I'm planning on getting a winch in the next 6 months, but had a question about proper wire rope care....


When I worked with cranes, we regularly lubed the cables (XPS). But, all the 4x4 winches I see appear to have wire rope that is galvanized or something (very shiny). On a lot of trucks I see around town, the wire rope is very rusted & not lubricated.

What's the proper care?

 

Great question for us first timers.

I have read here someone using WD-40 to keep it lubed.

 

I do hose mine off but have yet to due any sort of oiling to it.

 

Hey jkkat, I've seen the pics and believe you really off road. How does your winch line hold up without putting oil on it? Does it get rusty or anything like that?
I just got into off roading with the purchase of my JK, so I am really nieve to this.
Thanks

 

WD-40 is the way to go. As you spool in with cable, squirt WD-40 on it every now and then, then mist it when all the cable is loaded on the drum. It's not about covering the cable, it's about misting the cable enough to disperse the water. Kind of like wax on paint. It causes the water to bead up and blow off when you get going. The most important thing with winch cable is to put it away neatly (no mud). Just like all the other stuff on your jeep, you may need to take some time to pull it all out, then put it away after a day of hard use.

 

To my way of thinking cable grease is obviously the best way to go for the sake of the cable, that said, lol, you'll have huge maintenance time due to heavy dust, or mud, or leaves and branches getting stuck on the cable.

You'll also see some very surprised and greasy people when they come to give you a hand, at 1st they'll think "way cool" obviously takes care of his stuff, till they look at their clothes, arms, hands and face.

Sometimes it is just best to use WD or similar. Maybe some motorcyle chain lube of the 1st 20 feet or so, so it will "sit" well on the spool and not hit too much dirt, etc.

Yeah, the cable will go much faster, but its not all that expensive.

Use WD and cover the sucker when not in use.

 

Thanks for the posts.. WD-40 sounds like the winning plan

 

Great question, I just added a winch and was not sure what to put on the cable

 

I hate to answer my own question, but I found two manufacturer's that recommend Chain Oil.

They recommend against any type of grease because the dirt & grit will stick to the grease & cause the wire rope to break down faster; and don't use used motor oil because of potential contaminants.

I've used WD-40 on an ATV winch line before, but that stuff evaporates so fast It I'm not sure how long it lasts. It sure is better than nothing at all.

 

A little added info.
I have some friends who own tow trucks. They use the winch a lot. They say that wd-40 is a great alternative. You would have to re-apply occasionally, varied by use of course. They also spray the diffs and undercarriage, say it makes it a breeze to keep clean.
The other suggestion was a SMALL amount of diesel fuel. <<< please use common sense here

Thanks to the OP for bringing this question up.