12K Syn Rope on 9.5K Winch?

I’m new to using a winch. A
friend passed down a Smittybilt XRC 9.5K with steel cables. I want to replace with synthetic rope. Just wondering if there are cons in using a 12k rated rope on a 9.5K winch. I do understand that the winch load must still be kept within the winch specs. Thanks for the input.

 

Two things to consider:

Does it fit: what's the rope size and length? Check to see if the combo of rope diameter and length (like 3/8" x 100 feet) can fit on your drum.

Is it enough weight: Your winch may only be rated to 9500 lbs but if you use a snatch block you can almost double the load.

Based on the second item, I personally would not use the rope. I always look for a 2:1 winch max to line max.