once you use a tow strap you will never go back to using a chain :metal: The strap will strecth and give that somtimes needed snap to yank somthing out of the dicth.Speaking of i need to put it back in the pick-up before the snow flies :(

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

I agree, chains are the best to use. The best ones you can get are Grade 80, rated for overhead lifiting and should have a safety inspection tag from the factory attached to both ends. I keep a 25ft 7/16" chain with regular hooks on both ends, and a 20ft 1/2" logging chain with a regular hook on one end, and a slip hook on the other in the truck. I also keep some heavy duty Crosby clevises in the truck too. I have one that's 3/4" diameter rated for 6 1/2 tons, and three 5/8" diameter rated for 4 1/2 tons. The screw pin on the 5/8" will fit in a standard trailer hitch ball hole on a step bumper so those are always good to have.

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

I broke too many chains in the army lifting and pulling. They wouldn't get us straps, and told us we were supposed to be using cables... but they are a real PITA. Since I was driving an armored track, I didn't care if one broke, and I just made sure to clear the area of any bystanders before tugging (per recovery manual and as trained in recovery school... I was H-8 qualified).
However, in a pick up truck situation, i would NEVER EVER even think of doing a recovery operation with chains... it's only as strong as it's weakest link...that sound familiar to anyone?
I have seen shackles shot over 1/4 mile, have seen chain links driven into trees when we were half assing things tugging on 73 ton tanks.
I'll lift with a chain, I'll tow with a chain... but NEVER EVER yank with one.

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

just something i thought i would add the truck or vehicle that is being pulled out if there are people in it you should put the hood up incase the the strap or chain breaks nothing goes through the windshield.as for the pull vehicle your on your own

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

There are advantages and disadvantages to both (or all three if you count steel rope/cable).

Chains and steel rope are great for pulling a stuck vehicle out. That is if the towing vehicle has the balls and ballast to do it at little more than idle in 1st. Just take up the tension then let the clutch out and let the torque do the rest. This is generally reserved for tractors or earth moving equipment. Or some HUGE ASS oil burner dually 4X4 1 ton pickup. As said above, NEVER EVER "yank" on a chain.

Straps are great for when you have a relatively small towing vehicle or the tower has limited traction. You can use the elasticity of the strap to get a little running start, get to the end of the strap / traction ability then plant the brakes. Especially good when the stuck vehicle is in mud. The constant tension on the strap will let air get down under the stuck vehicle and let it "slurp" out of the mud. Straps are also beneficial when there's a chance the stuck vehicle will act unpredictably (like when extracting a car from a ditch) as straps are MUCH more forgiving to jerks and sudden changes in tension that would put too much stress on a chain or cable. The best type of strap to get is the ones that have a "tattletail" woven into them. It's a short section of non-elastic rope that is an indicator of when you've approached or exceeded the maximum stretch of the strap. When the tattletail goes straight, you're at maximum pull. When the tattletail snaps, you better let off.

As said before, an old Jeep rock climber's trick is to put an old sweatshirt or jacket (heavy is good here) over the center of the strap / chain / cable. If the towing implement snaps, the jacket / sweatshirt will create drag on it (and assist gravity), generally preventing the "rubber band" effect.

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

Something I didn't see mentioned in any of the posts if double-braid nylon line. I learned about it while in the Coast Guard. I have several that we use to this day for "extracting" vehicles from "situations". Better be prepared if ya want one......it is expensive......

Consider this.....tugboats use double braid to tow ships. That is a LOT of weight to tow. Coast Guard vessels use double-braid to tow sinking and disabled boats and ships in rough seas. Imagine the stretching forces exerted from one end to the other while in rough seas! I'm pretty sure you won't find chains or tow straps doing this job.

Disclaimer: the USCG goes to great lengths to teach Coasties that there are limits to the line's capabilities and that they can kill when they snap. They also teach that the connections points are always the weak links.

The method that Mickey_D mentioned works pretty good. The towing vehicle goes forward and take up the "stretch" and then basically stops. Oftentimes, this is all the extra help the stuck vehicle needs to get moving. We also take steps to make sure that if a line did snap, we are out of the line of fire.

Misled

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

Oh, you mean the donkey dick towing hauser? ;)


Yes, my ship was a certified ocean going tug, even though it was an oiler......


I managed to get a hold of all the old 1" and 2" small boat mooring lines when we upgraded. The front bumper on my Jeep consisted of a 4" square tube wrapped in 3 layers of the 2", and my rear roll cage uprights were wrapped in 2 layers of the 1". One of the many things I forgot to retrieve when I sold that Jeep.... :(

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

There were a lot of Coasties that had the wrapped in line (whatever you do, don't call it "rope"!!!!) bumper treatment. With your experience, you know what I talking about for towing.......

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

I just noticed this thread and didnt read all five pages but i will tell you that in the northeast ive had cops bust my chops using any kind of a tow chain tow rope or strap on public roads. They wanted to issue tickets and everything else i guess its for safety reasons but im sure that it also deals with kickbacks the police get from the "authorized towers " they force you to use.. so be careful and check from a legal standpoint what happens if you use one on a public road

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

Heh, I don't get too much flak from the cops around here about that kind of thing. I managed to see the Deputy Chief of Police with one wheel off the road stuck (other tire on the road was on glare ice), go get coffee for both of us, have a BS session with him, hook up my tow strap, pull him out, pack it all up, and both of us on our way before the tow truck he had called BEFORE I saw him arrived.....

But yes, I agree. There are some jurisdictions where they get kind of finicky about that kind of thing.

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

Oh, the one time I used the 2" I offered it to a bunch of guys. The one stuck was a HUGE mottha' of a Suburban. Not entirely sure exactly what it was, but the 38" Gumbo Monster Mudders were below ground level, as were the step rails on the 8" total lift vehicle. The towing vehicles were an F-350 oil burner with 38's, an IH 1 ton Travelall with 35's, and some monstrous K-5 Blazer with 44's that made the ground shake when it idled. They wrapped the line around something on the Burb, a clove hitch knot on the F-350's bumper, a clove hitch knot on the Cornbinder's bumper, and a double reef knot on the Blazer (Yes, I had over 100' of the 2"). I just stood back and watched as I would guess about 2,000ft/lbs of combined torque (all in 4WD-Lo) pulled up the slack.

All three gave everything they had to pull that Burb out, and that line didn't even groan. I REALLY kick myself on not grabbing that stuff off my Jeep. There's been several times I could have done with that stuff handy.

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ive used chains mainly i tried using a tow strap before but we used my moms z71 to to it AND BENT THE RUBBER HOOK AND IT DIDNT WORK TO GOOD

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I never used a rope.

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i use a repel rope the mountanclimberrope its slightly stretchy so it doesnt jerk the car when the rope slackens and tightens again .
i only pulled light european type cars with it though

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I saw a nylon (yellow) tow strap with the hooks on it break and ruin my buddy's tailgate and back window, it also totaled the rear hatch on a Cherokee. From then on I have kept a chain in the truck instead of a tow strap.

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I lived in a house with two other guys.when I was at work they pulled a truck out from behind the house using my unused Edelweiss 150' climbing rope.I was furious!!!I cut it up and threw it away so no one would make the mistake of climbing with it.

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always remember when pulling out a vehicle to put something (coat ) over the chain or pull strap this way if it breaks it will start to slow down almost instantly and cause less of a chance of injury.

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chains are the best bet.

i've busted many a tow strap.

Re: Safe tow rope options?
 

a chain whont break as fast but if it breaks it has stored a lot of energy and might just hit you in the back of the head if it manage to go over the bed .

i still would go with a climbers rope but just make sure noone uses it to climb something or at least misstakes it for a climbing rope like keeping it 15 feet or so glue a flag in the middle and make a harphook on each end , its realy strong and kindof stretchy wish is great to counter the shocks of taking the slack out of the rope