Advice from the off-roaders crew

[Gazza77]

Planning ahead a little, I'm thinking of a tow rope or strap for Christmas. After getting the MX5 stuck in snow down our lane last year, I want something suitable to attach to the Grand Vitara to pull it (or anyone else who gets stuck down here) out. I'm thinking more seriously about this now, given that I will shortly be starting a new job that will involve me driving over the moors on a daily basis.

After a quick perusal on the net, I'm now rather confused about what I need, and if I can use the same rope/strap for towing on the road if necessary. Advice please!

[MattCollins]

Gazza,

Is this for the MX5 or have you got something else in mind?

I'd suggest a snatch strap, rated shackles and rated chassis hooks (MX5?!!), not those factory fitted things, and a long handle shovel for debogging. This of course relies on having another vehicle around to pull you out and most importantly, proper knowledge of how to use the snatch strap without killing yourself or someone else. If you cannot take the right gear, don't take anything more than a shovel (not one of those collapsible jobs) and stay clear of stuff that will bog you.

For towing use a purpose made tow strap, not a snatch strap. Likewise a tow strap is not to be used for snatching.

[Gazza77]

Gazza,

Is this for the MX5 or have you got something else in mind?

I'd suggest a snatch strap, rated shackles and rated chassis hooks (MX5?!!), not those factory fitted things, and a long handle shovel for debogging. This of course relies on having another vehicle around to pull you out and most importantly, proper knowledge of how to use the snatch strap without killing yourself or someone else. If you cannot take the right gear, don't take anything more than a shovel (not one of those collapsible jobs) and stay clear of stuff that will bog you.

For towing use a purpose made tow strap, not a snatch strap. Likewise a tow strap is not to be used for snatching.

Sorry if I wasn't clear.

The roads round here don't always get plowed in winter if it snows, and the farm-style lane we live down certainly doesn't. I want something that I can fasten to the Grand Vitara to use it to pull anyone who gets stuck and blocks the road out of the way - like I managed to block the lane in he MX5 last year. Would a simple tow rope not suffice for that? The car wasn't bogged down, just unable to get adequate traction as thus unable to move.

[svrich]

A regular tow rope would be fine for both recovery and road towing. Just make sure that it is a 'proper' rope and not a flimsy nylon number like the ones in the generic 'recovery' winter packs that you get everywhere at this time of year. It would need a good tonnage rating to make sure it's not going to snap on you. I'd say 4/5/to be on the safe side. You do need good recovery points too but that will depend on individual vehicles. On my old Rover I just wrap it around the bumper/dumb iron and away we go. It does make it easier if your rope has an appropriately strong loop at one end that you can throw over a towball of the recovering vehicle too. Try to find a local 4x4 parts place, they should have a good selection and some better advice :)

[MattCollins]

Yep, tow strap would be fine for that - ie a straight pull, never a yank.

I'll throw in another option. A length of rated chain will also do that job and is my preference for a straight pull because the synthetics need care while chain can be handled badly, then thrown back in its bucket. Chain is also handy for pulling dead animals or fallen trees out of the way. The downside is that it is heavy and it is not great for towing a breakdown any sort of distance. I don't recommend doing that anyway - humans are strange creatures.

I would suggest never looping anything over the tow ball unless you want to risk someone wearing it - that is a dangerous practice even on a straight pull. I know that people do it and get away with it all of the time, but it takes seeing what it can do to fully realise the potential danger. Instead use an 8t rated shackle through the hole on the draw bar and do the same on the other vehicle if possible. It also avoids damage to the strap.

Don't forget the shovel.

Cheers

[Gazza77]

So something such as this should be ideal then?

http://www.firstfour.co.uk/ropes/8-tonne-polypropylene-tow-rope-707142-191384-364371.php

[_Stretchie_]

Whatever you get mate, for peace of mind if nothing else, I'd make sure it is all rated.

I have lifting strops that I got from my dad, I have a 2tonne one, and 2x 4tonne ones and all my shakles are rated for a minimum of 3.25 tonne.

All these rating were for LIFTING so deffo safe for pulling much more than they are tested for. As mentioned above the strops are great for towing but they have NO give in them, they do no stretch at all. Snatch straps are basically big bungees, you attach to both vehicles and one vehicles floors it in the direction you want to pull the other vehicle in. The idea is that the rope stretches and like a bungie it wants to return to it's normal length pulling the stuck vehicle out with it.

I've never needed one of them YET, seem them working and they are cool but make me nervous cos I iz Wet Init.

We have basic recovery kit (remember, you might get stuck too), here's what we have just to give you an idea:

Set of waffle boards (£40 second hand)
Long handled spade (£10-£15 B&Q)
Strops (depends on length and weight rating)
Shackles (depends on weight rating)
Tirfor (hand winch rated at 1600kg) (not cheap although we found an old second hand one)
Wire rope for tirfor (should come with the tirfor, if not, again not cheap)

That should set you back a bit but I would go for strops and shackles first (remembering that if you are intending on pulling normal cars you might want to buy some smaller rated shackles as you'll be very lucky if a 3.25 tonne one fit through the towing eye of a Honda Civic ; ) )

Then spade and waffles next, waffles (named because of their shape) were created as bridging tools so if you came across a steep step you could use them as ramps, or to get you out of ruts.

Hope this helps

[Gazza77]

Whatever you get mate, for peace of mind if nothing else, I'd make sure it is all rated.

I have lifting strops that I got from my dad, I have a 2tonne one, and 2x 4tonne ones and all my shakles are rated for a minimum of 3.25 tonne.

All these rating were for LIFTING so deffo safe for pulling much more than they are tested for. As mentioned above the strops are great for towing but they have NO give in them, they do no stretch at all. Snatch straps are basically big bungees, you attach to both vehicles and one vehicles floors it in the direction you want to pull the other vehicle in. The idea is that the rope stretches and like a bungie it wants to return to it's normal length pulling the stuck vehicle out with it.

I've never needed one of them YET, seem them working and they are cool but make me nervous cos I iz Wet Init.

We have basic recovery kit (remember, you might get stuck too), here's what we have just to give you an idea:

Set of waffle boards (£40 second hand)
Long handled spade (£10-£15 B&Q)
Strops (depends on length and weight rating)
Shackles (depends on weight rating)
Tirfor (hand winch rated at 1600kg) (not cheap although we found an old second hand one)
Wire rope for tirfor (should come with the tirfor, if not, again not cheap)

That should set you back a bit but I would go for strops and shackles first (remembering that if you are intending on pulling normal cars you might want to buy some smaller rated shackles as you'll be very lucky if a 3.25 tonne one fit through the towing eye of a Honda Civic ; ) )

Then spade and waffles next, waffles (named because of their shape) were created as bridging tools so if you came across a steep step you could use them as ramps, or to get you out of ruts.

Hope this helps

Cheers. As I say, it's not for actual off roading I'm planning for at present, more emergency planning in case of a bad winter. Just another thing to keep in the boot "just in case", like a shovel, waterproofs, torch, etc.

[_Stretchie_]

Cool, would deffo go for the strops and shackles first as you can't hook to to people without them, and then spade and waffles as they should get you or even them out of most situations where you might get bogged down or just stuck in mud

[MattCollins]

So something such as this should be ideal then?

http://www.firstfour.co.uk/ropes/8-tonne-polypropylene-tow-rope-707142-191384-364371.php


That'll do it, although there are probably better products around and I'd get an extra shackle.

FWIW, the basic kit on my Toyota consists of the following:

3500kg lift "Tirfor" w/ 16mm wire rope
12000kg ground anchor - I always anchor of this.
2x turning blocks
1x 10m + 2x 20m extension straps + bridles with 12T rating
4x 4m 8mm chains.
12x 8T bow shackles.
Assorted chain hooks and 4T shackles.
2x snatch straps
The Toyota is fitted with locking diffs so I have to be really stupid to get the thing proper bogged.
Mud Chains as a last resort method of getting to where I am going.

Not much of it has been used in the past 3 or 4 years - the tojo is lucky to see 5000mi pa. Occasionally I get to snatch a car out of a bog and the last use was 'helping' a 16T grader out of a hole.