Purpose of Chain in Winch Accessory Kit?

tatanka48

Active member
axle straps and tree straps do prevent major damage

th.jpeg

a chain thru fire hose will reduce the damage to a tree

for looping over/around metal frame members a piece of chain is more dependable than a synthetic strap or rope(which can be cut on the sharp metal edges)

different types of hooks are of great benefit when recovering other vehicles

several of them are similar to the ones auto transport use to secure their cargo on trucks or trains

th-4.jpeg

if you have a chain w/o either chain hooks

th-5.jpeg

or open hooks

Unknown.jpeg

you can use a clevis to employ individual T hooks similar to

th-1.jpeg

reads to me like the OP's recovery kit was incomplete(he really needed more than just a short piece of chain)

just this old man's 2 bits worth this evening

T
 

Bluegrass Taco

Adventurer
Old thread, and probably sufficiently "answered" already, but let me toss in my $.02 worth.

There are those moments where a chain is the ONLY way to hook up a tow line, winch line, etc...Not the SAFEST way on earth, but the ONLY way....Much thought should be given to the safety of using one, and what can happen if it breaks. I spent a week riding with a buddy on a semi wrecker (tow truck) a few years ago. He had to pull a rolled over tri-axle dump truck out of a ravine. It took multiple pulls. A couple were "frame up" upside down where the ONLY way to attach a tow line was directly to the frame. A strap would have been cut almost assuredly. They used heavy chains and threw a tarp over it to deaden the line if the chain broke or came loose.
 

Inyo_man

Don't piss down my back and tell me it's raining.
Carrying a length of chain is great for recovery as so many folks have already mentioned.
My length of chain has been used the most for dragging trees off the track in the winter and spring, as well as dragging fire wood to camp....wouldn't leave home without it.
 

robert

Expedition Leader
axle straps and tree straps do prevent major damage

View attachment 492691

a chain thru fire hose will reduce the damage to a tree

for looping over/around metal frame members a piece of chain is more dependable than a synthetic strap or rope(which can be cut on the sharp metal edges)

different types of hooks are of great benefit when recovering other vehicles

several of them are similar to the ones auto transport use to secure their cargo on trucks or trains

View attachment 492692

if you have a chain w/o either chain hooks

View attachment 492693

or open hooks

View attachment 492694

you can use a clevis to employ individual T hooks similar to

View attachment 492695

reads to me like the OP's recovery kit was incomplete(he really needed more than just a short piece of chain)

just this old man's 2 bits worth this evening

T

You are linking towing equipment, NOT recovery equipment- there is a difference.

Axle straps are used for securing a vehicle to a trailer or rollback, not for recovery- check the WLL. It is not safe to put a strap or chain on an axle for recovery.

A hook cluster IS NOT a recovery tool- it is used to hook into slots in the frame for securing the vehicle during towing. They are not rated for towing purposes, most have a working load under 5000#s, and the holes in vehicle are not rated for recovery either. Even a J Hook should not be used for recovery, their working loads are not nearly high enough for the forces that a stuck vehicle can put on them (most are around 5000#s also). They are sufficient for a rolling vehicle to be winched onto a rollback or trailer, but not for actual recovery work. There are a lot of tow truck operators who use them but there are a lot of tow truck operators who really don't know what they're doing and are very unsafe.
 

JPaul

Observer
One thing that got me to start carrying a chain is watching someone pulling a horribly disabled vehicle out of an area. Not that I expect to be doing that regularly, but it might come up.

Not to mention there can be many times when you need to clear something off a trail that would require whatever you are pulling with to be drug across the ground through dirt and rocks. I'd rather hook a drag chain up to it and then hook a strap or winch cable to the chain and let the chain take the abuse. It will handle rough abuse like that far better than a strap or even a cable will, and I can keep my strap/cable in good working order if I need to do an actual recovery.

A chain takes up little room and is one of those "You may never need it but you'll be glad you have it when you do" kind of things.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk
 

Saint Nick

Active member
You are linking towing equipment, NOT recovery equipment- there is a difference.

Axle straps are used for securing a vehicle to a trailer or rollback, not for recovery- check the WLL. It is not safe to put a strap or chain on an axle for recovery.

A hook cluster IS NOT a recovery tool- it is used to hook into slots in the frame for securing the vehicle during towing. They are not rated for towing purposes, most have a working load under 5000#s, and the holes in vehicle are not rated for recovery either. Even a J Hook should not be used for recovery, their working loads are not nearly high enough for the forces that a stuck vehicle can put on them (most are around 5000#s also). They are sufficient for a rolling vehicle to be winched onto a rollback or trailer, but not for actual recovery work. There are a lot of tow truck operators who use them but there are a lot of tow truck operators who really don't know what they're doing and are very unsafe.

I completely understand what you are saying here. Obviously I can see where having a chain on board as part of recovery kit is a good thing, I have absolutely no idea what spec chain or hooks I should use, and if I went to a supplier and asked for some "towing chain" I'm not sure what their response would be! Any chance of giving some chain specs and type of hooks/shackles to use?

TIA, Nick
 
Last edited:

tatanka48

Active member
You are linking towing equipment, NOT recovery equipment- there is a difference.

Axle straps are used for securing a vehicle to a trailer or rollback, not for recovery- check the WLL. It is not safe to put a strap or chain on an axle for recovery.

A hook cluster IS NOT a recovery tool- it is used to hook into slots in the frame for securing the vehicle during towing. They are not rated for towing purposes, most have a working load under 5000#s, and the holes in vehicle are not rated for recovery either. Even a J Hook should not be used for recovery, their working loads are not nearly high enough for the forces that a stuck vehicle can put on them (most are around 5000#s also). They are sufficient for a rolling vehicle to be winched onto a rollback or trailer, but not for actual recovery work. There are a lot of tow truck operators who use them but there are a lot of tow truck operators who really don't know what they're doing and are very unsafe.

your comments are spot on for heavy lifting in awkward circumstances(Highway from Hell type stuff) and i was simply suggesting some of the stuff that helps me when helping others get out of deep sand and muddy situations

THANKS for doing a better job of wording what i was trying to share

T
 

CampStewart

Observer
I completely understand what you are saying here. Obviously I can see where having a chain on board as part of recovery kit is a good thing, I have absolutely no idea what spec chain or hooks I should use, and if I went to a supplier and asked for some "towing chain" I'm not sure what their response would be! Any chance of giving some chain specs and type of hooks/shackles to use?

TIA, Nick
Go to mcmastercarr.com Schedule 120 chain in 3/8 is probably fine. I would recommend a grab hook at one end and a open hook with a safety latch at the other. Get clevis style for easy assembly. You can buy everything from mcmaster. Just get hooks and shackles that are at least as strong as the chains rating. I think that chain has something like a 5 to 1 safety factor.
 

Saint Nick

Active member
Go to mcmastercarr.com Schedule 120 chain in 3/8 is probably fine. I would recommend a grab hook at one end and a open hook with a safety latch at the other. Get clevis style for easy assembly. You can buy everything from mcmaster. Just get hooks and shackles that are at least as strong as the chains rating. I think that chain has something like a 5 to 1 safety factor.

Thanks for the info. I'm in the UK so I'll just Google for a local supplier.

Nick
 

Low_Sky

Member
Thanks for the info. I'm in the UK so I'll just Google for a local supplier.

Nick

I’ve been trying to stay out of the almost-8-year-old thread, but I feel I should chime in here.

G120 chain is a very high grade chain for overhead lifting. It’s overkill for off-road recovery, and at the US supplier that was recommended to you, it’s two to three times the price of lesser grade chains.

Commercially available tow chains are typically G70 or G40/43. I’d choose a G70 chain in a size that gives you the rating you need. Bear in mind the working load limit is one fifth of the yield strength, so there is a very generous safety factor.

I keep a 20’ x 5/16” (8mm) G70 chain with grab hooks in my truck. 4700 lbs rated load.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:

Saint Nick

Active member
I’ve been trying to stay out of the almost-8-year-old thread, but I feel I should chime in here.

G120 chain is a very high grade chain for overhead lifting. It’s overkill for off-road recovery, and at the US supplier that was recommended to you, it’s two to three times the price of lesser grade chains.

Commercially available tow chains are typically G70 or G40/43. I’d choose a G70 chain in a size that gives you the rating you need. Bear in mind the working load limit is one fifth of the yield strength, so there is a very generous safety factor.

I keep a 20’ x 5/16” (8mm) G70 chain with grab hooks in my truck. 4700 lbs rated load.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for the info, I'll have a search for a supplier.

Nick
 

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