This is why you never use a trailer ball as an attachment point for a snatch rope or strap!

[MOguy]

As long as the bumper is smooth and well mounted, I don't see a problem with it. I actually prefer it in a lot of ways.
I use a soft shackle to go around square and round tube bumpers and chassis parts all the time. That is one of the reasons I like making my soft shackles longer than most on the market.

Sway bar. Oh gees, how did that go?

My bad, not sway bar but tie rod. That one wasn't bad stuck but I am sure their toe was out. I suppose well mounted strong bumper could be adequate. When I wheel hard it is usually with other Wrangler. For the most part wranglers come from the factory with good recovery points.

 

[Metcalf]

My bad, not sway bar but tie rod. That one wasn't bad stuck but I am sure their toe was out. I suppose well mounted strong bumper could be adequate. When I wheel hard it is usually with other Wrangler. For the most part wranglers come from the factory with good recovery points.

Most of the hooks from Jeep are ok. I would prefer if they where a closed system. If possible I like to use a bridle to get both hooks if there is any real force that will happen.

I do find it comical that some people will freak out about pulling on a trailer ball that has a very large stem diameter in single shear, yet are perfectly ok using a factory Jeep style tow hook which is also in single shear with two 1/2" bolts? Part of me just doesn't get that.....

 

[patoz]

are these gadgets okay to use? https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06WLMF23...5accde249a3&ref_=pd_luc_rh_bmx_02_04_t_img_lh

BTW, I talked to Rhino USA Customer Service a couple hours ago, to ask them some questions.

1. Yes, the shackle insert is made out of solid steel, so good to go there.

2. Their Recovery Tow Straps are 3" wide x 20' or 30' long. They are not Dynamic/Kinetic Snatch Straps, meaning they do not stretch and store energy, which is good for extricating a vehicle from a deep mud hole or bog. They are only Static Tow Straps, with just enough stretch built in to cushion the shock once the strap tightens, and designed to pull a vehicle from point A to point B. Do not try to 'snatch' a vehicle with a tow strap. That is what causes metal bit and pieces to come loose and become shrapnel.

For snatching vehicles, I prefer a 1" or larger diameter double braided rope similar to this New England Double Braid Nylon Rope 1" 25mm White.

 

[MOguy]

Most of the hooks from Jeep are ok. I would prefer if they where a closed system. If possible I like to use a bridle to get both hooks if there is any real force that will happen.

I do find it comical that some people will freak out about pulling on a trailer ball that has a very large stem diameter in single shear, yet are perfectly ok using a factory Jeep style tow hook which is also in single shear with two 1/2" bolts? Part of me just doesn't get that.....

Most trailers balls will be rated for 5k, some more. Any vehicle I wheel with will be a least close or over 4k. A stuck vehicle is heavier than when unstuck. 1k just isn't enough of a safety margin and isn't a tow hook. It may be fine but just something I won't use.

 

[Metcalf]

Most trailers balls will be rated for 5k, some more. Any vehicle I wheel with will be a least close or over 4k. A stuck vehicle is heavier than when unstuck. 1k just isn't enough of a safety margin and isn't a tow hook. It may be fine but just something I won't use.

From

Do you think they let people tow trailers around on highways at 80mph on a 5K rated ball with no safety margin?

If I get some time I will throw this into Solidworks and run an FEA simulation on it to see generally what number we are looking at. My guess would be that there is a similar WLL reduction to the rating on the ball that we see in shackles rated for overhead lifting.

From my past experience, and watching some of the testing videos, I think the reciever hitch pin in in the same ballpark. I want through a trailer accident years back where I drove the my truck off a tall ledge almost vertical ledge of pavement in a road construction area. When the hitch/tongue area of the trailer hit the pavement, it sheared the pin, not the ball.

I don't recommend using the ball, mostly because it is an open system, not because it will ' kill everyone' fail. What I really don't like about most hitch based recovery systems is all the added mass that is required to adapt to the strap. Those steel inserts are heavy, as is a hitch ball stinger. The shackle is heavy. It all still relies on the same pin shear strength. That is what makes me nervous......

 

[patoz]

Most avid 4-Wheelers and Overlanders like us will always have the proper equipment on their vehicles or we wouldn't be out there. It's the kids with no off-road experience whose parents gave him a brand new shiny jeep for graduation because he saw one at the mall and though it looked cool, or the poor redneck who is driving a piece of junk that shouldn't even be on the road much less off-road, that are the ones to worry about. They are the ones who are going to bury their vehicle up to the headlights and then ask for help when you come a long.

The kid has a new vehicle and maybe even a winch or some gear but doesn't know how to use it, and the redneck has a pile of rust and junk gear, even though he may have some or a lot of experience. Both scenarios worry me because you don't know what you're dealing with when you hook on to them. Back in the 70's and 80's we would always make the hookup to their vehicle to ensure it was done correctly and safely, but now days if any damage is done to their vehicle, they want to sue you. So, now we let them make the hook up and look over their shoulder to make sure it's OK.

I'm drifting off topic here, but I sure do miss the good old days! I started running our white sandy beaches right out of high school in a 1972 F150 XLT, 2WD, LWB, with an aluminum camper shell on the bed. Note: This was a 2WD truck, with the 351 Cleveland engine in it. It had no winch, so I learned pretty much everything the hard way...by experiencing it. I learned all about the different types of tires and airing them down, proper weight distribution over the rear axle, how and where to park so I could get a running start downhill when I got ready to move again, etc.

There was no internet back then to look things up and watch videos. Not much in the library either because 4-Wheeling was not the popular sport it is today, it was just something people did when they needed to get from one place to another and there were no roads connecting the two, or to get to remote places to camp or fish. Also, we had to design and build all of our own gear, because there were no off-road stores to provide all the flashy new gadgets we have now days.

The good old days are not coming back and I know that, so I'll just leave it at that!

 

[s.e.charles]

...

For snatching vehicles, I prefer a 1" or larger diameter double braided rope similar to this New England Double Braid Nylon Rope 1" 25mm White.

interesting choice, but then I've never seen a tugboat with an ARB strap hanging off the bow either!

I expect there's some fancy knot which will not slip and can be untied after?

was looking at soft shackles, and the caution is they are only used for static pulls (if I understood correctly). so we carry hard & soft, and tow & snatch straps? and a tree protector for both? and a short chain for old time's sake.

aye yaye yaye . . . . I need a bigger truck.

 

[MOguy]

From

Do you think they let people tow trailers around on highways at 80mph on a 5K rated ball with no safety margin?
......

it's not a recovery hook so regardless of what it is it doesn't have the safety margin for me. I'm not hooking to a ball. If it's seriously stuck I'm not hooking into anything this slips into the receiver. If the vehicle is really stuck I will only hook to a recovery point that hooks to the frame or into the bumper where the bumper hooks into the frame or in the case of a unibdoy i described earilier were I woukd hook into it. No other options, that is it that is all, nothing else.

 

[Low_Sky]

I think if you are taking a 30' run at it while doing a vehicle recovery you are doing it wrong.

More shovel, less redneck.

Kinetic energy (snatch) recovery does serve a purpose and can be done safely.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[patoz]

interesting choice, but then I've never seen a tugboat with an ARB strap hanging off the bow either!

I expect there's some fancy knot which will not slip and can be untied after?

was looking at soft shackles, and the caution is they are only used for static pulls (if I understood correctly). so we carry hard & soft, and tow & snatch straps? and a tree protector for both? and a short chain for old time's sake.

aye yaye yaye . . . . I need a bigger truck.

Typically not. Fiber rope connections are simply spliced.
There are variety of knots what dont slip and can untie reasonably well, but they all reduce breaking strength substantially over splices.

Oh no, no knots in a 1" diameter rope, besides a knot is the weakest point in a system once you tie it.

What you need to do is learn how to put an eye-splice in each end of the rope (which I did), or hire someone to do it for you. It's not hard, but it does take some time to learn it and then some more to actually do it. It's very tedious and neatness does count.



Thank you Verkstad for your comment. Great minds think alike! ?