, having one (or two) winches attached adds a relatively large percentage of weight. Using a lightweight rope and fairlead reduces the weight by tens of pounds. Safety, well one should not ever be in the path of danger, however in the haste of recovery most newbies will enter into the danger zone without even thinking about it. If there is a failure at tension the flying mass of a syn rope is way less dangerous than the mass of a steel cable coming your way.
Historically the only real downside to syn rope was cost. Many manufactures will charge you $300 or more to buy their winch with the "upgrade". I really wish they would offer the winch without any kind of rope or fairlead, talk about cost savings! The good news is you can get a syn rope for less than $100, if you are willing to learn a few things.
Amazon.com: X-BULL SK75 3/8" x 100’Dyneema Synthetic Winch Rope 23,809 Lbs : Industrial & Scientific
Amazon.com: Ucreative Aluminum Hawse Fairlead for 8000-13000 LBs Winch 10" (254mm) Mount Glossy Silver : Automotive
The key to DIY with syn rope is knowing how to work with the cable and putting on the ends, or splicing, that you prefer to run.
To make an eye you do not need special tools, but they sure do help. A sharp knife, wire, tape, and a pointy object is really all that is required to splice. I suggest you buy Dyneema, which is a name brand, due to not all HMPE being created equal, however if a company puts a rating on their product this can usually be trusted. In short, syn rope works like a Chinese finger trap. The center is hollow, and the stranded fiber bundles squeeze toward the center when under longitudinal forces.
HOW TO SPLICE- 3 ways
Deep bury- This is the simplest and probably the one you would use on the trail. I would say 'quick and dirty' but the dirty part does not apply. The only real downside is the locking point can slip while not under load conditions. This would fall into the maintenace category.
How I SPLICE ROPE! Either on the tracks or at home! - YouTube
Brummel
This is a locking splice that does not require any additional effort other than routing the rope into itself in a specific way. The brummel splice will not slip however, the downside is you lose 5-10% of the strength at that point. This is very acceptable but not optimal.
Brummel lock-splice with one side fixed - YouTube
Whip stitch
This one you just insert the end into the middle of the rope and put in a whip stitch to hold it. It does not slip in a no-load situation and no strength is lost.
Dyneema Eye Splice Demonstration - YouTube
Dyneema Lock Stitch Demonstration - YouTube
As you can see working with syn cable can be very easy. I would suggest when going the cost effective route you inspect the splices. Two things to remember are to taper the end of the bury and make sure you have enough of the end buried. Exceedingly simple. As with most things in life you do not have to have the fancy stuff to get 'er done, however when you do get to a point the margins may matter to you. There is a whole world of high dollar recovery gear out there to enjoy. I would say start with soft shackles and quality attachment points anything above that is just personal preference.
More about general recovery safety:
This video goes over a case study of a fatality and what type of gear that should be used. No affiliation, he just does a great job explaining the situation. This case was a pull rope but the same stored energy applies to a winch recovery.
Breaking down the Arizona Fatal offroad recovery - YouTube
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