Winch cables don’t last forever, and when they do fail the results are often catastrophic and/or costly. This is why cable inspection and maintenance are vitally important.

While most winch cables (also known as ‘wire rope’) are lubricated during the manufacturing process, the factory-applied lube is only adequate for the initial storage of the cable, as well as the early stages of its service life.

Correct winch-cable lubrication is important for two reasons:

1. It reduces friction between the individual wire strands.
2. It provides protection against corrosion.

CORE IMPORTANCE

Typically speaking, winch cables fail at their core. This is because the inner portion of the cable is often poorly lubricated and prone to corrosion. To make matters worse: Core corrosion is difficult to see and monitor, which makes rust prevention that much more critical as there’s no way of knowing when the rope will fail!

On that note, there are two types of cable lubrication: External and internal. For the reasons mentioned above, it’s crucial that a high-quality penetrating oil is used when lubricating a winch cable. However, it should be noted that overly thin lubes (such as most multi-purpose oils) tend to dry out quickly and are not ideal for winch-cable maintenance.

In contrast, grease-like lubricants are generally too thick to adequately penetrate the cable’s core. They also have a tendency to gather dirt and lead to further maintenance issues. 

Most winch cables fail from the inside. This is due to incorrect lubrication that’s unable to penetrate the cable’s core. While the cable may look healthy on the outside, the inner core may be significantly weakened due to rust and corrosion. This is why it’s important to use a dedicated winch cable lubricant that deeply protects the cable from the inside out.

IDEAL WINCH CABLE LUBRICANT

The ideal winch cable lubricant should be thin in its application, but then have the ability to drive out moisture, protect against corrosion, and quickly solidify into a more adhesive state.

What’s more, the lubricant should be clear in colour. This makes it easier to inspect the cable in the future for potential fraying.

That said, the lifespan of your winch cable is directly proportional to the effectiveness of its maintenance, and if lubricated correctly, the service life of the cable should more than double.

Thankfully, CRC Industries’ boasts a ‘Chain & Wire Rope Lubricant’ that’s specifically formulated for winch cables. This special blend of synthetic lubricants, solvents and Molybdenum, are designed to keep hard-working chains and cables in peak operating condition.

CRC’s ‘Chain & Wire Rope Lubricant’ is clear in colour, deep penetrating, and because the formula is petroleum based, will help to clean the cable as the lube is applied.

What’s more, thanks to the product’s incredibly fast evaporation rate, the lube quickly thickens after application and deeply coats each wire strand with a non-drying protective film and lubricant.

APPLICATIONS INCLUDE…

• Winches
• Low speed conveyors
• Drive chains
• Hoists
• Rollers
• Garage doors
• Bushings
• Seals
• O-rings
• Come-alongs

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Is it time to ditch your lead-acid battery for lithium-ion technology?

While some overland travellers have migrated away from lead-acid batteries in favour of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4), others are not yet convinced of the economics.

Although it may be true that the higher costs of a LiFePO4 auxiliary battery make it harder to justify in a vehicle-based application (where the system is only used a few times a year), there are significant recharge benefits to switching to a LiFePO4 dual-battery setup.

Economics aside, the real question is: How much better performing is LiFePO4 when compared to lead-acid batteries?  And, does that performance justify the higher upfront costs?

BATTERY TESTS

Boasting a range of DC-DC chargers that are all lithium, AGM and wet-cell compatible, National Luna recently tested three battery options that are commonly used within the leisure market. We conducted these tests by discharging each battery type by 70Ah, and then recorded the recharge performance using our 25A and 40A DC-DC chargers.

As shown in the graphs below, the LiFePO4 battery features a longer ‘Bulk’ charging stage in relation to its shorter ‘Absorption’ stage. This is thanks to lithium having a better ‘Conversion Efficiency’, which means the LiFePO4 battery reaches its full capacity in a far shorter period.

In contrast, the recharge performance of the wet-cell and AGM batteries is hindered by a disproportionately short ‘Bulk’ stage, in comparison to a longer ‘Absorption’ stage.

What’s more, the extra 15 amps of the NLDC-40 help the LiFePO4 battery reach a full charge in less than 2-hours. Needless to say, a rapid recharge cycle is supremely practical in terms of driving times and how you plan your road trip.

PROS & CONS

Of course, only you can decide if the above data justifies a migration, but aside from the rate of recharge, there are several other pros and cons to consider.

LiFePO4 PROS:

• Charges faster
• Significantly lighter (important for portable systems)
• Can be deeply discharged without greatly affecting battery life
• Has a longer life span

LiFePO4 CONS:

• Heat sensitive
• Costly initial expense
• Requires a unique charging algorithm
• Cannot be charged directly from your vehicle’s alternator
• Can have a much lower current limit, making it unsuitable for high-current applications, i.e. winching and engine cranking

SUMMARY

With the above points in mind, it’s clear that the decision to adopt LiFePO4 technology has less to do with economics, and more to do with the convenience of having a fast-charging dual-battery system.

That said, it’s really a personal question of whether the performance benefits of a LiFePO4 battery are enough to overlook the initial costs of the newfangled technology.

However, it should also be noted that the integration of a solar panel will also greatly influence your decision, as well as your camping habits: Do you typically drive long distances between camps, do you move around a lot, or do you tend to stay in one campsite for a few days?

What’s more, not all DC-DC chargers support lithium technology, so make sure your DC- DC unit is lithium compatible before you make any changes to your dual-battery setup.

Brought to you by National Luna

The post Lithium-Ion vs lead-acid deep cycle dual-battery system appeared first on 4WD Revolution.