When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Anyone have experience with winching the heavy Ex?
I'm adding another 1,200 pounds in steel bumpers, tire carrier, and gear plus people weight, I think she'll weigh in at around 10-11k pounds.
I was planning on going with the 12k Badlands Apex or the 13.5k Rugcel Tank winch (both with synthetic rope). Interestingly, they look identical. I wonder if most of these winches aren't made by the same factory overseas like most things these days. Hopefully you guys have experience with these winches.
I don't plan on climbing Mt Everest with the Ex (or purposely going mudding or rockcrawling for fun). But I will be going offroad to get to ranches, National Forest roads, etc. Winch is necessary and will be used.
The badlands 12k is what I have. And my usual weight is similar to yours at 10k ish most of the time.
Mine has served me well in the year I've had it. It's gotten fairly regular use, but not actually rescuing myself yet. I have pulled other SUVs and jeeps.
Heaviest thing to date was a large skid steer sideways off a bank into a swampy area. I used a ****** block to double up on that one.
Overall I'm very pleased, and pretty confident that I can self extract out in the boonies if necessary.
I’ve got the badlands 12k (regular wire cable ) on three vehicles, they just work.
If I was building a dedicated rock crawler , maybe I’d buy a Warn, but for infrequent use, the three badlands winches I have work just as good as the Smittybuilt winch I have on another truck and the Warn winch on my equipment trailer.
…
John, have you made sure the cable isn't pinched in a lower layer? Or are you saying the free spool lever won't move?
And as far as I'm concerned the synthetic rope is the way to go. Get all the metal out of the equation that you can.
I am unable to get the 'free spool' lever to move,
there is NOT enough room to get a wrench on it behind the Ranch Hand grill.
I messed with it for a couple weeks, then harbor freight came out with a $100 off coupon a couple weeks ago, and I jumped at it,
I wanted the synthetic rope anyway
Synthetic rope certainly has a few advantages over wire cable, but it also has one major disadvantage, UV breakdown.
For a winch mounted on the front of a regular truck that sits outside, synthetic rope needs to be replaced often (like once a year or once every two years).
Regular wire cable has it’s shortcomings for sure, but at least for me here in Texas, it takes rust a decade or more to kill a cable, but the sun will kill a synthetic rope in less than two years.
…
Synthetic rope certainly has a few advantages over wire cable, but it also has one major disadvantage, UV breakdown.
For a winch mounted on the front of a regular truck that sits outside, synthetic rope needs to be replaced often (like once a year or once every two years).
Regular wire cable has it’s shortcomings for sure, but at least for me here in Texas, it takes rust a decade or more to kill a cable, but the sun will kill a synthetic rope in less than two years.
…
Yankum Ropes claims their rope is UV resistant.
mine is HF supplied on the winch, so guess I will put a cover over it when not in use
Yankum Ropes claims their rope is UV resistant.
mine is HF supplied on the winch, so guess I will put a cover over it when not in use
Covers help for sure, but most covers (like the one on my Jeep) don’t cover the winch fairlead area.
So the section of rope where it attaches to the hook is still exposed to the elements.
And UV resistant is just that resistant, not UV proof, it’s still affected by UV and will still deteriorate long before a steel cable would.
Bottom line, if you want to take advantage of the many superior aspects of synthetic winch line, you also get to deal with its one downside and replace it every year or two.
…
The wire cable (7/16" thick) on my winch has sat exposed to the sun and rain for 23 years.
It isn't rusty yet.
I pour a few ounces of used transmission fluid over the top of the spool of wire cable and let the oil work its way down and wick into the wire strands every once in a while when I think of it, which is about once every 1 or 2 years.
I couldn't be bothered with having to unspool and replace a synthetic rope every 1 or 2 years, which over a 23 year period would amount to anywhere from 12 to 24 new synthetic ropes... that cost a fortune for just 1 such replacement rope, never mind 24.
The discarded transmission fluid that I use to keep my wire cable rust free is also free, as it came from my own truck.
Sounds like you've got a solid plan there, and it's working for you! I'm gonna save this thread so I can comment in 23 more years how many synthetic lines I've gone through 😜... I'm sure the Ole Ex will still be running strong then!
Sounds like you've got a solid plan there, and it's working for you! I'm gonna save this thread so I can comment in 23 more years how many synthetic lines I've gone through 😜... I'm sure the Ole Ex will still be running strong then!
Assuming no traffic accident or natural disaster takes it out, then I fully expect my Excursion to still be on the road in 23 more years. I just dropped a drivetrain in it that's known to go 500K plus miles and it's a rust free Texas truck, I see no reason it shouldn't still be around and running strong in 2047 and beyond.
...
all of this assumes that we will be able to purchase diesel in another 25 years,
the politicians are going to ruin the nation, and drive up our cost of living
I might live that long, just passed my 81st birthday in March.
Sounds like folks have had good experiences with the badlands winch and 12k seems like enough winch to get the job done.
I've always been a fan of the steel winch cable due to its longevity, but burs and potential for cables to snap back and hurt someone or the ex is a serious downside. I've been putting synthetic winches on my atvs since they don't whip back when they snap. I use a cover on the winch and sleeve on the cable to protect it from the sun. Probably will do the same for the ex.
This Hennessey Takes the Expedition Tremor's Off-Roading Capability to the Next Level
Slideshow: The VelociRaptor Expedition gains a lift, upgraded suspension, Brembo brakes, and trail-ready equipment while retaining the stock 440-horsepower EcoBoost V6.
Rezvani's Latest Post-Apocalyptic Monster Is a Ford F-150 Raptor Underneath
Slideshow: Called the Fortress, the 850-horsepower pickup combines Raptor underpinnings with military-inspired features, survival equipment, and a starting price of $285,000.
