New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

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whitehumh2
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by whitehumh2 »

Well there is a bunch of idiots I wouldn't want to off-road with!!! First off none of those trucks are properly equipped for a trail in the snow. For deep Snow and Ice off-road, sorry but you need Chains or Cables on the tires to begin, this gives a huge margin of grip and will prevent most stucks...ever seen what a Log Skidder looks like when Winter Harvesting Lumber, they run Chains with huge spikes on their tires! The other alternative would be Mattracks but they are in a League all their own! Secondly there is a big difference between a Tow strap and a Snatch Strap. I carry both because both have their intended uses and purposes. First a Tow strap is for Static load situations like extending a winch cable, using it as a tree saver, or using it to secure the pull truck to a tree in heavy vehicle recovery on slippery surfaces. These straps have high Static load strength but little to no strength in shock loading conditions. For Shock Loading Conditions you need a Snatch Strap, these commonly have 20% stretch and act like a slingshot for recovering stuck vehicles. It also has the ability to protect both the tow vehicle and the stuck vehicle from damage during the recovery procedure. Now damage can still happen if the strap is stronger than the attachment points!! Our Hummers H1, H2 and H3 have tow hooks that are rated for only 10,000lbs, so eventhough I have never seen one break, it is still the weak link when using a 30000lbs rated strap! I use shackles from Princess Auto rated for 8 1/2 metric tons and have never had a problem even when recovering a 15000lbsstuck farm tractor! BTW, always use the shackles to the factory hooks NEVER to the Frame or Axle...that could cause SEVERE Damage!!! And worse yet the square edges of the frame may cut the strap as it clamps down on the frame.



Hope This Helps!!!



Kev
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radak99
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by radak99 »

It helps a little.  It is pretty obvious where to attach to the Hummer.  I quess I would like to know if you use hardware to hook to the stuck vehicle or just loop the strap around the frame of the stuck vehicle.



I didn't realize the difference between tow strap and snatch/recovery strap before I read this thread.  It is very obvious now and I have purchased a recovery strap.  Thanks to the forum members for the info.  You saved me potential damage and serious injury!
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dwaxman1
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by dwaxman1 »

What kinda chain?
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whitehumh2
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by whitehumh2 »

Hey D, the best chain will ALWAYS come from the towing industry! Try these two, they have multiple hook possibilities and some will allow you to lock the hook into the slits in the frame rails. Either one make an excellent choice and as a extra bonus they are far stronger than you'll ever be able to purchase at your local hardware store!



http://www.truckntow.com/pc-23323-14691 ... hooks.aspx



http://www.truckntow.com/showproduct.as ... ctid=19389



Hope This helps!!



K
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dbot
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by dbot »

Re the straps....



To put it another way, one strap type stretches by design and the other does not. The one that stretches is designed to allow you to put very high tension on the line without shocking the connection points, bascially it acts like a shock absorber. It is good for jerking something out where your ground traction will not allow you to pull the other vehicle with traction alone.



With the stretch, you can use the kinetic energy of the pulling vehicle to pull. IF YOU USE ONE OF THESE STRAPS NEVER PUT ANYTHING HEAVY ON THE END. If you put a hook or even a shackle make absolutely sure thast it will not disconnect from the pulling or pulled vehicle under the high peal load. If it does break the line will act like an elestic and sling shot the heavy piece into one of the vehicle (as in the video).

These stretching lines are typically white in color. Lower quality ones are yellow and sometimes blue but can be any color so beware.



The other type of line does not stretch. It is basically like a chain. Since it does not stretch, it does not have the sling shot effect. These lines are often used for lifiting and are very strong. These are different colors but the ones I have typically seen are either dull grey or dull blue. These are made from the stuff they use as synthetic line in a winch (kevlar).



YOU CANNOT GO BY COLOR ALONE, YOU NEED TO KNOW WHAT TYPE OF STRAP YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU USE IT.



Many disagree with me but my preference is to always use a winch.



Why?

If you know what you are doing the winch and cable (or synthetic line)  allows complete control of the situation. Straps and the yanking that results does not allow you to calcualte the forces and thus the stresses that components will be subjected to. You are just guessing....A little slip of the gas pedal and you overload the hardware and it breaks, often with dangerous results.



With a winch you know the maximum forces simply because you know your vehicle weight. If you can't pull out a vehicle that is stuck with one truck you just use a snatch block at the stuck truck and a second truck BESIDE (NOT BEHIND) the one with the winch (this doubles the force on the truck being pulled and 1/2's the cable tension). The cables goes from the winch through the snatch block (at the stuck truck) and the end of the cable conencts to the truck beside the one with the winch.



If the hook point on the stuck truck is in question, use a strap loosely (3 ft or so) around the cable at the attach point and connect it to a different point on the stuck truck, it acts as a safety catch if the cable connection point lets go. Better yet spend the $300 and use synthetic line instead of wire rope on the winch.



I thought the tow loops on the hummers had a higher rating. The break strength will be about twice the rated load but still 10,000 lbs can easily be exceeded if you are stuck in mud. I recall that the mud friction icanbe more than 1.7  times the vehicle weight. With a fully loaded hummer you are looking at 18,000 lbs+. In this case better to use a chain sling and connect to both hooks, even if this risks bending the frame (H2 and H3 in particular) ~ another good reason to stay out of the mud.
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Brian
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by Brian »

Hi folks i have a ? if i am using say a 17000lbs strap can i use two and would that make it 34000lbs pull strength?
my eng. name is Brian my Mohawk name is Skenne:ogwari (peaceful bear) my nick name is the bear if i'm lucky i may earn more.
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shotgun-cam
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by shotgun-cam »

[quote name='eyelvmyh3' date='22 May 2010 - 12:15 AM' timestamp='1274501732' post='17243']

Hi folks i have a ? if i am using say a 17000lbs strap can i use two and would that make it 34000lbs pull strength?

[/quote]

No as one strap would take more load fail then other strap would follow even the most matched items are not perfect. watch crane lifts each cable is a single only pulleyed cables are multiple which is actually one cable. Also the tow points on H3's are rated for 10,000 lbs so a 17,000 lb tow strap is sufficent. Failure rates should be strap then tow points and shackles ( better a strap snaping back than a piece of broken metal. ) Always check equipement after use clean dry inspect and on a regular equipement check with first aid kit. Best rule when in doubt throw it out.
Enjoy Life and Leave the World a Little Better Each Day!!
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Brian
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by Brian »

[quote name='shotgun-cam' date='22 May 2010 - 01:04 AM' timestamp='1274504653' post='17246']

No as one strap would take more load fail then other strap would follow even the most matched items are not perfect. watch crane lifts each cable is a single only pulleyed cables are multiple which is actually one cable. Also the tow points on H3's are rated for 10,000 lbs so a 17,000 lb tow strap is sufficent. Failure rates should be strap then tow points and shackles ( better a strap snaping back than a piece of broken metal. ) Always check equipement after use clean dry inspect and on a regular equipement check with first aid kit. Best rule when in doubt throw it out.

[/quote]

Thanks brother for the info think i will just buy a winch and a snap strap.The Bear
my eng. name is Brian my Mohawk name is Skenne:ogwari (peaceful bear) my nick name is the bear if i'm lucky i may earn more.
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shotgun-cam
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Re: New members (and old) Tow Strap Warning

Post by shotgun-cam »

[quote name='eyelvmyh3' date='22 May 2010 - 08:19 PM' timestamp='1274573963' post='17258']

Thanks brother for the info think i will just buy a winch and a snap strap.The Bear

[/quote]

Actually used a strap to pull another H3 out of mud then passed him to finish the job easier to use the strap than to winch him out.
Enjoy Life and Leave the World a Little Better Each Day!!
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