Chain or tow rope?

[HankG]

Tow strap. No matter how confident you are in your own ability to handle a chain, it doesn't matter when you aren't the one doing the pulling. As lil_Blue_Ford mentioned, people can and have died during recovery attempts. Don't make it any more dangerous than it has to be.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Tow strap. No matter how confident you are in your own ability to handle a chain, it doesn't matter when you aren't the one doing the pulling. As lil_Blue_Ford mentioned, people can and have died during recovery attempts. Don't make it any more dangerous than it has to be.

Thus why I carry an assortment of recovery gear, lol.

Plus the fact that I've used all of that gear for various things in the line of my work....

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

The correct way to use a strap is to pull on the stuck vehicle until the recovery vehicle spins out, stop and put it in park. Then using the extra strain from the stretched out strap to help as you try to drive the stuck vehicle out. Getting a run and slamming on it is asking for trouble. Straps stretch like a rubber band, don't think for a second they won't hurt if they (or anything else involved in the recovery) breaks.

Chains work too, ease into it to get the slack out of and just pull it. If you are using the right chain you will be pulling parts off of your truck before the chain breaks. I got stuck three times this winter, easing into it drug me back to easy going.

We have tugged dead or stuck tractors and trucks around with chains and clevises for years, knocking on wood we have never had a problem. We take everything very easy though, and don't try to rush anything.

After the past winter, I got a strap to keep in my truck as soon as I found one. They are lighter and more compact than chains to live with full time and don't get rusty and leave nasty stains everywhere. Plus I don't have to dig thru the snow to try to find one everytime I get stuck, it fits easily under my back seat.

By the way, you want a RECOVERY STRAP, not a TOW ROPE. There is a difference, for recovery you don't want anything with hooks besides a chain, straps have looped ends.

 

[ozziemo27]

I remember hearing a couple years ago about a guy who tried doing that sort of thing with a Jeep (IIRC it was a Cherokee). Clevis failed at the pin and came through the back window of the Jeep, through the seat back, through the driver's head, through the windshield, stretched tight and snapped back under the Jeep hard enough to wedge itself on. The strap had to be cut to get the body out.....

Be safe ya'll!

By clevis do you mean shackle?

clevis:

shackle:

Aren't you supposed to have the load (the strap in this case) on the pin so if the pin fails, the shackle stays at the vehicle and just the strap goes flying? (dangerous but less dangerous than a strap + a shackle. Thats the way I do it when winching off of a treesaver, you put the clevis at the end of the winch line on the pin of the shackle and have the body of the shackle around the treesaver strap?


Also, don't forget the different kinds of straps, such as recovery and tow straps, recovery straps are made to stretch and then recoil, tow straps are not made to yank, sometimes you have to gun it to get somebody out and using the proper recovery strap, you can do that safely. tow straps are just for towing, if you try and yank somebody out with a "tow" strap you just get stopped in your tracks, and it doesn't work as well. the recoveries you can yank and it'll slow you down and sling the other guy out, tow straps are good for whats stated in their name, towing, dragging crap, not yanking. recovery straps aren't that great for towing because they stretch, each strap has their use and their place and i usually like to carry both.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

By clevis do you mean shackle?

clevis:

shackle:

Aren't you supposed to have the load (the strap in this case) on the pin so if the pin fails, the shackle stays at the vehicle and just the strap goes flying? (dangerous but less dangerous than a strap + a shackle. Thats the way I do it when winching off of a treesaver, you put the clevis at the end of the winch line on the pin of the shackle and have the body of the shackle around the treesaver strap?

Never seen it that way, but I have never seen the tree saver thing. Usually you hold the clevis (or shackle) up to the drawbar or ball-less receiver and insert the pin thru the holes of the clevis and the hole in the hitch. Pull off the looped part of the clevis.

Imagine the hitch on my champion recovery rig of the year is vertical and a clevis rather than horizontal and welded to the drawbar. I used that same exact hitch for tractor pulling... never had a bit of a problem with it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/85_Ranger/09-10 Blizzard/100_1173.jpg?t=1269231223

 

[ozziemo27]

Never seen it that way, but I have never seen the tree saver thing. Usually you hold the clevis (or shackle) up to the drawbar or ball-less receiver and insert the pin thru the holes of the clevis and the hole in the hitch. Pull off the looped part of the clevis.

Imagine the hitch on my champion recovery rig of the year is vertical and a clevis rather than horizontal and welded to the drawbar. I used that same exact hitch for tractor pulling... never had a bit of a problem with it.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v623/85_Ranger/09-10 Blizzard/100_1173.jpg?t=1269231223

I can picture what you're talking about, yea, if that pin fails, you're screwed, lol, but seriously tho, a shackle of the appropriate size used appropriately should not fail. I use a smittybuilt 3/4" its pretty beasty for what I use it for (winching my truck out)

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I have a serious clevis/shackle and hook....

 

[ozziemo27]

I have a serious clevis/shackle and hook....

lolwut

 

[Ozwynn]

I have never broken a chain. I have broken straps. I used a chain that has a 6600 pound working load limit (thats over a 20,000 pound break strength) if I feel i need to I use 2 chains or 3...... I'll pulls parts off before my chains break......... If I can pull a loaded Semi with 3 chains with another loaded semi I can pull your pick up out of the ditch.

That being said ....... on the trail I carry straps because space is a premium when you got to carry tools and spare parts.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I can picture what you're talking about, yea, if that pin fails, you're screwed, lol, but seriously tho, a shackle of the appropriate size used appropriately should not fail. I use a smittybuilt 3/4" its pretty beasty for what I use it for (winching my truck out)

That is the way they have been used on the farm since the 20's to pull a pull-type plow... that is quite a bit of stress.

I used to do a lot of tractor pulling, that is how those that didn't have custom hitches like mine hooked up... never saw one break.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

One thing that should probably be mentioned is that if you're going to use a clevis/shackle, don't buy one of the cheap ones made in china. Get a good high quality one from a farm supply store or from a towing/rigging supply store.

I have some little stainless steel ones from Home Depot, but they only get used for on our lawn tractors, securing loads in the bed of my truck and such.

 

[r1hatman]

That video was too damn funny! Go speed racer! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA


In all seriousness, when I was in the Army we tried to pull a jeep out with an APC and a chain, well the result was a busted wind shield and The guy driving the jeep missed getting his head taken off by about 2 feet!

 

[Ozwynn]

That video was too damn funny! Go speed racer! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA


In all seriousness, when I was in the Army we tried to pull a jeep out with an APC and a chain, well the result was a busted wind shield and The guy driving the jeep missed getting his head taken off by about 2 feet!

then you were using the wrong amount of chains.

 

[r1hatman]

It wasn't me, it was the motor pool guys. I think they had about 30 ft. Crazy!

 

[erocka1982]

i got me a tow strap and a chain...i like to hear the chain smack around in the bed, but i use the strap for recovery...lol