A little reminder of tow rope/snatch strap safety

[TINTIN]

http://www.southernhighrollers.com/tips ... s_from.htm
This is an old article but nevertheless it shows in detail how dangerous straps and shackles can be. If your rope is not long enough. DIG!!!

[Xof]

interesting one Tintin...

therefore, respect the following :
- only hook straps to your car recovery point (must be there and in good condition, if not, don't go in the sand)
- only use dynamic straps (safer than statics) with the proper rating for the car you pull out.
- only use proper shackles, properly installed
- weight your strap in the middle with whatever soft you have (a sweater can do, a small bag of sand...). If the straps break, the weigh will get it on the ground before it reach your windscreen.

Finally, only drivers + one recovery leader (coordinator as he is the only one who can see both car) can stay around. Keep a safe area around the recovery scene.

and YES, digging around the wheels will help in the recovery as you don't have to go against a mountain of sand (therefore there is less energy in the strap). Shovels are parts of material requirement and are too oftenly used...

[TINTIN]

Yes xof dynamic straps are better for pulling out stuck vehicle but for towing it is best advised to use a static strap as a snatch (dynamic) strap can and will break if used to much in a short amount of time. Remember when mine snapped on the bulldog run.
It was attached by a piece of 2x2 timber to another strap which was static and mine snapped as it was over used. The static strap however, managed to pull me all the way out of the desert with no problems. The problem with snatch straps is that after they have pulled a rig from the sand they need time to reset or they will snap.
If you can avoid it, you should try not to attach to straps, especially of different strengths and elasticity values as the force on one is uneven to the force on the other and will force one strap to work harder than the other thus causing a broken strap. Also the timber used swiped the side of my bumper and ripped of the corner protector so it is still dangerous to use this method.

EXTREME CAUTION IS ADVISED AT ALL TIMES. IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE STAY PUT AND CALL FOR HELP!!!

[maddog]

Good thread boys.

At the risk of sounding like a "know it all", I might add a wee bit 'cause if its of use to even one person only, its worth it;

- very good point (but one that's often overlooked) is the resting of a kinetic strap after use. Basically any more than 3-4 snatches on a kinetic strap and it loses its ability to stretch or snatch any more.
Use it again and you are basically snatching with a static strap, there will be huge loads imparted onto your vehicles recovery points and drive train, not to mention the risk of strap failure itself.
To rest a strap properly it then needs around 24 hrs loosely stowed. Rolling it up all pretty looks good, but will not allow the fibres to relax.

- as Tintin found out, if you do need to join two straps together, you should never use anything dense or with any real mass. When, (not if, always plan worst case) the strap breaks that thing will be a deadly missile. Joining with a shackle is REALLY bad.
The straps should be joined by looping it onto themselves, with something placed between them just tp prevent them locking to tight, otherwise you will never separate them after. Use some rolled newspaper, fabric, bunched up grass, rubber floor mat, that kind of thing. It will also serve the dual purpose of acting like a damper should the strap break.

- on the subject of damper, its something I rarely see us do, and I'm guilty as charged . Something draped over the middle of the strap will take the energy out of it should it break. If you look at a complete recovery kit, there's often a damper of some sort in there. they include it for a reason.

Apologies for the rant you can tell I've got bugger all on at the mo!!!

[Xof]

at least you are speaking real english:
kinetic instead of dynamic,
damper instead of "weight"

8O except the last line... not sure i got it...

[TINTIN]

Some good points you made their Breett mate. And I agree that if it helps atleast one, it is not useless info.
I was thinking the other night about when drivers pull to get the snatch on the rope and how much load goes into the towhooks/framerail of our rigs and it is bloody huge.
Not only is the load on the frame though, it is also on the drivetrain, axles and transmission. Especially the tranny in automatics. I would liek to point out that a snatch rope is not really designed for somebody to have about a 5 meter run u then snatch, it is best advised to have the watcher inform the rescuer when the rope is just off the ground, this is when the rescuer should accelerate and the rescuee should do the same.
The thing a lot of people don't do is let off the accelerator as they feel the force of the ropes kinetic energy, doing this cause extreme loads to be put on to th edrive train, if somebody was to have a dodgy u-joint or a slightly loose transmission mounting this could cause severe damage to the drivetrain and render the rig immobilised.
So for your own wallets sake, please try to release the accelerator and hit the clitch if in manual, drop into neutral if auto, just as the rope snatches, and assign a watcher to place a cover over the center of the rope then tell you when it is off the ground and to accelerate.

[TINTIN]

Some good points you made their Brett mate. And I agree that if it helps atleast one, it is not useless info.
I was thinking the other night about when drivers pull to get the snatch on the rope and how much load goes into the towhooks/framerail of our rigs and it is bloody huge.
Not only is the load on the frame though, it is also on the drivetrain, axles and transmission. Especially the tranny in automatics. I would liek to point out that a snatch rope is not really designed for somebody to have about a 5 meter run u then snatch, it is best advised to have the watcher inform the rescuer when the rope is just off the ground, this is when the rescuer should accelerate and the rescuee should do the same.
The thing a lot of people don't do is let off the accelerator as they feel the force of the ropes kinetic energy, doing this cause extreme loads to be put on to th edrive train, if somebody was to have a dodgy u-joint or a slightly loose transmission mounting this could cause severe damage to the drivetrain and render the rig immobilised.
So for your own wallets sake, please try to release the accelerator and hit the clitch if in manual, drop into neutral if auto, just as the rope snatches, and assign a watcher to place a cover over the center of the rope then tell you when it is off the ground and to accelerate.

[maddog]

8O except the last line... not sure i got it...

heh heh fair call, sounded a bit dodgy huh!!
I'm sitting in a hotel in Paris now, should I go down and ask the concierge opinion how to say it better

[Xof]

you #$ù*$%£ !!!

enjoy Paris, and send me a PM if you need anything!