How to inspect your ATV winch line and when should you replace it?

As the fall leaves are changing and the smell of winter is on the air, it’s the perfect time to head out on the trails with your ATV. Whether you are heading to snap some beautiful fall photos, enjoy the crisp fall air, or if your ATV is the equipment you use for hunting it must be in peak condition. The top of everyone’s mind is often making sure that mechanically everything is up to scratch and while that is critical it’s the other gear that is often overlooked. Many ATVs come equipped with a winch line or the ability to connect a tow rope in case you get stuck or need to haul something out. This tool is critical for an enjoyable and successful trip but is often overlooked when we do a walk-around of our equipment before we head out. Here are a few tips on checking over your winch and line.

1. Fully extend your line from the drum and inspect the line. Make sure that it's in good condition and there aren’t any spots on the line which are showing wear or damage. i.e. kinks, splinters or curls.
2. If your line is in good shape, make sure the mechanism to rewind the winch is working properly and the mechanics on that is also in good working condition.
3. If your line is showing wear and tear it's time to investigate replacing it.

Northern strand carries a full line of lines both synthetic and wire rope that is specifically manufactured to be used in winch lines. Did you know our Dyneema synthetic winch line has many benefits over traditional wire rope. Dyneema rope will not splinter, kink or curl. It’s also much easier on the hands in cold weather.

With the education and training relied on by some of the largest mining operations in Saskatchewan for their wire hoisting needs. Our experts are uniquely positioned to help you find the right line got your equipment and one that will work for you and your needs.

Our products are spliced and tested on-site with the top industry ratings in place. Each one of our synthetic ropes comes with the hook correctly spliced onto the end as well as the metal thimble and comes packaged with all the specifications of the specific line, including tensile strength, length and material. We have many standard sizes and lengths in stock and ready for pick up. We are also able to make any specific size and length you might need to order.

So if you are looking to replace your current line or upgrade to a different type of line that will better suit the work you need to do come and talk to our incredibly knowledgeable team or shop online at shop.northenstrands.com

Northern Strands is able to offer a large variety of products for tow trucks. Between our five divisions, we can equip tow truck operators with numerous products to help get the job done. 

We offer wire rope as well as Dyneema rope cut to customized lengths for tow truck drivers. Dyneema rope is a synthetic rope that has a comparable breaking strength to that of wire rope. This synthetic rope won't kink, curl, or splinter and has minimal stretch with no rotation. 

Northern Strands can also provide tow truck operators with different configurations of Grade 70 Transport Chain. This chain is high tensile carbon steel, heat treated, and is available in custom lengths. We also offer Grade 70 Grab and Slip Hooks along with Ratchet and Lever Style Load Binders.

What is Dyneema? Dyneema rope is a brand name of synthetic rope that is made from Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), which is the world's strongest fiber and gives it an ultra high breaking strength.

How Strong is it? Dyneema rope is very strong. It is 20% stronger than wire rope of the same size and 7 times stronger than wire rope of the same weight.

What about Abrasion? Dyneema has the highest abrasion resistance out of any synthetic rope in the industry and is widely used in Canada by trans-oceanic shipping companies for towing and mooring their massive container ships. In Saskatchewan and the prairies Dyneema rope is most often used on ATV winch cable, flat deck winch cable and tow trucks winch cable. 

Why does this matter? Northern Strands supplies tow ropes, ATV winch lines and other accessories made from Dyneema ropes for those occasions where you need the strongest rope available and don't want to lift a big heavy wire rope. Northern Strands manufactures winch lines with hook made from Dyneema that make use of a standard eye hook for attaching to anchor points when a vehicle such as a ATV Quad or Side by Side gets stuck to the point where it needs to be winched out. The advantages of using Dyneema in these situations are huge as the rope is not only immensely strong. 

Additional properties of Dyneema rope

• Incredibly light, Dyneema will float on water.
• Literally a rope, which means that it does not kink or tangle like wire rope does, especially on the smaller drums of a quad winch, and there is no risk of puncturing your skin from a broken wire.
• The same material used in the most ultra-modern body armour that is currently preferred to Kevlar as it performs the same wet or dry.
• Woven instead of wound; meaning that Dyneema rope is torque neutral, where wire rope will unwind when subjected to extreme loads.