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SAFE recovery explained

22K views 113 replies 48 participants last post by  GMKLR50 
#1 · (Edited)
This thread is being put together by request . For those that do not know me i am a 30 year veteran of the towing ind . I am wreckmaster level 23 certified operator .

The following information and photos are here to help the occasional user of winches and recovery equimpent for safe use of said items .

First and formost , do NOT underestimate what your doing . Lets use a 4,000 lb rig as a base . Because the rig weighs 4,000 lbs does not mean that a recovery strap rated for 4,000 will recovery this vehicle when it is stuck .

If using a winch the winch should be rated for a minimum of 8,000 lbs to recover a 4,000 lb rig . The reason is the pull required to free a stuck vehicle will far exceed the weight . Twice the weight is recommended as a minimum , a winch supplies a stead even pull unlike a recovery strap .

If this same rig is to be freed with a recovery strap 16,000 lb strap would be bare minimum . The reasoning here is that a jerk rather then a steady pull will be applied there for creating a much larger amount of force then a winch .

I personally do not recommend purchasing any thing less then a 3 " quality recovery strap . 3" strap will be rated at or near 30,000lb depending on there quality . This is the maximum for that strap when new . Continued use will reduce its strenght over time there for i highly recommend this as a minimum .

If you wheel a full size rig that can easily weigh 6,000 + lbs then do your self a favor , purchase a 6" strap 48,000 to 55,000 lb rating . Common price is less then $100.00 It will last much longer then a 3 " , it will not break when you need it most and it will save lives when used .

Clevis is an important item to carry , DO NOT use a pin style clevis . Use a thread in clevis like the one in the photo 3/4 inch minimum on this item .

Threaded shackle and 3" strap



proper connection , make sure you and the rig you hook to have a solid hook point , do not turst the other person that there bumper is solid , tow hook and so on . 2 bolts grade 8 3/8 or larger thread size are minimum to secure a tow point for a lite weight rig .



Do not connect 2 straps together with a shackle , this is death waiting to happen . The schakle is a lethal weapon if ether strap breaks .

THIS PHOTO IS A NO NO do not use this method nor be around any one that does use it .



2 straps may be hooked together to gain lenght if needed . this can be done with an ordinary stick creating a solid connection and a much safer method . this stick weighs less then the bolt in the clevis let alone the clevis its self . The purpose of the stick is simple to get the straps back apart .




Winching . I strongly recommend synthetic rope , i have used synthtic and broken it as well . It is much lighter to work with , does not bur and injure your hands and # 1 thing , it does not fly when broken . It falls quickly and safely to the ground . If you are using wire rope aka cable then place a blanket , coat or floor mat over the cable near the center of its lenght before winching . This will reduce the potential of a broken wire rope causing injury or vehicle damage . They can be very deadly .

The point , or open end of the hook on your winch line should point up , this will force the hook downward if a tree saver of hook fails .

winch blanket



Unless you have a hell of a lot of experience please do not argue this post . Please feel free to add " good " information as i certainly have not covered every thing here . There are several injuries and some times death every year from the lack of knowledge in this matter . If you wish to argue with me please show your credentials or source of information. I am not the king of recovery and would be glad to see new ideas . Above all lets NOT lead new people in an unsafe direction .

Bigger is better when it comes to recovery , your better to over estimate then to come up short .



If your new to this sport , or recovery please take some good advise . With 30 years under my belt i still learn every day . I hope this information saves some one a hard lesson in life .

M L Farley aka Grandman
Wreck master ceritifed
Operator ID # 97496
 
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#77 ·
Trail_Fanatic said:
The math might lose some of us, but I think I'll listen anyway.

He's a Physics professor!

I love it when we have the chance to learn from those more knowledgeable that ourselves.

I'd like to thank EVERYONE who has posted help and hints, especially Grandman for starting it.
Let's hope that EVERYONE reads them . . . and USES them!
Basic mechanics, really.


Actually, you'd find thats an old-school method for recovery as well. I have used that method for getting vehicles off trailers and tow dollies and such:

Hook my straps together with a ratchet strap, and tie one side to said broken vehicle, and the other 6 ft up a tree. Ratchet as tight as possible, then sit with full weight on the middle of the strap.

usually with practical rope lengths, its a 10-50 x multiplication.




Of course, I've done some tightrope walking in my time, and understand the subject better than most..
 
#78 ·
Jason is absolutely correct. Its one of the oldest tricks in the book-----and a standard problem found in most "Mechanics" sections in physics books. Since he's done some tightrope walking, he has real "feets-on" experience with the idea........can't beat practical experience!
 
#79 ·
Haggar said:
Basic mechanics, really.


Actually, you'd find thats an old-school method for recovery as well. I have used that method for getting vehicles off trailers and tow dollies and such:

Hook my straps together with a ratchet strap, and tie one side to said broken vehicle, and the other 6 ft up a tree. Ratchet as tight as possible, then sit with full weight on the middle of the strap.

usually with practical rope lengths, its a 10-50 x multiplication.




Of course, I've done some tightrope walking in my time, and understand the subject better than most..


This is the best thing I have ever read here.:woot:
 
#82 ·
I just read the site on the tightrope business. All good stuff too. Knowing how it works is one thing.....doing it is quite another story.

I thought someone might find my (too-long) missive interesting/useful; it was kindly intended.

My apologies, ClarkstonC., I didn't mean to horn in.

I'll bow out.
PpS
 
#84 ·
FlatFender said:
Quick Question.

What can you safely use to clean a recovery strap? I jut got a "new" tree strap and it is filthy, something like Simple Green maybe?
Thanks

I lay mine out flat on the concrete drivway and rinse it with a garden hose nozzle.... It gets quite clean from that and the garden hose pressure....

Never use a power washer on a strap...

I have heard about the washing machine but have never tried it for fear of it getting under the agitator and getting damaged. Not that I have any proof that this will happen... just a fear
 
#86 ·
btt

this should be stickied somewhere.
 
#102 ·
Ahh...yea, so don't put the end of the power washer right next to the strap.

also when winching if u dont have a towl or somthing to use for a weigh is it alright to put a tow strap over it? that what i normal use
A towel is going to do nothing to stop a cable. Get a winch weight. I would think that if you folded your strap over and over and then put it over the cable it would be better than nothing.

and being hit by a rope in the past I can attest to the fact that it will fly like wire

but it didn't cut me in half or brake the skin.....

It wasn't pleasent, but it didn't require any sort of first aid....

safer yes

ability to injure, still there

probability to injure is probably less then wire by a lot
Ability to injure still there...i'll give you that.

I have broke cable 3 times and rope once. The first time, the cable came through the front window, the second it whipped over my XJ and broke out the rear window and the third it took out my radiator and ac condenser. When I broke the rope, it layed right down on the trail except about 6 inches of it bunched into my fairlead. I have seen rope break a few more times and every time it has acted the same. No vehicle damage and no injuries. Every time I have seen cable break there has been at least vehicle damage.
 
#91 ·
swampjeep said:
one thing I didn't see here (might have missed) is to never pull on a trailer ball either

last year at the dunes Tonka was stuck pretty bad, the only guy willing to pull him out insisted on using the ball, I said a couple things about not doing it, walked away, and before I knew it I heard a load bang, the ball came off and hit the cab of Tonka's truck, luckily it hit right at the top on the edge and droped ingto the bed of the truck... and this was the ball the guy was 100% possitive was the straongest thing he had to pull on,
Yeah, He told me he was using the reciever pin. I looked back, then ducked down the second that ball came into sight. I would have gladly paid for a tow truck without trying the pull had I known he wouldnt listen.

Always check your recovery attachments yourself !
 
#93 ·
Okay... I want to take a step toward safety using my winch.

I'm thinking about changing my steel cable to an AmSteel Synthetic line. I have a Warn 9000i and thinking I should go with 3/8 line or is 5/16 alright (almost $100.00 more)?

Does anyone know if I can fit 125' of synthetic line or would I lose some footage by going with synthetic (current steel line is 125')?
 
#94 ·
FireMedicDave said:
Okay... I want to take a step toward safety using my winch.

I'm thinking about changing my steel cable to an AmSteel Synthetic line. I have a Warn 9000i and thinking I should go with 3/8 line or is 5/16 alright (almost $100.00 more)?

Does anyone know if I can fit 125' of synthetic line or would I lose some footage by going with synthetic (current steel line is 125')?
Look up on there site and it will tell you the rating for there different size lines . From experience you can put more synthetic rope on a spool then you can wire rope . So if you had 125 of wire you can put 140 -250 ' or synthetic . It spools up much nicer , does not damage its self when it cross's over its self . make sure to run a haws aluminum fairlead with synthetic rope .

I have broke synthetic too , i can attest to that fact it does not fly like wire . the 2 brokens ends were less then 5' apart when it broke .
 
#101 ·
I have broke synthetic too , i can attest to that fact it does not fly like wire . the 2 brokens ends were less then 5' apart when it broke .
and being hit by a rope in the past I can attest to the fact that it will fly like wire

but it didn't cut me in half or brake the skin.....

It wasn't pleasent, but it didn't require any sort of first aid....

safer yes

ability to injure, still there

probability to injure is probably less then wire by a lot
 
#95 ·
Grandman said:
Look up on there site and it will tell you the rating for there different size lines . From experience you can put more synthetic rope on a spool then you can wire rope . So if you had 125 of wire you can put 140 -250 ' or synthetic . It spools up much nicer , does not damage its self when it cross's over its self . make sure to run a haws aluminum fairlead with synthetic rope .

I have broke synthetic too , i can attest to that fact it does not fly like wire . the 2 brokens ends were less then 5' apart when it broke .

I'll check with Warn tomorrow for lengths. I'm thinking 125' is more than enough... <shrug>

AmSteel's 5/16" rope is rated for a minimum of 12,300 lbs. while 3/8" is 18,400 lbs. I haven't really shopped around for synthetic lines.... I saw this in Quadratech's magazine.

I'll have a roller fairlead for sale soon when I switch over to synthetic.
 
#96 ·
Just read the whole thread lots of good info. Lots to think about. Does anyone have info/links to share on creating solid recovery points? I've got some 10,000 lb tow hooks bolted to the frame of a fullsize dodge with 1/2" grade 8 bolts-after reading this it seems to be a fairly dangerous setup. What about those shackles that fit in a 2" receiver hitch? I see these all over the place but how safe are they?
 
#97 ·
First off id like to say any recovery is dangerous . Keep kids and adults out of the way . There is no need to have every one close to watch .

Your hooks with grade 8 bolts sound like a resonable set up .

your question on the reciever set up is also a resonable safe set up . There is all ways the question of how well is the reciever hook to the truck its self . all the bolts been put in ? what grade bolts ?

It is unresonable to think you could get all them answers before pulling on some one . There for use good judgment , it if is a rusted out hulk , assume its dangerous and take precautions .
 
#98 ·
Just found this post today, great info.
I'd like to continue on about cleaning straps if I could.

When I was in the Army, our practice was to never use water, esp. with soap to clean tow straps, ratchet straps or rope -ever. The only time these items were allowed to get wet was in use, and we took great strides to dry them as quicky as possible. I spent many extra hours as a private bablysitting wet rope while it dried. After it dried we took a soft brush and cleaned it off as good as possible. That was the only way we were instructed to clean. We also took great strides to never step on, drag or nick rope/straps etc. in any way. Theory being, as Grandman states, any wear to that piece of equipment hurts its working ability in some way.

Through my experience, however, I never read, or even came across a manual that covered this topic. I still have to go back and read Bella Vista's article, but I have never read anything, military or civilian, on the topic of cleaning straps. I have several off-road books and videos but none touch on this.

I've seen old straps break, very scary, never seen a new one break. Coincidence or good thing for us wheelers to know? Is there a time to retire a "good" strap? It may not be frayed but is it dry rotted?

Any incite or good links would be much appreciated.

Thanks for the post G-man. I am proud to have learned from your knowledge first hand on the trails (where it matters!)
 
#100 ·
what about tow rops? i have seen them on cement trucks and ******** using them at mud bogs.. any info?

also when winching if u dont have a towl or somthing to use for a weigh is it alright to put a tow strap over it? that what i normal use
 
#103 · (Edited)
Great info folks!:rock:
A club member (also a qualified welder)
is fabbing a rear reciever mount for the used
Mile Marker 9,000 lb. winch I bought.
Looking forward to using the info. here
to do things safely!:rock:

2 Questions:
1. Should I replace the factory bolts (6 of them) that
attach the the reciever to the truck frame with grade 8?
2. Pin rating, I see no markings on the "regular" pin or
my "locking" pin that I use with my trailer hitch (tow 30'
travel trailer 7,600 GVW).

Hope I'm not asking this question in the wrong place.
But, I thought it was as I've seen other winches on reciever mounts
and wondered about the strength of the reciever and the pin holding
the enitre load. I'm not planning any Crazy winching operations.
 
#106 ·
The quesiton here is what reciever do you have from the factory . what is its rating ? For the most part do a visual inspection , as long as that reciever is not badly rusted id say your in good shape to use it .

The pin for the reciever , if it is an actual reciever pin and not just a bolt stuck in there your fine . I have never seen one break .
 
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