tow straps
Senior Member
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 226
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Originally Posted by 03fx4F150
One of buds is getting me one from one of his friends that works off shore. He said the straps they use out there are rated for 65k.
Senior Member
Joined: Jan 2000
Posts: 3,205
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From: Along Lake Erie
Indeed, lifting and hoisting straps are not the same as recovery straps. They are not designed to stretch and absorb the energy. They are not the right tool for the job.
JC Whitney sells the Keeper brand straps. I've had a 3" wide, 30-ft. long, 30,000 lb Keeper for well over 10 years. I use it at least a few times a year for days at a time at the dunes, on the trails, and in the snow and mud. I clean it when it gets dirty and I don't abuse it, and it has yet to let me down.
Also, on the subject of winch safety, when the OP was being winched out, the cameraman and the bystander were both in the danger zone. If the cable had snapped, they could have potentially been in the line of fire. Also, there should have been a heavy blanket or dead weight laid across the mid-point of the cable just in case. It redirects the energy of a broken winch cable into the ground.
-Joe
JC Whitney sells the Keeper brand straps. I've had a 3" wide, 30-ft. long, 30,000 lb Keeper for well over 10 years. I use it at least a few times a year for days at a time at the dunes, on the trails, and in the snow and mud. I clean it when it gets dirty and I don't abuse it, and it has yet to let me down.
Also, on the subject of winch safety, when the OP was being winched out, the cameraman and the bystander were both in the danger zone. If the cable had snapped, they could have potentially been in the line of fire. Also, there should have been a heavy blanket or dead weight laid across the mid-point of the cable just in case. It redirects the energy of a broken winch cable into the ground.
-Joe
Senior Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 175
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From: 856
Anybody ever heard of using army parachute straps, like the straps from the cargo parachutes that they drop boxes of stuff down with and vehicles?
My buddy had one made out of that stuff, was maybe 2" wide, but the strap was wrapped so that it was like 4 lines rather then just one long one.
Not sure how the ends were closed, didn't look that closely at it. Pretty sure I saw a couple of D-rings attached to it.
Would act more as a tow rope I suppose, since it wouldn't stretch. But should hold up well enough to get a small recovery job done.
I remember seeing guys with fullsize tractor tires using marine rope, like the giant boats use to dock with. Can't imagine what the breaking point on those ropes is.
My buddy had one made out of that stuff, was maybe 2" wide, but the strap was wrapped so that it was like 4 lines rather then just one long one.
Not sure how the ends were closed, didn't look that closely at it. Pretty sure I saw a couple of D-rings attached to it.
Would act more as a tow rope I suppose, since it wouldn't stretch. But should hold up well enough to get a small recovery job done.
I remember seeing guys with fullsize tractor tires using marine rope, like the giant boats use to dock with. Can't imagine what the breaking point on those ropes is.
Last edited by fmf300ex; Oct 14, 2007 at 07:47 PM.
Technical Article Contributor
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 7,862
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From: Northern California
i simply went down to my local 4WP store and bought a 3" x 30' recovery strap made by Keeper. has worked flawlessly to help get my truck out once, and to get my buddys trucks out multiple times. you just gotta know what you're doing.
