Talk to me about the differences between different styles of Fairleads.

Good call. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

Since you live in CO, there's one more thing to consider... If you get synthetic line, be sure to keep it covered, especially in winter. If you've got a slushy day, the synthetic can freeze into an ice block. With the steel, you can run your winch in reverse to unspool it without damaging the strands.

Here's a pic of my steel line setup with a Hawse fairlead:

 

So it looks like I may be able to 'roll my own' for just a shade over $100 depending on line width I chose. Any real reason to go 3/8" over 5/16" other than the obvious of strength? I mean, will 5/16" meet most all of my needs or is the 3/8" going to be worth the added $ for my application? I mean $32ish (assuming 65' line) isn't the end of the world but if it's overkill for my application I'd rather save that money and put it elsewhere. How does it connect on the drum side of the line at the winch? Anything else I need to buy to pull this off or just the line & thimble? What about those nylon covers I see people run on syn line to protect them from sharp edges & such? What about length? 65' is what's currently on my winch but is this overkill for 95% of applications or would I benefit from longer?

This is something else I will need to look into. My winch is the Badlands 12,000 from Harbor Freight so since it's not one of the high-dollar brand names there's a possibility they cut corners somewhere to save on build costs and if this is a place they can save money they likely did. I do know that there is a safety mechanism in it that only allows you to do 45sec of run time before it requires a cool-down period. I would assume that this is still enough time to cause damage though.

I assume this is only if you actually need to use the thing when it's frozen up, right? The reason I ask is because this was one of my concerns about the synthetic lines in the hot & cold fluctuations (snow, sun, etc.) here in Colorado. It sounds like this isn't as big of a concern these days and they've advanced the line itself to withstand the elements but if you mean just actually being able to use the thing when it's frozen up solid I get that.

 

I know that my synth line had some sort of tip crimped onto the end that bolts into into the drum on the winch. The covers are Kevlar and I think are a great idea. You will obviously need a hook too, but not at the time of building your winch line.

 

I see. I don't know that the one I build would have this or if it would be necessary although I imagine it would if it's a bolt-down-to-hold type situation I would assume you'd want some sort of a 'tip' on the synthetic line to allow it to bolt as one unit rather than split the fibers which is what I picture w/o having something like that. I wonder if it's just a larger cable crimp type thing to give a solid point for the bolt to clamp to. Dunno w/o actually seeing it but I'm sure someone here can answer that question. It also looks like most recommend going +1 size for going from steel to synthetic so from that standpoint I'm probably looking at the 3/8" as it matches my winch's rating better anyway.

I would likely keep my current hook & sell the line separately since the hook is brand new so it wouldn't make sense selling the line w/the hook and having to buy another one.

 

So after some brief research it looks like people aren't suggesting that you bolt synthetic line with this winch (maybe others too?) but instead to run it through the hole about 8" and then duct tape across the drum long ways and then wind it up.

Also, is it true that synthetic rope needs to be replaced every year or two? If so, that's probably a deal breaker as I don't plan to use this winch super often and having to replace something to the tune of $125 every year or two when I barely use it isn't something I'm looking to do. Sounds like even the newer ones are still weakened by UV rays which causes them to degrade over time... the only real question is how much time I guess.

Hmmmm....

 

I think if you wash and inspect it every year you should be able to get more than two years out of it. Not sure how much your truck sits in the sun though.

 

Sits in the garage pretty much all day every day (save for the few times a year I get it out to bash some parking curbs at the mall) in the few years I've owned it. That could change and I wouldn't want to set myself up for spending a c-note annually for the purpose of saving a few pounds of weight & getting a better looking fairlead as well as a little bit safer in the off chance I use the sucker. lol

 

My line is several (3-5) years old and seems to be in fine shape, but the Kevlar line protector goes up far enough that when I wrap the drum all of the line is covered in Kevlar. That and the fact that the winch is essentially INSIDE an arb bumper it is protected. Anyway, I extend out the whole line at least once a year and spray it out with a hose and let it dry before spoiling it up nice and even again, making sure the Kevlar goes all the way across the drum. I used it twice already this year and it seems to still be pliable and in good shape.

 

And if you haven't already, be sure to get yourself a tree saver strap and a snatch block.

 

Those factor 55 winch thimbles are awesome! I was gonna buy one when my machinist buddy said he would make one for me...that was over a year ago. I saw the finished plans, we are just waiting for a big piece of aluminum scrap that we can use to make it.

 

I was just going to say I love the kids that show up with Factor 55 shit out the wazoo but they don't have a snatch block, good clevis, tree strap, or winch extension strap lol. Get your full equipment set and then get the safety thimble, because a safety thimble alone doesn't do squat for safety if you're going to use a recovery strap for a tree strap

 

This.

 

You CAN run syn.line with a roller fairlead as well. Some will advise against it, esp. if the rollers have been used with a steel cable, since it can leave burrs that can cut-into the syn.line. Also, if using rollers, make sure there are no "pinch points" where the line can get sucked in-between the rollers.

I was running a hawse fairlead with my hidden winch mount. It worked great, but the opening is not as wide as a roller, so side-pulls are more limited and it was more difficult to re-spool the line evenly on the drum:


Now, I am running a roller fairlead on the ARB with Daystar Delrin rollers. I prefer this setup as the angles are better for incline pulls or side-pulls, and it is easier to re-spool the line evenly:

 

I'm also running Daystar Delrin rollers, seems like a popular choice with the ARB bumpers. They've worked really well in many different winch situations.


I got 100' of 3/8 line with a nice hook from sidetracked offroad for $199 (now 175) shipped. It's not one of the "name brands" but I see no difference in quality. It also came with two 10' heat/abrasion sleeves, one that I use on the drum, and the other I slide to where it's needed when winching. When fully spooled up the adjustable sleeve covers the rope up nicely protecting it from weather and uv rays. I could only fit about 80+ feet on the winch, so I cut 25' off and made an extension out of it.

I usually unspool, clean, and re-spool the line after each use (if it got dirty) and a couple times during the winter to get off all the road salt they use around here. I've had it for about 18months, looks good as new.

 

Yep lol. And d-rings. Need a few of those too!

 

He said clevis

 

As said, a clevis is the proper name for a D-ring . Actually I'm going to invest in one of those soft shackles too since they eliminate one more piece of steel from the equation and are actually a bit stronger than a high quality steel clevis.

OP did that website say why to do the duct tape method? I know it increases the friction on the last few feet and on synthetic which slips easily that's a good idea, but any other reason that's suggested?

Edit: Just for the record OP I run a steel hawse with steel line right now and I like it. Once the steel line starts to fray I'll go to synthetic and an aluminum hawse. From what I've seen roller fairleads tend to get jammed up with crap over time and cease to function properly.

 

I know it's different names for the same thing. I just scanned too fast and missed that you mentioned it. Lol

 

Go ask a rigger, it's called a shackle.