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Repairing Winch Line On The TrailSaddles & Stitches From the April, 2010 issue of 4Wheel & Off-Road By Fred Williams Photography by Fred Williams
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Any 4x4's winch can break down in the field. Motors overheat, solenoid switches stop working, and mounting bolts break loose. But most of the time these problems can be overcome with preventive service and by not using the winch beyond its ability. You should only repair cable... You should only repair cable when you're in dire straits, as it's better to replace broken cable as soon as possible. All you need is this $5 repair kit compiled of parts from a local hardware store: six appropriately sized cable clamps and two cable thimbles. For a cable end repair, simply loop the cable back on itself, install the thimble, and attach three cable clamps. Always put the U-bolt side on the hanging end of the cable; this is the "dead" end. You put the saddle part of the clamp on the end of the loop that runs to the winch, the "live" end. To remember, recite "never saddle a dead horse." A broken winch line is another common problem that can really ruin a recovery. Whether it's synthetic rope or steel cable, if it breaks in the middle of a pull the vehicle could roll away, becoming stranded, and the cable's high-energy snapback could maim or kill someone. It is advised to stay clear of any winch cable, but if it does break don't give up hope. Here are some simple winch line repair techniques to get you back in action.  If your cable breaks in the...  If your cable breaks in the middle and you still need the whole length to reach an anchor for recovery, then make two interwoven loops: one on the cable going to the winch and another on the cable going to the anchor. Remember to only saddle the live ends of the cable. You won't be able to winch this repair into the drum of the winch, and you may need to redo it as you get pulled closer to the anchor, but it should hold in an emergency. Remember to replace the entire cable as soon as possible.  Repairing broken winch rope...  Repairing broken winch rope is more involved, but still possible with a few basic tools. Viking Offroad offers a rope repair kit that's great for trail repairs, or you can send your entire rope back for repair. Some winch ropes like the Master Pull XD can be tied in a knot for field repair, but 99 percent of other ropes need to be woven together.  When splicing two ropes together...  When splicing two ropes together you do not want to simply tie them together, as the knot will continue to tighten under load then eventually heat up and fail. Proper rope splicing involves overlapping the ropes approximately 30 inches (distance differs depending on rope thickness), stripping out half the threads in the last 10 inches of each rope and splicing the ropes through each other approximately 20 inches from the end by using the supplied needle taped to the end.  Next you feed the needle and...  Next you feed the needle and rope inside the weave of the rope. As you do this the outer rope can be piled up, causing the center to open more. You'll want to pile a long length of rope over the needle and other rope end before you push the needle out and remove the needle and all tape.  Now as you push out the bunched-up...  Now as you push out the bunched-up rope it will cover the end of the other rope and collapse around it, grabbing like Chinese fingercuffs. Then do the same to the other end of the rope and you'll have both ends interwoven and trapped inside the opposite end, locking them in place.  After both ends are interwoven,...  After both ends are interwoven, use the smaller needle and short piece of black nylon thread supplied in the Viking Offroad repair kit to weave through the splice, locking it in place further.  When repairing an end of a...  When repairing an end of a winch rope, you will again cut out every other strand of the rope in the last 6-10 inches of the line. You can use the needle or wrap the end in electrical or duct tape to form a needlelike tip. Thread it through the thimble and hook and then back into the rope.  Bunch up the live end of the...  Bunch up the live end of the rope as you thread the dead end inside. You'll want about 18 inches of rope inside, so bunch up a fairly large amount and then push the taped rope needle back out the side. At this point remove all the tape, as it can have sharp edges that will damage the rope from inside.  Finally, push out the bunched-up...  Finally, push out the bunched-up section of rope and it will cover up the rope that had been covered in tape. Because the dead rope end is inside the rope that runs back to the winch, it will be held firmly in place. A small length of nylon thread across the repair will add insurance against the tail pulling out. One last reminder: Knots are bad for winch ropes. They don't work as repairs, and care should be taken to keep them from forming in the line or else breakage will be imminent.
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