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m818 front cable winch to Synthetic conversion?

cwedge411

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Boston/Ma
I tried searching first then after 2 hours of reading things totally not related to this hahaha, i came to the conclusion that it's not in here.

That being said I just watched a video of a kid winching and the cable breaking coming back though the windshield (of a jeep) and literally blew off the right side of his face, all he had left was a nose hole...i think he lived...but ya anyway, I looked at the 200" of cable and thought about what would happen if a 40 year old cable broke....NO THANKS.

Has anyone converted theirs to Synthetic?
 

simp5782

Feo, Fuerte y Formal
Supporting Vendor
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Thats why you always dampen your line, i even dampen synthetic rope cause you don't always expect it to fall to the ground. I think the 5/8" cable is rated to 35k. 1/2" synthetic rope is rated to around 30k and priced at $4/$5 a foot. May be worth the investment. I always double or triple line a heavy truck or equipment just to take the extra strain off the winch and cable. And if it does break it isn't going to fling very far at all.

Maintain your cable and check it for any defects yearly regardless if you spooled it out or not.
 

Floridianson

Well-known member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Interlachen Fl.
Abrasion factor to high and the cost. Better to stick with the steel line and use damping. I have synthetic line on my 1500 pound Polaris RZR and it has very little use but it already has signs of abuse. When winding up under load you can't always control that it lays correct and the line flattens causing week spots. I also have to unspool all line and wash / dry it after use. My .02 it is good for light stuff like my Polaris and easy and cheap replace.
 

snowtrac nome

Well-known member
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Location
western alaska
Most of the tug and barge operators have gone to spectra up here. When in use it must be covered and kept out of daylight, because uv radiation will deteriorate it, that's why I have chosen to stay with cable on my winches.
 

Smike740

Member
Steel Soldiers Supporter
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Columbus, Ohio
Amsteel Blue is a very good synthetic rope used to replace steel cable in winches. The rope is made of Dyneema which in the same size as steel generally has a much higher breaking strength. I am in the process of replacing the steel cable on a 10k winch I have.
 

porkysplace

Well-known member
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mid- michigan
thanks that worked better...I think my other issue was i was originally searching for "nylon" when i should have used Synthetic .
Just used the term from your thread title , probably 75% of the time googling the thread title (or a variation of it) bring up the information. Google seems to work better than the SS search , sometimes you just gotta use different search terms until something comes up.
 

Scrounger

Active member
496
66
28
Location
Southern, Maryland
Winches and the cables that go with them are not to be “played” with. If used improperly one can get hurt. With that said. I usually go by if it isn’t broke don’t fix it. Steel and synthetic both have their advantages. From my experience unless one is using a winch daily steel is the better choice. If you aren’t sure of the cable on your winch, unwind it, service it, and wind it up properly. You’ll need a good pair of gloves, an assistant preferably two and vehicle to pull. Inspect the cable for broken wires, flat spots, kinks, and anything that doesn’t look right. If the cable looks ok, oil it either when it’s on the ground or when winding it in. That is where the helpers really come in. One person stays in the cab controlling the winch. One helper guides the cable with a 2x4 as the other helper sits in the extra vehicle riding the brakes as it being pulled in. One needs tension to properly wind the cable on the drum. Anytime one uses a winch it is best to lay a chain over the cable about half way between the winch and the item being pulled. If the cable or a fastener should fail the cable will be directed down. Second is to raise the hood during pulling operations.
 

Csm Davis

Well-known member
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Location
Hattiesburg, Mississippi
There is a thread on here about this already, and there is plusses and negatives to both types both need covers and proper maintenance. I will eventually have all synthetic ropes on my wrecker but you need to look at what you will be doing with your truck.

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