Mad Chemist

Hey Corey,

What exercises did you do to build up your "back end" as Mark calls it, sounds like he's interested in getting buns of steel...

waskillywabbit

iTrader: (-1)

Mark,

You forgot something.

midiwall

Ummmm.. eeek.



The guideline I used to set what I carry with me is that when I work on my truck, I only use the tools that are in the truck versus coming back into the house to get a tool or component. That way, I know that I have all that I need to get things done.

It might be overkill, but I feel better about it.

Mad Chemist

I hear ya Mark, its a tough balance between overkill vs. being prepared. I initially had wayyyy too much stuff, and have slowly been trimming things down, but it sounds like you've got the bare minimum. Assuming that we always go out in groups, and alot of us have the same vehicle, a little redundancy can't hurt. I've been meaning to pick up a spare set of belts ever since the last Carbonado run...

midiwall

AYE! _THAT'S_ the thing I keep forgetting to do!

Fink

Alright, I ordered the WARN Receiver Shackle from Cabelas.com...and I'll probably get a 2"x30' 20,000lb strap in the next few days.

I was just thinking, how do you go about attaching a looped end strap to a vehicle for recovery? Thanks for all the help guys! YOU MADE ME SPEND MORE $$$

Fink

shazaam

Be glad ...... I ordered two ropes (one 3x30) (one 2x30). New larger shackles, rear tire carrier, fitted with another shackle, and a duffle bag.

anyone know where I can get the cheapest Hi-lift jack from? I want the one that is all steel and 48". The best I have been able to do is $75 shipped. damn thing weighs 30 lbs

see if you hadn't started this thread, I would have put this money somehwere else.

Fink

Well...I went ahead and ordered the tow strap. I got the 2"x30' strap from 4wheelparts.com made by Canyon Crawler. Should be here in about a week.

Thanks for all the advice, I'm off to a good start...I'll start adding more and more stuff to my recovery gear collection as I learn more about it.

Thanks again,

Fink

EWAYota

where's a good place to mount a tow strap to the rear of a toyota if you don't have a tow ball? my rear bumper doesn't have a hitch reciever, so if i put a ball on, would that work, or would my bumper not hold it? after all is said and done, i hope to have a rear tube bumber with shackles on it, but for now, what can i do?

Fink

I would highly recommend to not hook a tow strap to the bumper...the bumper is not made for that kind of stress. I would try and find some kind of suspension mount or an area on the frame where you could wrap the strap around it...just crawl underneath it and look for something attached to the frame that you could get a strap around...

Some others may know of a good place...we'll see what they say.

Fink

BTW: 4wheelparts.com was out of the straps that I initially wanted so I went with the strap that Corey has from Centrail4WD.com...I'm excited!

EWAYota

ya, i was pretty sure the bumper wasnt a good idea, so the only point i have it the front hook, but with the comments of the gears not holding up in a reverse recovery, i'd like to try and avoid that.

jruz

Dude...NO TOW BALLS!!!

Picture that ball flying through the air into a window or through someone's body...
(either that or the strap is just waiting to slip off that ball)

Honestly, just suck it up and get a receiver. That sorta recovery point is very solid.

In a pinch, you want to go around the bumper right where the ball would have been...that will allow a little more strength than the ball (the bumper is sorta reinforced there...but not nearly enough...you'll have a nice - V - shaped bumper afterwards too).

Also, don't go for a suspension mount, and certainly don't wrap around an axle. Just try to picture the entire truck hanging in the air by that point you pick...and think of everything around it that will be stressed.

Jim

EWAYota

ok, where would i put a reciever if all my bumper has is a hole to mount a ball? thats why i plan on getting a tube bumper and putting shackles on it down the road.

Mad Chemist

I'm not sure about the 2nd gens, but at least on the 3rd gens, there are two tie-down loops bolted to the frame. These are NOT meant to be used as tow points, but there are tow hooks to be had for cheap that'll bolt up to the same spot as the tie down loops. Just pick up a couple of these and you'll have tow hooks front and back. Not ideal, but safer than trying to run a strap around the frame or axle.

EWAYota

i wouldn't strap on the my axel. i've witnessed the carnage that can me made by doing that. i guess, until i get a new bumper with shackles, you better hope you dont get stuck behind me, i don't want to mess up my gears!

4x4Lamm

First off, TSC tractor supply comp. has 48'' Hi-Lifts for under $50, go buy it yourself, no shipping. Secondly, hook up with somebody experianced or buy some books. I spent about $100 on 4x4 books to learn what was safe and what was not. If you attach a strap to a vehicle do not attach it to anything that moves, anything that is held on by rubber or anything that you would not trust your life with. Obviously, suspension componets make bad recovery points. If you are worried about breaking gears you worry to much, never seen it happen, never heard of it (except here) and I recover backwords all the time. Maybe if you pull a D9 dozer up 60 degree hills, but hey, I don't think that is even possible. Think of it this way, the drivetrain componets fail when there is too much power going into it and the truck is not moving. Better tires increse breakage chances because they offer more traction. This is why I don't air down unless i'm allready stuck. The tires are like an electrical fuse, before the power breaks the drivedrain the tires loose traction and spin. Cheap insurance. Also, Toyota and powerhouse are not really synanamus. How many of you are running a Ramjet 502? Didn't think so. Duel front hooks up front and a reciver shackle in rear are A+ in my book. If you can't bear the prices of safe recovery, stay on the pavement.

Fink

Man, I gotta say...this thread better stay up for awhile cause we are gettin some good info on here! NICE WORK!

However, my question still stands, how do you physically attach BOTH loop ends to a car? I understand one side you can put the loop through the chain spots on the trailer hitch but then the other side is just left with a loop...thanks for all the info, lets keep this thread goin!

sdastg1 - Looks like this thread has sucked 2 of us into buying some gear, atleast we will be safe. That is the number one thing on-road and especially off.

Thanks again boys, lemme know how to safely hook those loops onto a vehicle so I don't end up leaving them stranded cause of my lack of knowledge or worse yet, get injured cause of some dumb mistake!

Fink

4x4Lamm

If everybody is well eqippped, bothends will attach to a hook or shackle. If the towee does not have either, put one end through the loop and pull to tighten it around a solid recovery point. If niether have hooks or shackles, shame on you. A 4' chain with a choke and a grab hook is great for "making" recovery points on other vehicles. Also keep in mind, will anything change when th strap tightens. The strap could get damaged or you could damage the 4x4, either way, its bad. Any more Q's Fink?

Fink

Well heres the situation...Tuesday a friend of mine hit a patch of ice and slid into a ditch at about a 50-60 degree angle...He only had a bracket with a hole in it..I have a trailer hitch with loops for safety chains...I used my strap with hooks on it because the only other thing I had was an 8' chain and a monster hook on it. However, early next week I should be receiving my WARN Receiver Shackle...so say I was in the same position as stated about yet with a shackle. I would still have to insert the strap through the shack and loop something through the loop in order it to attach safely to the shackle...right?

Thanks for the help Lamm, and everybody else of course!

Fink

midiwall

This has decent pictures and words about using a recovery strap (searched using google with "how to use recovery strap" as the arguements):

http://www.jeep-tech-tips.com/recovery-straps.html

If the rig that you're pulling out doesn't have a shackle, then you need to find something SOLID that you can run the strap through. You take one loop end of the strap, and run it in/around/up/through a frame member. Take the loop and run it through the loop in the other end. That will make a slipknot out of one end of the strap.

Now take your shackle and run it through the remaining free loop end. Insert the receiver adapter into your receiver, and put the pin through the receiver. Don't forget to cotter key the pin!

Thread the keeper (the long bolt from the shackle) through the shackle, through the receiver adapter, and screw it down. Finger-tight is okay.

You're now hooked up and ready to pull.

You should be in 4-Low, low gear, and locked if applicable. The trapped truck needs to be out of park, and should be in gear. On the "count of three", you should first try pulling _slowly_ while the trapped rig gently gets on the gas as well.

You don't want to "snatch" in a recovery unless you have to. "Have to" is defined as the trapped rig up to his floorboards in muck and you have to break the suction of mud to get him out.

In the case of in being in a ditch on an icy road, go slow. At the angle that you described, I wouldn't try pulling straight up the incline unless that's the only way that you can get traction. You should pull him out at an angle. Think of it this way, what you're actually doing is adding to his horsepower. You're taking weight off of his drivetrain by pulling on his nose. Let HIM do the driving up the ledge.

Keep an eye on your mirrors in case he starts slipping sideways. Or, go out with a spotter - but that can be dangerous for the spotter given the icy conditions.


That's to the best of my knowledge, but there are folks much more experienced than I am so please wait for other folks to jump in.