Working With Dyneema

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I did enough research on this stuff to know that it is what I wanted on my winch. But when I actually got it in hand, it only reinforced my decision. I'm not very experienced in winching while off road. I've only done a few basic recoveries of actual stuck trucks. However, I have used the Warn 6000 that I have on the Series for doing the work on trees that I constantly have going in my back yard. I've done 50-60 pulls, including with block and tackle, off center, or back to the truck, up hill, down hill, whatever.

Here are the pros:
  • Light weight (the winch cable weighed in at about 20 lbs, the rope is about 2 lbs.)
  • It floats
  • You don't need to wear gloves to handle it, light duty gloves for actually running it through your hands would be optimal.
  • When the line breaks, it is much less dangerous than a wire rope. In fact, unless it has some tackle attached, I'd venture to say that even if you happened to be directly in line, you would not end up with debilitating injury. A big welt? Yes. But this isn't a license to go doing stupid things.
  • When the line breaks, it is repairable in the field. You'd lose a few feet of length, but you'd be able to reattach and keep winching.
  • When you don't keep tension on the spool, the line does not have spring in it that causes it to unwind -- it stays neat on the drum.
  • A kink is not a kink. Just turn it over and untwist like a normal rope.
  • It does not permanently kink if bent. Nor does it permanently flatten. Both of these would cause bumps and gaps in the spool when on the drum.
  • When pulling it off the drum, it flops nicely to the ground where you want, not in big spools of heavy steel that cause tripping hazards and such.
  • Other modifications or repairs can be done to the line by the average user with some practice and without special tools.
Cons:
  • It must be kept from sharp edges, rocks especially.
  • A heat source near it would be bad.
  • Some fuzziness in the threads from use is normal, but if any one strand is damaged, the rope should probably be replaced.
  • It should be kept clean. And cleaned after each use.
  • You can't just drag it across the ground or over a log, or whatever.
  • Long term UV damage is probably a thing.
  • Use of more expensive tackle to avoid fraying is probably a thing.
  • It is more expensive.
In the end, the ease of use and safety is well worth it to me.

Links:
 

SARTech

Well-known member
Thanks for the info and videos. Ill be making some soft shackles soon. I have quite a lot of old 1/2 Samson amsteel blue laying around.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I think I need to find some more to buy to use for shackles and such. Any ideas where to buy ‘raw’?
 

Ash

Active member
Let me get this straight: you want to make your own recovery equipment?

Why not? I've cut up some old leftover 3/8" synthetic line and spliced it into all sorts of handy lengths, from 25' extensions to tree savers and short tug lines. If you know how to splice properly there's nothing keeping your own rigging from working as well as something you'd buy.

-Ash
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
I'm of the mind that it would be a valuable thing to know how to do, at least.

If anyone wants to sell me something like 10' of this stuff, I'd be interested to have to play with, even if it was used. I'm curious about how it does in the dirt, and in learning to clean it.
 

Adam

Well-known member
Yep, my entire recovery kit is soft, seems much safer. I just don't look as cool as the Jeep kids w/out d rings out in the elements everywhere.
 
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Ash

Active member
I'm of the mind that it would be a valuable thing to know how to do, at least.

If anyone wants to sell me something like 10' of this stuff, I'd be interested to have to play with, even if it was used. I'm curious about how it does in the dirt, and in learning to clean it.

PM me your address and I'll send you a section of some 5/16" I have laying around.

@chris snell you too if you want to see how easy it is to work with.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Awesome! If you stick it in one of the small fixed rate USPS boxes, I'll PayPal you in return. PM coming.
 

Red90

Well-known member
My seven cents, don't undersize the rope. An 8000 or 9000 pound winch should have 3/8" rope. 7/16 or 1/2" for a 12000 pound winch. You'll happily get many years of pull out of it without worrying about breakage. Ropes and tackle flying are not the scary part about breakage. It is the truck rolling off a 2000 foot cliff that is the worry.

Anyway, when it starts to look worn out, get a new one. Rope cost is nothing compared to other things. Just buy bulk and splice it yourself. As above, you want to know how for that day you need it in the bush.
 

BarryO

Well-known member
  • Breaking in the field... not sure what to think of this guy and his knots, but you can get a clear picture of what a straight line break would look like when pulling a truck, twice:

Oh brother. This guy really knows nothing about knots. Ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylenes like Dyneema are very slippery and notoriously difficult to tie. Not sure what type of knot (a bend, actually) he was attempting to tie, but you can see it starts to roll under tension; not good. Rolling usually tightens up a bend but in this case the rope still pulled through.

If you're going to try this type of field repair, a Triple Fisherman's is probably your best bet in Dyneema (a Double is too likely to pull through). Even then I'd probably put stopper knots on either side, and leave long (about 1 foot) tails, and hope for the best.
 

RBBailey

NAS-ROW Addict
Callsign: KF7KFZ
Yeah, this is one reason I want some to play with. You can see his knots slipping in the video! Some research will need to be done to see what knots will work for this, but you're probably right about the triple fisherman's. Odd, since I'm no Boy Scout, but that's actually the knot I thought he was going to tie in the first few seconds of that sequence.
 

uc4me

Well-known member
And if you don't know how to tie a knot..tie a lot. (memorable saying lobster fishing with my salty father in law).
 
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