How are you terminating your winch rope?

[ccw]

I'm planning out my winch setup for when I get my Tremor. Going to have the OEM winch, and this will be my first winch so I've been reading up a storm.

While the included hook is great, the fact it shouldn't be stored against the fairlead and needs to be hooked onto a tow hook is a dealbreaker:

• Looks pretty bad IMO if you aren't actively off-road.
• Exposes the rope to UV, road grime, kicked up rocks, and bugs while driving.

So, knowing I can't keep the Warn Epic hook I'm considering other options and am curious what others have done.

Options I'm currently considering:

1. Factor 55 Flat Splicer. Love that it sits flat against the fairlead, and the Factor 55 stuff is great quality. https://factor55.com/product/flat-splicer-new/
2. Using a Factor 55 Loop Guard when the rope is stored to protect it, then using the bare loop at the end of the rope when in use. Could be used with either a soft or hard shackle depending on the situation. https://factor55.com/product/loop-guards/

Option 2 seems really appealing to me. Leaves no metal at the end of the rope when in use (other than added rigging) and tucks up neatly against the fairlead when stored, fully protecting the rope. Also cheaper than the metal thimbles.

Is there a downside I'm missing? Other options I should be considering?

Editing to clarify: I'm aware that both of the options above will require removing the basic metal thimble included with the winch and doing custom splicing. I'm totally OK with that.

 

[Apparition]

TRE Safety Thimble II

Winch Safety Thimble - Tactical Recovery Equipment

The “Original” Winch Safety Thimble since 1998. Designed to prevent the thimble from getting pulled into the fairlead where most accidents happen in winching, often due to winch “run-on” from electric winches.

www.tacticalrecoveryequipment.com

 

[RAVAGE88]

I'm using this:

FlatLink MultiMount

The Flatlink Multimount is designed for difficult off-camber vehicle recovery scenarios where two different winch pull directions are often necessary. Two additional shackle pin mounting holes provide secure shackle attach points for multiple winch pull directions, while the center hole provides...

factor55.com

I didn't like the supplied hook being attached to a tow hook with exposed "cable."

MB

 

[ccw]

I'm using this:

FlatLink MultiMount

The Flatlink Multimount is designed for difficult off-camber vehicle recovery scenarios where two different winch pull directions are often necessary. Two additional shackle pin mounting holes provide secure shackle attach points for multiple winch pull directions, while the center hole provides...

factor55.com

I didn't like the supplied hook being attached to a tow hook with exposed "cable."

MB

Why did you get the MultiMount? I'm still trying to figure out when something like that would be useful as opposed to a standard thimble setup.

Agreed on not liking the exposed rope when attached to a tow hook.

 

[texmudder]

I have the exact same winch on my side by side. As do all the people we ride with. We always have them against the fair lead. In fact if i was to walk into my garage right now it would be against it. Never had any issues.

 

[RAVAGE88]

Why did you get the MultiMount? I'm still trying to figure out when something like that would be useful as opposed to a standard thimble setup.

Agreed on not liking the exposed rope when attached to a tow hook.

No specific reason other than additional options for setting up to winch. I've played with the MultiMount a bit while tension winding and really like the closed system winching concept. The anodized Aluminum is tougher than I thought it would be and I've pulled on it pretty damn hard.

I like how it cinches against the fairlead with no exposed rope, but you have to be careful while bumping the excess in to tighten it up. I got just over half inch of my middle finger (left hand) between the flatline and fairlead ( a week ago today) and pinched it off. A trip to the ER was necessary to sew it back on.

MB

 

[ccw]

I have the exact same winch on my side by side. As do all the people we ride with. We always have them against the fair lead. In fact if i was to walk into my garage right now it would be against it. Never had any issues.

Interesting! So no damage to the hook or fairlead with the metal on metal contact?

 

[ccw]

No specific reason other than additional options for setting up to winch. I've played with the MultiMount a bit while tension winding and really like the closed system winching concept. The anodized Aluminum is tougher than I thought it would be and I've pulled on it pretty damn hard.

I like how it cinches against the fairlead with no exposed rope, but you have to be careful while bumping the excess in to tighten it up. I got just over half inch of my middle finger (left hand) between the flatline and fairlead ( a week ago today) and pinched it off. A trip to the ER was necessary to sew it back on.

MB

That’s fair. Also like the idea of closed system winching.

Well that’s terrifying! Definitely a good reminder, and I can see why all the winch guidance says to use a strap or cord or something when cinching up the hook/whatever to the fairlead lol.

Glad it was able to be sewn back on!

 

[RAVAGE88]

That’s fair. Also like the idea of closed system winching.

Well that’s terrifying! Definitely a good reminder, and I can see why all the winch guidance says to use a strap or cord or something when cinching up the hook/whatever to the fairlead lol.

Glad it was able to be sewn back on!

Yep, totally my fault. There was a lot happening around me and I switched to the wired controller because I have more control over those last few inches of rope. I was holding the flatlink very specifically and bumped the button one too many times. The pressure cleanly pinched off the end of my finger....I took the stitches out today and it looks pretty good now.

MB

 

[ccw]

Yep, totally my fault. There was a lot happening around me and I switched to the wired controller because I have more control over those last few inches of rope. I was holding the flatlink very specifically and bumped the button one too many times. The pressure cleanly pinched off the end of my finger....I took the stitches out today and it looks pretty good now.

MB

Oof. Amazing how easily those sorts of things happen. Good to hear it’s looking good now, and now you have a good story.

 

[RAVAGE88]

Oof. Amazing how easily those sorts of things happen. Good to hear it’s looking good now, and now you have a good story.

Yessir, always a good story.

MB

 

[soulezoo]

That’s fair. Also like the idea of closed system winching.

Well that’s terrifying! Definitely a good reminder, and I can see why all the winch guidance says to use a strap or cord or something when cinching up the hook/whatever to the fairlead lol.

Glad it was able to be sewn back on!

Wow. I've seen my share of bad winch accidents in my day (worst was a guy that had his leg severed clean off in the middle of the Rubicon) but that's a new one for me! Pray you recover fully. ?
That's what that little blue strap supplied with the factory hook is for!!

 

[RAVAGE88]

Wow. I've seen my share of bad winch accidents in my day (worst was a guy that had his leg severed clean off in the middle of the Rubicon) but that's a new one for me! Pray you recover fully. ?
That's what that little blue strap supplied with the factory hook is for!!

Yessir, relatively speaking, this was pretty small in comparison to what it could’ve been.

And, I need to put the blue strap on the flatlink.

MB

 

[Potato Wilson]

Wow. I've seen my share of bad winch accidents in my day (worst was a guy that had his leg severed clean off in the middle of the Rubicon) but that's a new one for me! Pray you recover fully. ?
That's what that little blue strap supplied with the factory hook is for!!

Wow! The accident we've all been warned about. Sorry you had to see that.

Ravage88, glad to hear they put you back together successfully. My workmate sheared the end of his middle finger off in a car door at work a couple weeks ago. Took the tip to the hospital, but they couldn't sew it back on. ?

 

[RAVAGE88]

Ravage88, glad to hear they put you back together successfully. My workmate sheared the end of his middle finger off in a car door at work a couple weeks ago. Took the tip to the hospital, but they couldn't sew it back on. ?

Jeez-O-Peet! The end of my finger was dangling by about an eighth inch of meat. I was going to snip it off the rest of the way and bandage it but my Wife demanded I get in the car so we could go to the ER. The x-ray tech almost hurled when she came in to do the imaging, but the Dr. sewed it back on while I videoed it.

MB

 

[Vermonster]

Option two looks like a pacifier for the truck. ? ?

I’d avoid that option based on looks alone. ?

 

[soulezoo]

Well that sounds a little better then when I ran my middle finger through the table saw!! Don't trust man with forked middle finger!!

 

[ccw]

Option two looks like a pacifier for the truck. ? ?

I’d avoid that option based on looks alone. ?

Lol! Well I hadn’t seen that before, but now you call it out I don’t know if I’ll be able to unsee it. Dang it!

 

[soulezoo]

There's some great products out there that are just nice looking and functional. Factor 55 really has some cutting edge great looking stuff.

Guess I am just old school set in my ways and the Warn hook is good enough for me. It's still gonna take me awhile to trust synthetic rope and soft shackles. Now I have invested in the stuff, but am still hard wired to steel. No pun intended.

 

[ccw]

There's some great products out there that are just nice looking and functional. Factor 55 really has some cutting edge great looking stuff.

Guess I am just old school set in my ways and the Warn hook is good enough for me. It's still gonna take me awhile to trust synthetic rope and soft shackles. Now I have invested in the stuff, but am still hard wired to steel. No pun intended.

Ya it’s definitely strange seeing soft rope and shackles in high load situations. Intuition says the steel must be stronger, but obviously years of use and testing around the world has shown otherwise.

How are you storing the Warn hook? Against the fairlead or hanging off a tow hook?