WRG winch lines, lets chat
- Thread starter mrblaine
- Start date
OP
Someone would have to come up with a convincing reason to build extensions. I've carried one in my recovery bag for years as do most of the folks I know and they have never been used a single time. I'm not against them or being prepared but I much prefer to expend my time and energy on items that have a very high utility value.
Yes, the length changes for the gold standard of US winches and there will very likely be an outlet for a very well specified version for it.
IMO something in the 120-125 foot range is ideal on an 8274. That is one of the good things they have going for them.
I'd love to see this. If it's anything like your soft shackles it's providing a very valuable service of making wear items very reasonably priced, so much so that there's no excuses to not replacing them or keeping a spare on the shelf.
1-I believe I get some value out of the nylon sleeve when and where the rope would rub hard on a tree or sharp rock.
2-yes
3-yes
4-yes.
OP
We did a little test for Ricky when he was at TRE. Simple premise using a sharp rock, abrasion guard of tubular nylon sleeve that is very commonly supplied on winch lines. We used new Dyneema ATV size winch line on an ATV winch. The abrasion guard is thicker and heavier than you typically find on most winch lines. We set it up as a "worst case scenario" to illustrate what you don't see happening inside the abrasion guard. Yes the test is very contrived, it is fully designed to make the line fail. But, what you need to factor into your conclusion is just how light the load is compared to what you can do with your winch and line in even a moderately stressed winch line on a sharp rock in real life. The load in this case is a single 35" tire on a bead lock. We have to move the line back and forth a few times to get it to part but that is only because the load is so small relative to the breaking strength and diameter of the line.
Before you get distracted by the back and forth to wear through the line, watch what happens when the load doubles or goes from about 115 lbs. to about 230 lbs. Yes, it is doubled but still an insignificant load as a percentage of the line's breaking strength and diameter.
One of the most important things to take away is you can NOT see the damage as it is occurring so you have no warning to reset your rigging to prevent a big problem.
The aspect of this mess that troubles me the most is I tried to get Jon and Thor to do the same educational type stuff for first winchline.com when I was working with them 15 years ago and then a bit later when Jon handed winchline.com over to Thor and Viking Offroad.
This is just how little damage the abrasion guard itself gets done to it in the tests but all it takes is the sharp edge of the rock to penetrate the guard and the damage to your line is instantaneous under load.
So no, there is no value to the common abrasion guards found on lots of winch lines if you use them around rocks.
i want some protection on my rope if i have to use it against something. i do not want it on my winch line all the time.
whatever it is, needs to be fuzzy on the outside (at least 1 side) so it'll grab and hold to rough rocks or tree bark. it needs a liner that poses no frictional resistance and therefore won't degrade with frictional heat or transfer anything to the main line. it needs to go on and come off in less than 30s.
not fond of the tiny screw holding the line to the drum.
that test is brutal, but 1 can't argue the results.
whatever it is, needs to be fuzzy on the outside (at least 1 side) so it'll grab and hold to rough rocks or tree bark. it needs a liner that poses no frictional resistance and therefore won't degrade with frictional heat or transfer anything to the main line. it needs to go on and come off in less than 30s.
not fond of the tiny screw holding the line to the drum.
that test is brutal, but 1 can't argue the results.
I think it has some value as a chafing guard on the fixed anchor end but not for the rope to slide through it.
OP
You are welcome to trust whatever your personal value system deems appropriate. Mine says that if the "abrasion" guard is not on the line, then it can't be misused and you are forced to apply one that is appropriate for the conditions. That and I don't have to spend 10 minutes slicing it off when it bunches up into an unholy mess under load.
Obviously not a BMB TR!
Thanks for your practical wisdom with regard to abrasion guards. What I learned is try to find a better way that will avoid rubbing the rope if at all possible.
OP
Jersey works surprisingly well. We've folded up a sweatshirt dozens upon dozens of time and put it under the line on top of a sharp rock. Neither have suffered damage, the line or the sweatshirt.
WRG recovery sweatshirt line can be right before yoga pants.
I have been conflicted on rope extensions. I feel like I want one. But the few times I have needed one, I just use the variety of rigging straps and soft shackles I already carry with me to extend the winch rope.
this is what i also figure.
but any strap or implement that exceeds the winch lines limit then makes that line the weak point, would it be wiser to incorporate a lessor rated extension to possibly protect the main line?
I plan to use my old winch line as an extension as it’s far from junk.
When the time comes, mine will get repurposed for exactly that and maybe a couple larger soft shackles.