Winch questions

[UKTJ]

I am looking to buy a winch for my TJ which is unlikely to ever weigh more than 4,500lbs.  I will be specifying synthetic rope and read on another thread a potential issue with melting the rope with a brake that is not at the end of the drum.  How big of an issue is this?

 

I have also read that the quoted line pull for a winch is based on the first layer of rope and that this can reduce by around half for the fourth layer.  So presumably for a 4,500lbs Jeep I would need a winch with a line pull of at least 9,000lbs.  Is that right?  Out of interest is the first layer the top layer or bottom layer, or put another way does line pull increase or decrease as more rope is wound off the winch?

 

Thanks in advance for any input.

[V]

You won't regret fitting an 8,000lbs or 9,000lbs winch in the front. A lighter, slower, less powerful, cheaper winch is fine for the rear if you ever want one.

 

The wrap closest to the central core of the drum is the first wrap (first layer). This has the strongest pull.

 

Melting rope is only an issue if your winch is working hard and the energy absorbed by the brake is generating a lot of heat in the drum. I have partially melted synthetic rope to a drum brake winch before, but not enough for it to snap under load. The face of the rope in contact with the drum melted flat but the other side was fine. I cut the melted section off and just used the shorter rope until I changed to an end mounted brake winch with a new rope.