How old is the rope? How much use did it get from the previous owner? These are things to consider. I would go with the safe side and replace it, stiffness is a sign of the rope drying out.

 

It has HUMMER on the winch. Don't trust it, get a new one!

 

I know I have seen them before. It's just a piece of neoprene that wraps around the spool and velcro's to itself. Just don't remember where I saw it. I'm just going to order the winch cover to protect the whole thing.

 

Gotcha Well, yea.... why not go for the full meal deal and cover the whole winch?

 

Shouldn't have bought junk!

 

shoot, if you have the money, just buy one and put it in your trunk until that one breaks. problem solved.

 

as said, if you have the money get a new one, yet you can fix this one by removing the damaged sections and rethreading and you conserve something like 80% of strength
just google for viking winch line fix or trail fix line, there are kits with the required tools but those are up to you

even if you replac it, try fixing it and keep the old one in yout jeep as an exnsion or backup

 

You sir , are junk!!!!!! Haha

 

It has been suggested that using it until it breaks is a viable option, it isn't. There are possible situations such as winching up a steep hill, or winching in some extreme off camber situation that if your winch line breaks your vehicle and life (or that of others) could be needlessly endangered by following the "use it till it breaks" motto. This isn't some mechanical question involving failure where the result would be fixing what broke on the trail, this is an issue of safety which we should all hold in the up-most regard.

Moral is, buy a new rope. Use some of the money you saved by buying used and buy some new rope and adhesive remover for those God-awful stickers.

Good luck,

Tyler

 

I know huh. Was thinking about making it say "hummer recovery unit"