Synthetic vs Steel winch cable in snow, ice, and salt?

[amo292]

Hello all, This is a question for some of you northern latitude folks out there. I am curious to know the pros and cons of each type of line. I will be in the market for a winch soon but don't know what line to go for. I want synthetic to keep the weight down on the front of my stock truck but don't know how it would hold up in the northeast winters. Will it freeze into a solid bock? Will the salt tear it up and degrade it? I plan on keeping it covered and I'm not against general maintenance. So what is best for the cold north? Thanks for the help!

 

[onetraveller]

I keep mine covered. If it gets dirty, I periodically unspool the rope, wash it in a bucket of water and simple green, rinse, and hang to dry in the garage.

Mike

 

[uberhahn]

I don't have quantifiable data on the subject, only observations. I'm in Michigan, the land of ice and salt. I have a 15yr old x8000i winch with the original wire rope. It has been covered with a plastic cover all of its life while sitting on an old '85 wrangler. The winch cable looks new, despite the propensity for the Dept of Transportation to salt the roads here back to the stone-age. The uncovered sections (exposed bolts, areas that have scratched through the paint) are rusted. But not the cable.

I attribute this to the cover. The amount of salt reaching the cable is minimized. In the fall, I also spray the cable down with some diesel and oil mixed in a spray bottle. Smells for about a day, and that's it.

I don't have synthetic rope on a winch, but i do have exposed ropes on trailers. They are frayed, and generally dried up. I would be curious to see if there is data to show climate durability for syn vs. steel.

 

[I Leak Oil]

Boating/fishing industries use the same synthetics as most winch line. Synthetic is more than up to taking on winter or salty roads. It's not the same stuff you get at your local hardware store.
There is lots of misinformation regarding synthetic line floating around out there. With that said, there is lots of nonsense about cable too.

 

[Mo4130]

I would second that, we use synthetic line on our winches on the cutter, and they are in about the worst environment ever, and they perform time and time again. I was initially put off by the "shortcomings" of synthetic line but will be changing over soon. It is just much easier to use, and also safer. They are also cheap to repair with a simple splicing kit. Just make sure you wash it everyone once and while with simple green or some thing like that.

 

[amo292]

Awesome. Thanks for all the information! Has anybody ever had the line freeze up when wet? That seems to be my only concern.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

Awesome. Thanks for all the information! Has anybody ever had the line freeze up when wet? That seems to be my only concern.

synthetic winch lines cannot absorb water. Freezing is a non-issue.

 

[amo292]

Excellent. That settles it then. Synthetic line it is. Thanks for all the info!

 

[MDM54]

That would be adsorb.