The Ford Bronco Everglades' Winch Is One Of Its Most Unique Features
The Ford Bronco is already quite the rugged overlanding machine from the factory. That said, owners still need to add a few things here and there from the aftermarket to make their big horse the stallion of their dreams, including a winch to get themselves and/or others out of trouble off the beaten trail. Those who opted to take the Bronco Everglades trim package while waiting for their 2022 Bronco to hit the production line, though, didn't need to go out and buy a winch, since the Everglades already has one from Warn mounted on its sturdy stamped steel front bumper.
Most winches available on the market, including the majority of those from Warn, utilize aircraft-grade steel cables to assist with rescues and removing debris from the trail. Such cables are cheap to produce and require little maintenance on and off the trail, not to mention offer great strength for pulling the heaviest objects. However, steel cables do have their drawbacks, beginning with their heavier weight and tendency to develop kinks and burrs over time.
Synthetic cables to the rescue
The Ford Bronco Everglades comes equipped with the Ford Performance by Warn Winch Kit, the centerpiece of which is the Warn ZEON 10-S winch. Mounted upon the heavy-duty steel modular front bumper, the winch pulls up to 10,000 pounds with the aid of 100 feet of synthetic line. Introduced in the mid-1990s, synthetic line became the preferred alternative to steel cable for a few reasons, including its significantly lighter weight and greater flexibility. Both of those features alone make winches equipped with synthetic line one of the best things to happen to off-roading.
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The most important difference between steel cable and synthetic line, though, is tied to safety in the great wide open. Steel cables store more energy than synthetic line while pulling a given object. If the steel cable is weakened enough to snap while pulling, the broken cable becomes a projectile capable of maiming or killing anyone unfortunate to be in its path (as videos such as this one from Ronny Dahl on YouTube demonstrate). Synthetic line, on the other hand, will go slack upon snapping at its weakest point. It's this feature that likely steered Ford into equipping the Warn ZEON 10-S winch on the Bronco Everglades, ensuring customers have one less worry should trouble strike on their next overlanding adventure.