Had a change of heart about synthetic winch rope after reading a study

I always thought steel cable was the only way to go for ATV winching. Figured synthetic rope was just for folks who wanted to save a few pounds or whatever. Then I stumbled on a stat from some Canadian off-road safety group that said synthetic rope has way less rebound energy if it snaps. That got me thinking about that close call I had last fall up near Sudbury where a steel cable frayed and whipped past my head. I found the full report on their website after digging around for 20 minutes. It also talked about how synthetic holds up better in cold wet conditions which is basically every ride up here. Now I'm looking at swapping my old cable out before the spring thaw hits. Has anyone here made the switch and noticed a big difference on muddy trails?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlie_roberts8718d ago

Yeah that rebound thing is no joke, I've seen a steel cable let go on a buddy's truck and it took out his rear window like it was nothing. I switched to synthetic last year and honestly it's been way easier to handle on muddy days since it doesn't hold all that grit and freeze up solid.

hart.ryan17d ago

Literally watched a guy's synthetic line snap on a recovery point a few months back and it just dropped on the ground with no energy. Noticed right away how much easier it is to spool up when my hands are freezing compared to that stiff wire rope. The weight difference alone sold me honestly, I can actually lift the drum into my truck bed without throwing my back out. Plus it doesn't leave those nasty little wire splinters in my gloves that always find a way into my skin later. My only complaint is that I have to keep it out of direct sun when I'm not using it, but that's a small trade off for not worrying about getting decapitated.