Trailer cable strength

mr gibbs2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
Messages
121
Hello ,I have a 23 foot grady white gulfstreem weighing a little over 6000 pounds with gas and gear on a 8800 pound load roller trailer . I need a winch cable that will do the job .the cables I see for sale are 1/4 diamater and 5000 pound breaking, but 1400 pounds working load ,what does that really mean when winching up the boat ? I have also been looking at just buying cable and a hook but need to know how big to go . Any reccomendations to be safe .
Thanks in advance
 

Frank Acampora

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Messages
12,004
Remember that you are not lifting the boat directly up using the cable. Pull loads are (or should be with a properly set-up trailer) much less. Plus, if you use a pulley and hook at the bow eye you are halving the pull load.

I have 1/4 inch cable on my winch and really, if I had my druthers, I would go to synthetic rope designed for winches. The cable is stiff and takes a set making it difficult to handle, it tends to fray a strand or two at various points, cutting you when you least suspect it.
 

UncleWillie

Captain
Joined
Oct 18, 2011
Messages
3,995
Assume 10% of the loads weight if using rollers, and 25% for bunks.
Allow another 25% for pulling up the typical 17 degree (30%) incline of the ramp.
So 35% for a roller trailer and 50% for a bunk trailer.

Your 8800lb rolling load will resist 8800 x 0.35 = 3100lbs on a good day.
You will need a winch and cable rated for at least 3100lbs WORKING Strength.
5/16 cable will do the job at a 3.5x safety factor, or 3/8 cable with a 5x safety factor. (When New!)
6000 to 10,000 lbs working sounds like a better bet.
Designing to the minimums never works out in the end and no one ever complained their winch was too strong.

Nylon winch straps have a lot to be recommend over steel cables.
The more cable/strap you put on the winch the weaker the pull becomes.
If you do not routinely need more than 10 feet of cable/strap, just install 10 feet!
 

gm280

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
14,585
If you ever got your hands all cut up with cable, you will not even hesitate to use straps on your winch. It is amazing to see and feel the cable fray along the length and cut you when you least expected it...OUCH!
 

mr gibbs2

Petty Officer 2nd Class
Joined
Aug 20, 2004
Messages
121
I

I like the 3/8 with 6000 pound working load I find that over kill is most of the time better ,safer thanks
 

MTboatguy

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Jul 8, 2010
Messages
8,988
I use one of the new synthetic ropes that they use on tug boats for my heavy weight boat, it is virtually unbreakable and it is amazing how much that thing will take, I also use it on my 12,500K winch as well as my lift cable on my snow plow that weighs in at about 1200 pounds, it is good stuff.
 
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