[NMKAWIERIDER]

Abrasion breakage is the number one complaint of synthetic. Definitely don't need to worry about that with cable.
I winch a lot down in Moab country, and a lot of the spots require the line be over sandstone. I have rock guards for my rope, but it does become a p.i.t.a. to use it.
Many times I swear I'm going back to cable after coming home from there, but rope has so many other advantages over cable that I forgive the rope and rock guard situations.
The main issue I've had with cable is if/when it jumps the spool, it completely jams up the winch to the point you have to disassemble the whole winch to free it. Had that happen to me twice, and the last time, it put my machine and my buddy's machine in danger, and we had to wait for someone else to come along to help us get out of the situation.
I had synthetic jump the spool this year when I was winching my buddy up a steep sand dune, and there was only one direction to winch from. I knew it was going to probably screw my winch up, but we had to do what we had to do. The rope did hop the spool and cause a major mess which required me to have to rebuild my winch when I got home, but the rope didn't jam the winch, and we were able to keep using it to get him to the top.

Clearly some advantages to the synthetic rope over the steel.

 

[kickstart]

Clearly some advantages to the synthetic rope over the steel.

Yes, upsides and downsides to both. Wish there was a way to mount both on an atv without mounting two winches.

 

[mastrblastr]

I have synthetic rope on my front winch but I am leery of it after having the one on the back fail so easily. Cable can bind up if you get carried away with how much you spool out, but it’s still way tougher than synthetic rope IMO. I’ll stick with cable on my rear winch. I use that one more than the front anyways.

 

[mastrblastr]

New rack is slowly coming together. I have lots of time so no rush getting it done. I have one side partially completed and maybe a quarter of the welding done.

I have a Lincoln MP140 welder with a spoolgun that is an excellent little hobbyist welder. I’m a welder/fabricator and this little machine continues to impress me. Nice job Lincoln!! Keep in mind this is a 110V welding machine. It’s maxed right out welding this aluminum, but it still does a pretty good job.

 

[rubiranch]

New rack is slowly coming together. I have lots of time so no rush getting it done. I have one side partially completed and maybe a quarter of the welding done.

View attachment 75787

Looking good and nice welds.




Thanks kickstart, I had a few extra bucks laying around that I didn't know what to do with.

They had them in mixed colors too so I bought a box with a blue one and a green one for my friend and two new tethers too.



My KFI winch came with a blue tether and when it got tore up I tried to buy another one and the only way KFI would sell me one was with an accessory kit that included the rocker switch, solenoid and wiring for like $80 so I told them no thank you. My Warn winch came with a red tether.















Yep, I like to accessories with blue too.

 

[kickstart]

Looking good and nice welds.




Thanks kickstart, I had a few extra bucks laying around that I didn't know what to do with.

They had them in mixed colors too so I bought a box with a blue one and a green one for my friend and two new tethers too.



My KFI winch came with a blue tether and when it got tore up I tried to buy another one and the only way KFI would sell me one was with an accessory kit that included the rocker switch, solenoid and wiring for like $80 so I told them no thank you. My Warn winch came with a red tether.















Yep, I like to accessories with blue too.

It looks great! I love those little finishing touches and accents.
I need to find me another green flag whip. Mine fell through the cracks in my trailer last year, and I had to buy a black one down in Kanab because that's all they had.

 

[rubiranch]

It looks great! I love those little finishing touches and accents.
I need to find me another green flag whip. Mine fell through the cracks in my trailer last year, and I had to buy a black one down in Kanab because that's all they had.

If you find a source for colored ones let me know.
I got mine when the jamboree handed out flags for the guides and no longer being a guide I've lost my source.
The person who purchases them wont tell me where he buys them. He's an asshole. Maybe I'm the asshole.

 

[rubiranch]

I ordered a new belt and a few other odds and ends like the lid for the air filter. It faded so I got a new one.
My current belt has less than 1500 miles and barely 150 hrs on it.
It could use some adjusting but I think its a waste of time to tear it apart and not just put a new one on.

 

[Swanny52]

I ordered a new belt and a few other odds and ends like the lid for the air filter. It faded so I got a new one.
My current belt has less than 1500 miles and barely 150 hrs on it.
It could use some adjusting but I think its a waste of time to tear it apart and not just put a new one on.

Havent changed my belt in the 3 years that ive had my bike. I plan on changing it in a few weeks as well as my spark plug. Im just over 2000 miles on my 2017

 

[rubiranch]

Havent changed my belt in the 3 years that ive had my bike. I plan on changing it in a few weeks as well as my spark plug. Im just over 2000 miles on my 2017

I put a new one on every winter whether it needs it or not.

The original one actually went 3000 miles before it kept going into limp mode ever few hundred feet.

 

[mastrblastr]

Rack is coming together nicely. Have both main rails pretty much done and now need to start putting the lower framework on. Even though I pre cambered the rails before I welded them, I still got a bit of a bend in both of them that I will have to straighten out. No big deal. I’ll get that done today and start on the lower framework.

 

[rubiranch]

Rack is coming together nicely. Have both main rails pretty much done and now need to start putting the lower framework on. Even though I pre cambered the rails before I welded them, I still got a bit of a bend in both of them that I will have to straighten out. No big deal. I’ll get that done today and start on the lower framework.
View attachment 75794

That looks awesome. If I had to fabricate my own I'd be screwed.

 

[mastrblastr]

Got the rack done. Now I just use have to sell one kidney to afford the aluminum for the ramps.😡

 

[dman66]

Here ya go Swanny52, your new multi function running light, brake light, reverse light made by Infinite Offroad. All wired up and fuctioning. Looks pretty sweet too.

 

[dman66]

Here ya go Swanny52, your new multi function running light, brake light, reverse light made by Infinite Offroad. All wired up and fuctioning. Looks pretty sweet too.

View attachment 75800

 

[Swanny52]

View attachment 75800

Brake, Reverse & Chase Light (5 Functions) | infinite-offroad

Our all new brake, reverse and chase light is now available. 5 functions in a small and easy to install package: Strobe, brake light, running light, reverse light & courtesy/cooler light Simply use the included tube clams to bolt to a tube or use the L bracket to mount to a flat surface. Then...

www.infiniteoffroad.com

 

[rubiranch]

One more cable vs rope comment. The rope is just soo much easier to handle and the rope does not store energy like a cable does.



I got up early and laded it into the back of my truck.
We are headed out to Devil's Racetrack.

 

[mastrblastr]

Rack is pretty much done. The paint on the pipe assemblies that the ramps hook onto isn’t dry yet so couldn’t bolt them on, so just leaned the ramp against the rack for the photo op. Ramps still need a bit of work. Everything is sooooo much lighter than my steel rack. Put my steel rack up for sale and sold it in three days! At least I recouped some of the money I had to put out to buy the aluminum to build this one.

 

[kickstart]

I got bored today and decided to helicoil all the rocker cover bolt holes 1 thru 4 on both heads. Some were feeling a little soft when I unscrewed them last week.
It really sucks when you get everything in place and you go to tighten those little suckers and one of them strips out on you. Won't have to worry about that ever again.😉
Then I got them cleaned up and in boxes to take to the machine shop tomorrow.

 

[rubiranch]

I installed some new parts.





The old belt. It even had a crack or two in it. 1531 miles and 151.3 hours is all it has on it.



These little pins appear to be taking a beating.



The new belt.



Last week when we were out riding The Devil's racetrack my right heated grip quit working so I bought I bought new ones and put them on today too.

I ran out of time so I'll put the new spark plugs in tomorrow.
I sure like the way the new belt engages. I marvel at how much they go down hill in only 1500 miles.