Had to use my winch for the first time

[Kris M]

All of a sudden I’m seeing Cheech and Chong singing up in smoke

 

[mrblaine]

All of a sudden I’m seeing Cheech and Chong singing up in smoke

No doubt, especially when you come up with these little nuggets of Cheech and Chong physics.
Stretch, which synthetic might do more than steel, actually reduces recoil.

Yeppers, that how I make my rubber bands fly further, I don't stretch them. I just sorta hold them up, flop them around a bit and they haul ass like a bat out of hell.

Yeah, that's not how it works, not how it works at all. Elongation stores energy. When the line is released under tension, it recoils, plain, simple, no smoke, no mirrors.

 

[reddvltj]

I thought synthetic line wouldn't snap back like steel cable, thats part of their allure is that in the event of a rope failure it does not store the energy and will just fall on its own.

 

[PatMc]

Stretch, which synthetic might do more than steel, actually reduces recoil. The less stretch is an cable, the more static it is resulting in a sudden more violent recoil than a cable which will stretch under load, a cable which is dynamic, and releases energy in a slower process.

Think of it like loading your own shells and trying to reduce the recoil on your shoulder vs .....

but everything will recoil dangerously when under full load.

The very things which make synthetic rope desirable and maybe safer.... being more dynamic than steel, also make it less desirable since it can stretch and therefore pull if load is reduced when you wish it would just be static and stable. It is nice to know when you winch in 5" the vehicle moves 5". With dynamic synthetic line winching in 5" against an increasing load might only move the object 4"..... which means there is an inch of stored kinetic energy just waiting for the opportunity to move the vehicle another inch. All reasons to stand back and keep your hands clear.

Which applies to both steel and synthetic line. Keep clear.

I've got nothing...