any one whos has ever used a winch, cable, chains and a come along should read this article it is well done and factual.
http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/Recovery/
I know this guys sounds like me, but trust when I say I found this article a few years ago and admire the quality of his fact checking and use of references. Far better quality than any manual I would produce you see.
The first job I had out of highschool was working for a fellow named Robin may he rest in peace. We used warn winches to lift and manuver thousands of pounds of lumber concrete and steel over a period of three years. The work was hazarous at the best of times and we never had a single tragic accident or any broken bones, not one of us ever had to call for help useing our vhf, although our equiptment always stranded us in places you cant walk out, Ie samsun narrows with a fifty foot dock in tow and your engine dies cause its overheating cause the bracket holding the freshwatter interchanger has corroded to the point of being dust. We always mannaged to fix it and limp it home or onto the job!
Some good information there. I use synthetic winch line myself because it doesn't store nearly as much kinetic energy and won't take an arm or leg off if it snaps. Steel cable winch line sketches me out. Synthetic is also stronger than steel, and weighs a lot less.
really good fact, and a definite upgrade over steel cable in perfect conditions. I have heard that synthetic is prone to damage easier, although not having run it before. I can say no more on the subject but ask how you find yours is holding up? Also when considering you may have to handle up to 3X your fully loaded wheight in some conditions it is ok to go overboard. When things are dialed in and using a properly selected winch for your total loaded wheight breakage can often be avoided. No matter if you are burried up to the frame or trying to get back up that 70% grade you came down an hour ago.
that being said I must reiterate what my friend said steel cable as stated can hold enormos amounts of kinetic energy, I have heard stories of 1" cable snapping and cutting a man in two from more than one old salt.
I would love to go synthetic but worry I would just destroy it the first time I used it.
this is why having the knowledge to calculate a pull or at the very least knowing the winch you bought can lift your truck fully loaded off the ground and hold it there is worth your life.
play safe out there. get informed and make good choices