Synthetic winch line questions

I'm going to get a synthetic winch line to replace my current steel one, but I have two questions before I do.

1) I'm trying to decide what diameter to get. The best for me price wise and quality wise are the amsteel blue lines. The 100 foot 3/8" line is rated for 17,600lbs and costs around $270. The 100 foot 5/16" line is rated for 12,300lbs and costs about $204. My winch is rated for 10,000lbs, and it's going on a 92 pickup with a camper shell. Is it okay to go with the 5/16 one and save the $65? Or should I go with the higher rated one?

2) I know I'll need to replace the roller fairlead with a hawse one, and a quick search on Amazon brought up a Warn one for $50 and a smittybilt one for $25. Is there a reason to choose one over the other aside from price? Otherwise I'll just go with the cheap one.

Any thoughts on anything about synthetic winch lines (including if I should go with a different vendor/brand of line) would be much appreciated, too!

 

Viking is another good brand. Go with the 3/8's its stronger and you have figure your going to be pulling either yourself or someone else (think full sized truck) out of a spot they couldnt get themselves out of so the strain on the line will be pretty high. I am running viking 3/8 line with the safety thimble on it and I love it.

 

They're like $100 more expensive than the amsteel blue, which is why I stopped looking at them. Of course, if they are so much better than the amsteel blue that the $100 is worth it, then I might go for them instead, but I just don't see that much of a difference between the two besides price.
Would that extra strength of 3/8 line matter if the winch itself is only rated at 10k, though?

 

I use the Masterpull 5/16 superline...
which is rated above many of the 3/8" synthetic ropes

I like that I can spool 100' on my M8K with 5/16 rope.
Not likely when using 3/8" stuff prolly only around 80'

Be sure the hawse you buy is alloy and not steel...
tho' the later will work if unmarred...
the alloy is softer and easier on the rope.

 

I went with the 3/8 line because if you look at the 10K winches that comes with synthetic lines like the warn 9.5xp, superwinch talon 9.5 (which comes with amsteel blue), smitty built XRC 10, or mile marker sec 9.5 all come with the 3/8 line.

Plus you can always put snatch block on your line which double your pulling power, halves your speed, but your still pulling the full weight of the vehicle + what ever is causing it to be stuck. I would spend the extra for the 3/8 just for piece of mind.

I am pretty sure I got my viking line and it was the same price as the amsteel blue or at least very close to the price. From all the posts I read trying to decide you cant go wrong with either company.

 

I bought 80" feet of 3/8" Viking winch line. I could have used 5/16"(100" length). I preferred the stronger line. Also, every roll removed off the drum unlocks more pulling power from your winch, the thinner the line, the more you have to unroll off the drum to get more winch pulling power.

 

Hmm. So I don't know if anyone knows, but would 100' of 3/8 amsteel blue fit onto my smittybilt XRC10 winch? I hadn't thought of that before, but now I'm worried...
The XRC10 comes with 94' of 21/64" steel or synthetic, but I'm not sure if that maxes out the room on the winch. I looked at the winch and it appears that it could fit another wrap of the 21/64, so I would assume that it could fit the 3/8, but I could be wrong.

Alright, so I guess I'll just go with the 2809 hawse by smittybilt, the cheaper one.

After looking up the superwinch talon 9.5, they come with only 80' of 3/8 amsteel. How long of a line did you go with? When I offroad, I'm usually in the desert, and it can be far from a suitable tree or rock, so that's why I wanted to go with the 100' and I'd use a snatch block if it was a closer recovery point to get the power, but if 100' won't even fit, then it doesn't do me much good at all!
Thanks for that last bit, that makes me feel better about going with the cheaper amsteel blue

 

Also. Just a heads up, you can use your roller fairlead with synthetic line, but only if the roller fairlead has never been used with steel line. Which it sounds like yours has?

On my Warn 9000, it came with 100' of 5/16" steel cable, which can be directly replaced with 80' of 3/8". That may give you an idea of what you can fit?

 

I went with 100' because the warn 9.5xp comes with either 100' of steel or synthetic line so I knew it would fit. Its possible that only 80' of synthetic line will fit on some/most of these winches.

 

The thicker the line, the less will fit.

 

Yeah, I have used the steel on the roller fairlead, and it did get scuffed up. I've heard that you can't use the roller because the rope can get pinched in the corners between rollers, though, but idk if that would actually happen. Either way, I already bought the new hawse on Amazon.

I think I'll end up going with the 85' 3/8" amsteel blue (they don't make an 80', but 85' isn't that far off). I don't really want to risk the 100' and from what you said and from other things I've looked up the 80' is what everyone goes with.
Thanks everyone! This has been a big help!

 

I buy my steel cable at a local rigging shop for cranes etc. Its like half price of warn. But last time I was in the guy showed me they carry winch rope as well. They cut it to any length you want and press on any fittings you want I don't remember the price per foot, rating or anything but you mite want to check any shops like that in ur area.

 

Hmm, I'll see if I can find something like that. Thanks!