Badlands 5000# winch repairs

[KennyP]

Thing is when you want/need it you want it to work right and have to fight stretch, bound up rope, etc.etc. Keep that steel cable around as you may want it back on there some day.

I asked about stretch and the answer (twice) was there is NONE. Main thing is to wind the rope on under tension the first time to avoid the binding. I'll pull it all back off and rewind with the cable hooked to something to get it on under tension. Uncle Willie uses this same type cable and I got it when he posted it was good stuff!

 

[Texas Horses Hogs and Deeres]

Kenny, I think it'll work fine as long as you're not trying to drag a couple thousand pounds up on the trailer. I really like the idea of using rope because you don't have to worry about it breaking and whipping if it does snap.

 

[KennyP]

I pulled the rope out and hooked the 316 to it. Used that for tension to wind it back in. My 'tensioner' did a fine job of getting the rope spooled on correctly. Hardest part was keeping the first wraps tight together around the spool. After that, it did it's own thing!

 

[chieffan]

That is when it is nice to have the remote controller. I need to rewind mine. Used to to winch a tractor and snow thrower out and mine don't have remote. Cable got wound all lopper jawed. Want to oil it some when I do that.

 

[ol' stonebreaker]

Glad it's working well for you, Kenney!! You did well engineering it.
Mike

 

[UncleWillie]

We use 120v portable winches at work. Throw a bunch of sheave wheels in it and pull a bunch of weight. Nylon ropes were terrible. They stretched. They seemed to have a mind of their own when spooling back on. They hate water. Get it wet then it freezes into a block. Sun can bake it up.

Aside from the burrs from steel cables, I much prefer steel cables. Not much stretch, easier to control, and the abrasion resistance makes it first choice in my book.

Synthetic cables are not nylon rope. Very little stretch. They do need to be kept out of the sun, but a simple winch cover solves that.

 

[KennyP]

My winch is in a box I can lock!
I'm glad to see the tensioner I made helps it spool correctly.

 

[Toomanytoys84]

Synthetic cables are not nylon rope. Very little stretch. They do need to be kept out of the sun, but a simple winch cover solves that.

Nylon, synthetic whatever you want to call it.

We had amsteel blue "synthetic" ropes and they stretched like crazy. They were super soft when you get them new. Then they get rock hard. Almost like weave melts together.

The stretch I see comes from the weave tightening up.

 

[chieffan]

I will stay with steel cable on my winch also. I do use a special material for a life line when tree stand deer hunting. They have no stretch, light weight, but are recommended for single fall use, same as the harness. Never had to test one yet and have no idea what they are made from but have a 1k lb rating.