Do I NEED to use a roller fairlead with steel cable?

[recoiljunky]

I've got a winch, and I plan on building a bumper for it soon. I'm just wondering if I have to use a roller fairlead or if I can safely get by with running one of those narrow, angled pieces people use with rope. My bumper ideas would look much better without the big rollers on the front.

 

[bmc69]

I've got a winch, and I plan on building a bumper for it soon. I'm just wondering if I have to use a roller fairlead or if I can safely get by with running one of those narrow, angled pieces people use with rope. My bumper ideas would look much better without the big rollers on the front.

I'm using the simple smooth cast fairlead on my rear winch ..because I figgered it wouldn' be used as much as the front winch and it fit easier in to the bumper than the roller type..as you want.

But..that non-roller fairlead has some pretty deep grooves cut in to it by the cable and the cable was pretty quickly damaged..even though I turned out to be correct and I really have not used it much.

 

[bblue]

those cast fairleads work but they will groove up bad and pretty quickly.

 

[sprdv1]

I wouldn't go w/out it...! Just my opinion

 

[Pokey71]

A Steel Hawse Fairlead will work with a steel cable. Aluminum WILL NOT!

 

[rtj731]

You will want the roller fair head with wire rope. Run syn. Rope, lots of advantages, few cons. You can repair rope on trail,( you can actually tie it together) throw it in the cab for the next obstacle, saves weight, exceeds wire rope strength, little to no stored kinetic energy, so on and so on. For what's it's worth, last spring I was out pre-running a trail after a hard rain here in NC we have red clay that will stop you cold gum up all tires. I had to (solo) winch up a hill, the beauty of the rope was I winched up, stopped threw the rope into the pass. window and moved until I couldn't, then redeployed the rope. I must have traveled more then 500 meters(1,500feet) on my own. The fact of using syn. rope and the ease of using it sure offsets the cost.

 

[bigbadktm]

You will want the roller fair head with wire rope. Run syn. Rope, lots of advantages, few cons. You can repair rope on trail,( you can actually tie it together) throw it in the cab for the next obstacle, saves weight, exceeds wire rope strength, little to no stored kinetic energy, so on and so on. For what's it's worth, last spring I was out pre-running a trail after a hard rain here in NC we have red clay that will stop you cold gum up all tires. I had to (solo) winch up a hill, the beauty of the rope was I winched up, stopped threw the rope into the pass. window and moved until I couldn't, then redeployed the rope. I must have traveled more then 500 meters(1,500feet) on my own. The fact of using syn. rope and the ease of using it sure offsets the cost.

that sounds a hell of a lot easier than having to wind and unwind all day

 

[Broncobowsher]

A Steel Hawse Fairlead will work with a steel cable. Aluminum WILL NOT!

Correct!

Don't need to use a roller, but recomended if you use the winch a lot.

Aluminium and plastic roller are for the synthetic rope.

 

[recoiljunky]

Good advice guys, thanks.

I think I need to stick with steel cable because the only time the winch will be used will be in the mud. Isn't mud more likely to deteriorate rope?

Truthfully, the winch probably won't get used too much.