+1

And this. That looks like a rats nest spooled because it wasn't under any kind of load. Easy to get the line knotted up doing that because the line under the line coming in will pull tight and slip under another part of the line not tight.

 

It is crushed from being wrapped loose and having coils tightened on top? Or is it frayed, kinked, separating, etc?




I wrapped mine loose early on and crushed the rope in two spots. Sent pics to Warn, and was told it was ok to keep using it. Also had a tech at a local warn authorized repair shop take a look for a second opinion, he said the same thing.

But, most online opinions say to replace it.

Guess I would have to talk to a metallurgist to see how much the cable is weakened? All I know is that I have been using that cable for 15 years now. No issues, no fraying or anything near those two spots, just cosmetic.

 

Loose wire strands weaken a cable, because the load is no longer evenly divided between all the strands. It’s like having a smaller diameter cable at the kink.
(There's uneven load on strands also when the cable is bended around a shackle, but then the strands are grouped together, not separated.)

Maybe the kinked cable will hold for a long time, maybe it'll fail at the worst moment, it's a gamble. I wouldn't take the risk if it was mine.

Google for - synthetic winch rope 12,000Lbs
e.g.: Smittybilt synthetic winch rope, made by Dyneema.

A fairlead that had been used with a steel cable should not be used with synthetic, it has to be replaced.
The cable scratched it, so it's not smooth enough for a synthetic line – it’ll damage the line.
The same usually goes for the drum as well.
Get a fairlead that's made for synthetic, it doesn’t need rollers.