Choose the Correct Size Winch Line

With so many options out there, buying a synthetic winch line for your winch can be a daunting task. There are many factors to consider here, such as how often the winch line will be used and what vehicle it is installed on. This guide should help you choose the correct winch line to fit your needs.

Length

A common misconception is that it is best to fit as much rope as you can on your winch drum. This is wrong for a couple reasons. First is the issue of pulling power. All winches are rated from the first wrap of the drum, where the pulling power of the winch is the greatest. With each additional drum wrap, the pulling power of the winch decreases because the winch is having to work harder to turn the drum as the size increases.

Another problem with overloading the drum the with winch line is that it makes it easier to damage the winch or winch line in extreme angle pulls. Situations arise where it is very hard, if not impossible, to correctly spool the winch line evenly while extracting a vehicle. This can result in the line spooling on one end of the drum and coming in contact with the spreader bars on the winch which can damage both the winch and the winch line. By using a shorter winch line, you decrease the chance of overloading the winch and damaging both the winch and the winch line.

In many cases, Master Pull recommend choosing a shorter winch line than the wire cable or synthetic that came factory on the winch. For most off-road winches this is ideally 10' - 20' shorter. Not only will your winch work more efficiently but you will also decrease the chance of damaging the winch or winch line from incorrectly spooling the line during tricky winching procedures.

To make up for the decrease in winch line length, we recommend carrying a winch line extension. A winch extension also allows for more versatility in winching procedures, so it is a good item to carry in your vehicle.

Diameter / Strength:

Choosing a winch line diameter comes down to the strength of the winch line. Master Pull recommends using a 1.5:1 to 2:1 safety factor with the winch that you are installing the winch line on. This means the winch line should have a breaking strength of 1.5 to 2 times the pulling power of the winch. For example, if you have a winch with a 9,000 lb pulling capacity, the line should have a breaking strength in the range of 13,500 to 18,000 lbs or higher.

It is always possible to put a larger diameter winch line for additional strength, but keep in mind that as winch line diameter increases, the length of the line has to decrease for it to fit on the drum. This is where the high breaking strengths of the Superline® and Superline® XD really shine. With these winch lines, you can typically use a smaller diameter and achieve the same safety factor as a normal synthetic winch line. For example, a 3/8" diameter Classic winch line has a breaking strength of 17,600 lbs. A 5/16" diameter Superline® is rated at 21,700 lbs, meaning you can fit more line on your drum and increase the breaking strength by going with the Superline®.