Notice: We request that you don't just set up a new account at this time if you are a previous user.
If you used to be one of our moderators, please feel free to reach out to Chris via the facebook Outerlimits4x4 group and he will get you set back up with access should he need you.
Recovery:If you cannot access your old email address and don't remember your password, please click here to log a change of email address so you can do a password reset.

winch drums

General Tech Talk

Moderators: toaddog, TWISTY, V8Patrol, Moderators

Post Reply
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: yatala, halfway between brisbane and GC

winch drums

Post by love ke70 »

hey guys,
i have recently installed a PTO setup on my GQ running backwards to a toyota winch with a custom drum.
trying to source some wire to put on this, and wanna run steel, as its unprotected underneath the car so i dont want to run synthetic as the road grit is gonna play havoc on it.

the drama we are having is that the drum is 80mm, and everyone is saying thats very tight to be starting a rope on, so im wondering, what size is the drum on a normal electric winch as i would not have thought they are much bigger than that?

cheers, andy
97 GQ patrol coilcab. TD42, safari turbo kit with fiddled turbo, D-GAS kit. dyno results to come...
4inch lift, king springs, efs and procomp shocks
315/70R16 cooper ST's
found fuel economy...
Posts: 206
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:08 am
Location: Melbourne

Post by PBBIZ2 »

80mm would be pretty close to all the drums I have had on low mount winches, and they ran standard 3/8" steel cable - no problem. This was for 12,000lb rated winch. My hydraulic low mount drum is around the 80mm mark also and running 3/8'' cable, doesn't appear to be a problem. What is the cable dia you are looking to run, and also check the configuration of the cable is suited ie flexible enough for the radius.
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: yatala, halfway between brisbane and GC

Post by love ke70 »

was looking to run something about 12mm, just cause i have the drum size so not worried about losing space and dont really wanna snap it.
got quoted on 7x19 steel core 2070 grade.
was looking at fibre core, but its unprotected underneath the car and the wet is gonna rot the fibre core out.

just a little worried running 10mm when the ute weighs 2.8 tonne before with road tyres, so by the time i get it stuck in god knows what on some ridiculous angle the amount of weight is going to be quite signifigant...
97 GQ patrol coilcab. TD42, safari turbo kit with fiddled turbo, D-GAS kit. dyno results to come...
4inch lift, king springs, efs and procomp shocks
315/70R16 cooper ST's
found fuel economy...
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: yatala, halfway between brisbane and GC

Post by love ke70 »

alright, answered my own question, it would appear i wasnt looking in the obvious places to start with, since when do companies just give you the information you want on the page the product is displayed on :lol:

9.5XP - 8mm wire (5/16") drum diameter - 6.4cm (2.5")

endurance 12.0 - 9.5mm wire (3/8") drum diameter - 6.4cm (2.5")

16.5 ti - 11mm wire (7/16") drum diameter - 9cm (3.5")


anyone know if the supplied wire is steel or fibre core?

one would think steel core, as fibre core crushes itself if it lays over on the drum, and rots in the wet.
but i wouldnt be all that surprised... :roll:
97 GQ patrol coilcab. TD42, safari turbo kit with fiddled turbo, D-GAS kit. dyno results to come...
4inch lift, king springs, efs and procomp shocks
315/70R16 cooper ST's
found fuel economy...
Posts: 206
Joined: Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:08 am
Location: Melbourne

Post by PBBIZ2 »

What is the winch max rating? No point having a cable rated at 3 times the winch capacity. 1/2" cable is going to be heavy also. Mate of mine had some extension cables made up years ago in 1/2", after using my 3/8" cables - ended up leaving them on the pallet they arrived on as too heavy to lift - think they ended up in the scrap bin from memory.

Is a doubled up/snatch block arrgt possible - understand the speed goes down.

The cable on my 12000lb is rated at max 14400lbs SWL, but am unsure if that rating has any safety margin, or if the cable has to comply with an Aust Stand since it is not lifting, only pulling.
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: yatala, halfway between brisbane and GC

Post by love ke70 »

no idea, there are claims from 1 tonne to 8 tonne on the winch, depending what you read, but it comes down to what the shear pin will hold.
double lining is always a possibility, probably likely with the PTO as it wont stall, ill just break shear pins or if that doesnt something else will.

not sure whether to go the 11mm tirfor wire, or just 10mm 2070 grade.

from what ive been reading, thats about 6.5 tonne breaking strain, no safety margin.
97 GQ patrol coilcab. TD42, safari turbo kit with fiddled turbo, D-GAS kit. dyno results to come...
4inch lift, king springs, efs and procomp shocks
315/70R16 cooper ST's
found fuel economy...
Posts: 2492
Joined: Sun Nov 24, 2002 8:57 pm
Location: Melbourne

Post by bazzle »

Forget the fibre core its not high enough rated. The aircraft" winch type wire has a steel inner that gives good strength even if outer gets damaged (as they do)

Bazzle
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: yatala, halfway between brisbane and GC

Post by love ke70 »

i think you will find most winches come factory with fibre core as they all have very small drums.
got quoted on a 2070 fibre core 13mm which had breaking strain of 116 kn. or 11 something tonne.

got a call back from one guy today, still waiting on one other. he said, by specs the biggest you can run around a drum that size, is 8mm, and only rated at 4.5T.

we decided that was a heap of bollucks, and probably going to run a 11mm tirfor wire, which is a 2070 grade and 6x25 steel core and rated at nearly 9 tonne. and we will just damage the first round forcing it on, lifes a bitch...

at the end of the day, i dont except to ever be using the first couple of layers, considering im going to be filling the drum, which is 280mm overall.
97 GQ patrol coilcab. TD42, safari turbo kit with fiddled turbo, D-GAS kit. dyno results to come...
4inch lift, king springs, efs and procomp shocks
315/70R16 cooper ST's
found fuel economy...
Posts: 574
Joined: Wed Aug 17, 2005 11:49 am
Location: NZ

Post by nzdarin »

So the fibre cored dangerous 13mm rope is about the same strength as a 10mm synthetic rope! The reason everyone uses (and is factory fitted) wire core is it is stronger, safer and has less recoil when it breaks. Fibre core was one of the first things to be outlawed in Winch Comps for a reason!
93 Nissan Pathfinder / Terrano Turboed VH45, GQ Trans and T-case, coil overs, hydraulic winch and fair bit of other stuff. (Currently a pile of parts in the workshop)
Posts: 1040
Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 7:57 pm
Location: yatala, halfway between brisbane and GC

Post by love ke70 »

and as i said, im not using the fibre core.

should probably mention, rope is not an option, winch mounted under tray, open to road shit 24/7

apart from being a lower strength rating, whats the danger of using the fibre core?

most tow truck operators use it , obviously thats not under the same amount of strain, and towies are hardly a precedent to set your beliefs on, but it cant be all that bad...

how can you tell the difference between fibre and steel core once its got finished ends and is on the winch?

cheers, andy
97 GQ patrol coilcab. TD42, safari turbo kit with fiddled turbo, D-GAS kit. dyno results to come...
4inch lift, king springs, efs and procomp shocks
315/70R16 cooper ST's
found fuel economy...
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest