Corey

iTrader: (1)

Eh, ouch
I did not realize the ss ones were so much.

I have only painted the front ones one time.
It holds up pretty good.

Makes it easy to spot me 1/2 mile away

runningman

I recently had this discussion with the guys about hooks or straps and we came to the same conclusion so i bought some looped straps but it's good to hear it backed up by the experts here.

WATRD

Please, please, please do not use anything metal during a recovery. That includes tow straps with metal hooks.

As others mentioned, those are for towing a disabled vehicle on road where there is very little chance of a shock loading the strap. Most quality TOW straps even have a off colored thread that runs through them to show when the strap has been shock loaded and is no longer suitable for use.

A "Recovery" strap will always have sewn in eyes. During my Trail 101 classes I show examples of both and we talk about when each is appropriate. But I think it's this picture that I pass around that illustrates it best. This photo is of what happens when a strap with a metal hook fails.



Now imagine that was the back window or a person.

CTB

Ya Ya, go ahead and rub it a little more!

Hey Cebby, I will probably run out to my rig later this afternoon and check out the diameter of those rear holes, and see about ordering up a shackle or two for them. I'll let you know what i measure them at.

WATRD

<There are a couple of small holes in the back that you could put a shackle through, or the big hoops under the rad.>

Cebby, those are "tie downs" for when the rig is transported on a flatbed or the like. They will tear and eventually fail if they are used for recovery. They should never be used for yanking or being yanked. In some clubs, usually the more harcore ones, you may not even have those on your rig so they don't get used for that purpose.

The best bet is replace those eyes with proper devices designed specifically for recovery. Shackels in a receiver, hooks, whatever.

(just call me "Safety Guy" today, but I have seen some pretty horendous injuries due to unsafe recovery techniques over the years and the fine folks here are way too nice to let those things happen to them)

CTB

Hey Rob,

Alright, I just want to be on the same page as you. So, you are saying that the round holes (that Cebby posted in his first two pics) should not be used as recovery points (like to put a shackle through? Secondly, do you think that if I have the stock front tow hook, and a shackle in the rear hitch receiver, that would be sufficient enough for recovery purposes? I just don't want to be under-equipped?

WATRD

Just get one of these for your receiver and as long as it's a hook in the front, not a tie-down eye, you are all set

WATRD

Correct. Ideally, you would remove those before they break loose and kill someone. That is, unless you use them regularly for tying your rig down.

As long as it's a recovery hook in the front, not an eye, one is usually sufficient for up to moderate off roading.

A receiver shackle in the rear is a GREAT option. It's a positive connection and the hitch is designed to bridge your frame to distribute the load.

seafarinman

Hey Rob,
I was wondering what size those stainless shackles are on your rig. I am running 5/8" ones up front and the 3/4" one in the back. And where can I find some of those? I had seen some small ones at West Marine, but no larger than 1/2" ones. Thanks,
Romeo

WATRD

All four of my stainless shackles are 3/4". I hear you can buy them online, but I got mine in from http://www.tc-offroad.com/ in Kent. They sometimes stock them, but they sell out fast, so your best bet is to get your name on a list for when they come in.

CTB

Awesome, thanks a lot Rob. I appreciate the info. I love to go wheeling, but when it comes to recovery stuff, I don't have a ton of experience. It's good to get info from someone who knows what they are talking about. I guess I will be hitting up Performance Products for one of the receiver shackles! For once, they are the best price I have found on a product!

Corey

iTrader: (1)

Rear receiver is good place.
Here I am testing out my winch for the first time a year ago on Jim's red truck.

I was like a kid with a new Toy
http://pnw4runners.net/runs/4602/9.mpg

http://pnw4runners.net/runs/4602/v15.mpg

http://pnw4runners.net/runs/4602/v16.mpg

That was about an hour before I got use the winch in a real recovery when I pulled out the blue 2nd gen from the snow.

WATRD

Any time my friend. I have seen WAY more injuries from recovery than I have ever seen from roll-overs and 99.9% of them have been avoidable with the correct equipment.

Recovery, even just a quick yank is a dangerous proposition. You are dealing with thousands of pounds of steel, tons of potential/kinetic energy and often less than ideal condiditons all at the same time It's a good bet to make sure that your connection points are sound well before you need them, because when they fail, they tend to fail in a big way. I tend to overbuild my recovery points such that there is a safety factor bigger than I could ever imagine. Then I add a large dose of caution when it comes time to do the recover.

Some people get away with using tie-down eyes for recovery. Others are killed by it. I would prefer to hedge my bet rather than risk the unthinkable.

CTB

Well said. Safety is definitely something my friends and I take seriously. Again, thanks for the helpful info.

Man, there goes another $40 down the tube...school needs to get done so I can start working!!!

Corey

iTrader: (1)

While we are on the subject sort of for the receiver shackle you can buy, some prefer to not use that, and just stuff a strap in the receiver and put the pin through the hole.

What are thoughts on this?

I would tend to think it is a lot safer to use a receiver shackle like I have as the strap is on the outside and not stuffed into the hitch hole where it can get chafed on the square tubing inside.

Plus all the "yanking" force is on that pin, and if a receiver shackle is used, more of the force is spread out over a bigger area.

Am I being overly critical of doing it the cheap way, or is it better to do it the way with the
receiver shackle?

WATRD

All of the force is on the pin anyway.

The primary disadvantage to the pin method is that the strap can be damaged by the edges of the receiver. It's a good substitute when you don't have a receiver shackle handy, but it's not a long term solution.

Flygtenstein

Doubled looped straps, as is the consensus.

If I cannot get the strap in a hole, I use shackles. I have a couple of 7/8's and a couple of 15/16's from Ace, none of them were more than twenty bucks.

Regarding the pin in the receiver. With the gizmo that you have, all the force is still on the pin, but now you have introduced several more possible failure points to the line of connection.

Either way, if the hitch pin goes, you are done. I use a 2" strap in my 2" receiver. No problems at all.

Cebby

Rob,

Thanks for the info on the tie downs. Are the brackets up front that I posted also just for tie down or are those for recovery?

Shane

Well yes and no. The pin in receiver method puts bending force on the pin and in the very slim chance that it bends getting it out might pose a problem. With the receiver shackle setup the pin is now in shear as it was designed to be. Now the weak point moves to the shackle, which in most cases is more than strong enough.

WATRD

In each of your photos, there is a tie-down eye pictured, but one of the photos also includes a proper recovery/tow hook, complete with a fancy strap retainer (good for you).

On most rigs, there is a tie-down on each corner for securing the rig on the assembly line and for tying it down once it is put on a portable parking lot for delivery to the dealer. On rigs where you don't see an eye (the rear of a Tacoma), look for a similarly sized hole in the frame where a "T" or "J" tow hook would be attached.

None of the ones in the photos, except the hook are suitable, in my humble opinion, for recovery. In the event that you break down and end up on a flatbed, the driver *might* use them to tie the rig down, but it more likely to secure it via special hooks inserted in the frame. Why? Tow drivers don't trust those eyes to be securely fastened and neither should we