Winch Cable Damper

DieselBoy · Post by **DieselBoy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 3:47 pm

I have decided i need a cable damper for my winch after seeing a wire cable break a few weeks ago. It was leathal!!!!

Any one know any places on-line that sell them at a competative price??

The other thing i was thinking about as well, was going to plasma rope. I have seen the stuff advertised on Genie 4x4, but i have no idea what i'm looking for really.
Just after a few opinions on what people are using and why

Cheers,
Pete.

wopass · Post by **wopass** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:10 pm

that stuff is moonbeam expensive mate,great stuff tho. im waiting for a guy here to get a new shipment in,, he wont tell me a price yet...... i think that must mean its major pricey...

cable dampner is just a heavy piece of material draped over the cable aint it?,, just get some canvas :wink:

Jafa · Post by **Jafa** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:26 pm

Try this instead
http://www.hampidjan.co.nz/
Dynex Dux75
higher breaking strain, bout $350 for 30.5 metres of 7mm overbraided to 9.5 approx, 7.5 tonnes breakin strain i think, I have all the figures at work, I'll post them tomorrow

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:35 pm

Heres a cheap cable damper.. Your bushshirt :wink:

and its multipurpose when its cold it keeps you warm, we all know pulling cable is hot work well what better than tieing your bushshirt to the cloths line you've just pulled out behind and when you winch in it comes back ready to put back on now you've cooled down again

don't know how legal it would be at winch comps but I've done it more than a few times
Normally I use a large piece of rag, all its there for is to create drag if it all goes wrong it don't have to look fancy

As for plasma, it is expensive! don't last as long, dosn't like friction or sunlight but.... :wink:

its lighter and you can get more on the drum!

I'm old fashioned, for me (I'd use my winch 20-30 times a year) that dosn't add up to the extra cost and for mantinace of wire all you have to do is drip some diesel on the drum now and then!

no washing etc
oh and you can splice wire you can't do that with all the plasma ropes!

But if you want cheap plasma PM "Jungle" he's one of the guys on site he was doing a deal last year on the stuff and he knows all you need to know about it

Cheers Reece

DaveM · Post by **DaveM** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:41 pm

I got a damper made for the work trucks out of heavy material, with a pocket either side filled with sand.
Works well and only cost $15 ea.

As for plasma rope, it sounds good, but bloody expensive.
Just make sure you get quotes before buying from these online sites, as I nearly bought my Maxxis tyres off one guy who said he practically sold them for cost price (he only put 1% mark up on apparently).
Went to my local shop and got them for $30 less (each) than his "cost plus 1%".
He must be getting ripped by the importer

DieselBoy · Post by **DieselBoy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 5:52 pm

Cheers!!!
The other problem i have with the wire cable is every time i use it, it doesn't spool correctly, and the wire gets crimped, flattend on the inner windings and looks damn dodgy, and its only been used a dosen or so times. Thats with stopping, un winding, then winding it on properly and then carrying on winching!!!
I figure with plasma rope i shouldn't have that problem????
Unless the crimping etc is purly cosmetic, but logic suggests it should be weakening the cable.

I do the swanny thing, well actually its usually my oil skin vest :wink:

Just getting sick of getting it muddy :lol:

De-Ranged · Post by **De-Ranged** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 6:06 pm

Not bad Jafa but one thing concerns me with this, it is a poly rope (low melting piont with a noticable lose of strength with heat!)
Two comments from the makers website....

Do not store in excessive hot storages where the temperature is above 40°C for a
prolonged time.
Avoid storing or letting the rope rest on hot surfaces.

the drum on an electric winch is going to get way hotter than 40 C when your doing a long winch :shock:

If you look into plasma rope you will see the top manafactureres make there rope with the bottom layer of a different material to deal with the heat.

Would be good on a PTO or Hydro winch

now theres something for the wish list!

Cheers Reece

Jafa · Post by **Jafa** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:28 pm

Yes I agree, heat is the enemy!
The stuff the guy in Nelson quoted me is coverbraided, I presume for heat and abrasion protection, 7mm core out to about 9.5 I think or next size up was 9mm coverbraided to 11mm. He has the 7mm already made into 30.5m lenghths with an eye in the end specifically for 4wd'ing.
I am not a fan of 'lectric winches,hydraulic or pto is the ways if ya can afford them :cry:

Hmm ....a market for water cooled winch drums maybe...... :lol:

Oh yea baby! :lol:

http://www.winchesplus.com/index.html
mid mount it like Owen Fillary's
bout $2200 by the time it gets here...and duty :evil:

,and airfreight,and gst :evil:

DieselBoy · Post by **DieselBoy** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 8:41 pm

hehe, i got winch struck when i got the safari

There was a heaps tider one for the same $$$, but i just had to have the PTO winch :wink:

It was one of my pre-requisits :lol:

So from my hunting around and your input, im in/around the $300 region.

Now i just have to decide wether the amount i use my winch will warrant a Plasma cable, as it may have a short life span from exposure to the elements from what i can gather. May be time to devise a winch cover of some description.

NJV6 · Post by **NJV6** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 9:16 pm

We had a club traning day recently which was basically run by Bruce Hughes. He is running 12mm Plasma rope which is a 15ton braking strain on the competition Surf. His other vehicle, (a rangie) has a high mount 8274 with 9mm which is something like 10 ton breaking strain. Its incredably strong stuff, but it is expensive, especially the 12mm stuff. It lasts a long time if looked after, A lot lighter, (floats) can be spliced easily, and plactic fairleads can be used. One of the best thing is it stretches 3% so when it breaks it just drops. The Plasma rope isn't as affected by heat as some other ones such as Dynamica which he dicsovered goes solid mass at 150 degrees. Cutting a winch rope off a drum with an axe is not fun. :shock:

Bruces winch extension rope is you guessd it, another length of plasma, and hooks it in such a way he can wind it onto the drum if need be.

To cover the winch rope on the Rangie I think it was an old tyre tube tied round it to keep the light off it.

AS for the dampner, I agree with the bush shirt theory and one should be used. Looking after a wire rope will make it last longer, oiling it, keeping it clean, winding it nicely onto the drum to avoid kinks in it - but where does it end??!!!

Kent · Post by **Kent** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 12:42 pm

Yea I just place an old sack with some sand or something in it over the cable and it seems to do the trick. I had a cable break a month ago or so and it didn't go anywhere, just straight down.

Kent

DieselBoy · Post by **DieselBoy** » Tue Mar 08, 2005 1:02 pm

Found a ARB partnumber for one, but pretty expensive!!
$UK 29.00
Part number: ARB219

I'm going to get creative and make some thing :wink:

Post a pic when im done :lol:

I think i had better just use my wire cable untill its knackered as its pretty much brand new. When its dead, then i'll try a Plasma. Its only sensible unfortunatly i guess :lol:

Hope fully in that time the winch drum doesn't get to rough, other wise its going to be a major polishing job when the time comes, not just making some stainless replacement roller fairleads as i could get away with now!!!!
Pete

Winch Cable Damper

Winch Cable Damper

plasma rope

Sack