Favorite / Best Hawse Fairlead

mousehunter

TJ Enthusiast
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Feb 19, 2022
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Texas
My LJ is my new toy and project. I don't rock crawl, but do trail, mud and sand. Since I am going with synthetic line, I will be needing a Hawse Fairlead - just curious what the community likes. I have searched a lot of old threads on this and other forums, and sadly most recommendations seem out of stock or out of business. Factor 55 seems to advertise a lot, but not sure if they are good or gimmick.

I will be using a Rockhard bumper (flat towing and stock fenders pushed me into that direction), M8 winch and a TRE Safety Thimble, if that changes opinions (or puts into doubt my critical thinking skills). Not a huge issue, but I am in Texas and we require a front plate (which was something that concerned me with the Safety Thimble and TRE's Safety Thimble Fairlead).

Previous Owner already gave the LJ a 4" lift, so my current mods are mostly bumper and roof rack related.
 
My LJ is my new toy and project. I don't rock crawl, but do trail, mud and sand. Since I am going with synthetic line, I will be needing a Hawse Fairlead - just curious what the community likes. I have searched a lot of old threads on this and other forums, and sadly most recommendations seem out of stock or out of business. Factor 55 seems to advertise a lot, but not sure if they are good or gimmick.
Needing a hawse for synthetic is a myth. While you may want one and there are many reasons to use one, they are not necessary for synthetic.
I will be using a Rockhard bumper (flat towing and stock fenders pushed me into that direction), M8 winch and a TRE Safety Thimble, if that changes opinions (or puts into doubt my critical thinking skills). Not a huge issue, but I am in Texas and we require a front plate (which was something that concerned me with the Safety Thimble and TRE's Safety Thimble Fairlead).

Previous Owner already gave the LJ a 4" lift, so my current mods are mostly bumper and roof rack related.
Why not the Safety Thimble fairlead that points the thimble up that lets you use their front plate mount?
 
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Other than the mount being "out of stock", it might be the best option. When I talked with them on the phone, they could give me no clue when they were going to be restocking. That said, no real rush, I will be fairly shocked if I get my bumper in 8 weeks. Rockhard is kind of known to be built on demand and their wait times were published pre Covid-so I doubt they have gotten shorter. If anything, Covid has made us practice patience. Last year a 3 month lead time turned into 10, and a 4 week lead turned into 3 months. I am happy after looking for 5 months I finally found the Jeep I wanted to start this quest with.
 
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Other than the mount being "out of stock", it might be the best option. When I talked with them on the phone, they could give me no clue when they were going to be restocking. That said, no real rush, I will be fairly shocked if I get my bumper in 8 weeks. Rockhard is kind of known to be built on demand and their wait times were published pre Covid-so I doubt they have gotten shorter. If anything, Covid has made us practice patience. Last year a 3 month lead time turned into 10, and a 4 week lead turned into 3 months. I am happy after looking for 5 months I finally found the Jeep I wanted to start this quest with.
I may have to get off my ass and get the ones in my garage anodized. I have many.
 
Here is one option for a hawse fairlead and front license plate bracket with a Rockhard front bumper.

view-of-front-bumper-with-tre-fairlead-and-safety-thimble-jpg.201041


Products:

TRE Aluminum Hawse Fairlead - Standard
https://www.tacticalrecoveryequipment.com/product/aluminum-hawse-fairlead-standard/

KD Fabworks License Plate Mount for Hawse Fairleads (flipped and reversed from standard position)
https://www.kdfabworks.com/License-Plate-Mount-for-Hawse-Fairleads_p_333.html

See: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...for-mounting-a-front-plate.42750/#post-714003
 
Needing a hawse for synthetic is a myth. While you may want one and there are many reasons to use one, they are not necessary for synthetic.
Myth for sure. Nothing wrong with a roller fairlead that is in good working order.
 
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I'm going to stick my nose in here. I need a hawse also, what's the suggested piece withe tre oos?
 
Tactical Recovery Equipment makes the Safety Thimble - which has been imitated more than a few times, generally in inferior ways. One potential issue with the Safety Thimble is it sticks out in front of your fairlead about 4", so it could in theory catch a rock you are trying to slide over. TRE sells a branded normal fairlead (which I am not aware of is anything special), and one with a Safety Thimble keeper on top (to deal with the issues of the shackle potentially hitting rocks).


J3-e1493078858391.jpg


A lot of the fairlead license plate mounts put the license plate directly in front of the fairlead - kind of where the safety thimble would naturally be, unless you have a fancy fairlead with a thimble keeper on top.

Oh fwiw, that Safety thimble pictured above must be an early version. The current one is has the inner edges rounded so to work better with soft shackles.
Updated-Red-st2.png
 
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Yankum makes one...looks overpriced at $265. Bunch of YouTubers are drooling about it because the rope goes flush with hawse to prevent rock rubbing damage to the rope when not in use.

https://yankum.com/products/winch-hawse-groove-fairlead
I have a POS Amazon chinesium one...was supposed to be black...turned liquorice in color in the sun. Does what I need it to do.

Be careful with roller fairleads when switching from steel cable to rope...steel will leave burrs on the rollers that can damage the rope (and fingers).

I need to find a license plate solution...looks like Tuffy is also making a flip up license plate cover.

I think I want to make one that just pulls off with pins I can chuck in the back.

-Mac
 
Another TRE user here. I like these shots because you can see the thimble is positioned away from the rocks

View attachment 327299
View attachment 327300
Now you just have to figure out the license plate, or fix CODOT so you can eliminate it! 🤣 I haven’t run mine for 2.5 years here in WA, but they are “required.” 🙄 Pic below is mostly to show off my newly restored Warn winch. 😀

0DB6C111-6EB1-4E9B-955E-72D983E53756.jpeg
 
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Now you just have to figure out the license plate, or fix CODOT so you can eliminate it! 🤣 I haven’t run mine for 2.5 years here in WA, but they are “required.” 🙄 shot below is mostly to show off my newly restored Warn winch. 😀

View attachment 327335
I ripped it off again later that season and it hasn't made its way back to the bumper. In fact, I am not 100% sure where its at currently:unsure: Front plates are "required" here as well but unless you are in the city, you typically dont get bothered for not having one. I havent been stopped yet at least (knock on wood)
 
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i'd grab a tre but they appear to be backordered. they seem to make a good product per the reviews here.
 
I’d like a TRE one as well. Still back ordered. I reached out to them to ask if they and rough idea of when they might be back in stock.

No answer. There’s a couple other websites that sell them and have in stock. Might just go that route.
 
I’d like a TRE one as well. Still back ordered. I reached out to them to ask if they and rough idea of when they might be back in stock.

No answer. There’s a couple other websites that sell them and have in stock. Might just go that route.

I don't actually believe they will put them back in stock based on my conversation with owner. I have a couple of hundred in my garage I rescued from the machine shop since he had not been paid. I paid and then let them know I had them and they needed to get them out of my garage poste haste. I was accused of holding them hostage and the conversation went downhill with a quickness after that. There was some gobbledyspeak about not wanting to pay for a product with no guarantee of a future supply of which is pretty much bullshit.

I need to get them over to anodizing and toss them up on the website. I'll likely get that done this week.
 
I don't actually believe they will put them back in stock based on my conversation with owner. I have a couple of hundred in my garage I rescued from the machine shop since he had not been paid. I paid and then let them know I had them and they needed to get them out of my garage poste haste. I was accused of holding them hostage and the conversation went downhill with a quickness after that. There was some gobbledyspeak about not wanting to pay for a product with no guarantee of a future supply of which is pretty much bullshit.

I need to get them over to anodizing and toss them up on the website. I'll likely get that done this week.

Ahhh cool. Thank you for the update sir. I’ll just keep an eye out and if I see one available I’ll grab it.