Tow strap/rope question

CTjeeper16 · **Posted:** Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:19 pm

Ok, I've read all about the tow ropes with hooks and how they are basically the spawn of Satan and should be banished from all existance, and that's good and all, but if they are really that dangerous, why are they even sold? I know its also the same way with chains, but doesnt Warn offer some kind of bulbous chain in one of their accessory packs? Or is the reality of the matter that the ropes with hooks are fine, its just that the way people use them most (i.e. yanking out of mud) causes disaster?

Mutt · **Posted:** Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:22 pm

If a hook comes loose, it becomes a projectile, a big heavy projectile.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:34 pm

CTjeeper16 wrote:

Ok, I've read all about the tow ropes with hooks and how they are basically the spawn of Satan and should be banished from all existance, and that's good and all, but if they are really that dangerous, why are they even sold? I know its also the same way with chains, but doesnt Warn offer some kind of bulbous chain in one of their accessory packs? Or is the reality of the matter that the ropes with hooks are fine, its just that the way people use them most (i.e. yanking out of mud) causes disaster?

Why do people buy cars other than Jeep/Chrysler? B/c they are stupid, thats why!

Eddo · **Joined:** Thu Jul 07, 2005 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1214

CTjeeper16 wrote:

I know its also the same way with chains, but doesnt Warn offer some kind of bulbous chain in one of their accessory packs? Or is the reality of the matter that the ropes with hooks are fine, its just that the way people use them most (i.e. yanking out of mud) causes disaster?

Your right, its the shock load generated from a snatch that makes them dangerous. They have there purpose for light tows are such. Also with cars they are frequently used just a few inches off the ground and have a lot of the cars suspension to go through, before letting loose. They have there purpose, but using them for a snatch is dangerous.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Thu Jun 22, 2006 1:58 am

CTjeeper16 wrote:

Ok, I've read all about the tow ropes with hooks and how they are basically the spawn of Satan and should be banished from all existance, and that's good and all, but if they are really that dangerous, why are they even sold? I know its also the same way with chains, but doesnt Warn offer some kind of bulbous chain in one of their accessory packs? Or is the reality of the matter that the ropes with hooks are fine, its just that the way people use them most (i.e. yanking out of mud) causes disaster?

Why do they sell tobacco products when they are so bad for you? Why do we have lawyers (that sue anything, including a dead person) when they are so bad for us? Why do we continue to make Michael Jackson a headline when he is so BAD for us? Okay, that was a BAD one....HAHAHA!

DoverKJ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:39 pm

There are many uses for the chain that warn sells with its winch accessory kit. You can use it as a choker to limit the wheel travel when you are lifting the vehicle to change a tire, if a vehicle doesnt have a tow point and you dont want to wrap your nice tow strap around a sharp object and possibly damage it , etc, etc.

I would not use a chain or strap with a hook to snatch someone out or pull them free of something. You could safely use it to tow a vehicle a short distance on a paved surface where there is not going to be any shock loading or yanking of any type.

Guyute1210 · **Posted:** Thu Jun 22, 2006 4:41 pm

This is why you don't use any metal hooks or chains for yanking a stuck vehicle. This happened Saturday over Father's Day weekend:

Man dies after being struck by tow strap

HEATH TOWNSHIP (AP) — A Holland man died after being struck in the head with a piece of metal that was attached to the end of a tow strap being used to pull a truck from the mud in Allegan County, officials said.

Jonathan Blystra, 33, was among a group of friends driving four-wheel drive trucks through a mud bog on Saturday when his truck became stuck, the Allegan County sheriff's department said in a statement.

The group tried to free Blystra's truck with a tow strap attached to another truck, but the strap broke, the department said. The piece of metal went thorough the windshield of Blystra's truck, striking him in the head.

Blystra was pronounced dead at the scene, the department said.

DoverKJ · **Posted:** Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:30 pm

Wow, it is still hard to believe people are using them to snatch people out of the mud or off an obstacle. You would think with all the talk and all the stories, people would stop using tow ropes with hooks.

Albert · **Posted:** Thu Jun 22, 2006 5:56 pm

Oh my God, that's terrible.

I read that with the tow straps with the metal hooks - they are only made to tow a vehicle on a smooth surface where there's no additional strain as the vehicles can roll easily. Not like when you're trying to pull someone out of the mud or up an incline or something. You need a "recovery strap" with the loops at both ends. And it is made to stretch a little and retract when overcoming the suction of mud etc. Several times I've watched (from a safe spot) vehicles being pulled out of mud. Once with a winch and several times with recovery straps. It is very dangerous. Accidents can happen even when everything is done right. There's a lot of forces involved and you can't be too careful.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Sat Jun 24, 2006 12:59 pm

i ahd the tail gate on a less than 1 year old truck destroyed by a shackel that was attched to a tow strap when the other strap broke just glad that it hit the tail gate and not my head

waddy whiteguts · **Posted:** Sat Jun 24, 2006 3:15 pm

A major danger is using two short straps joined with a hook or shackle to make one long one. Either one of those straps breaks and you have a missile. I read about a Rover that had it's tailgate and passenger seat split open by a flying shackle. When using tow or snatch straps you can limit danger somewhat by hanging a blanket or carpet over the strap to slow it down should it snap.

JFortier777 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 24, 2006 9:13 pm

Tow hook straps kill babies; end of story.

Boiler · **Posted:** Tue Mar 10, 2009 3:41 pm

DoverKJ wrote:

Wow, it is still hard to believe people are using them to snatch people out of the mud or off an obstacle. You would think with all the talk and all the stories, people would stop using tow ropes with hooks.

My guess is the majority of people that take their trucks offroad or use a towstrap to help someone who is stuck never read about this stuff online or are considered enthusiasts.

pipeliner · **Posted:** Tue Mar 10, 2009 7:05 pm

Anyone who uses a tow rope, or snatch straps joined by a shackle, to recover a stuck vehicle has obviously never been on any sort of 4wd training course, or even bothered to learn from their more experienced friends. This obviously does not apply to anyone on this forum!

The biggest problem is that the males of today have been brought up to consider that the ability to drive a car is something we are all born with, and that once they have got their licence (assuming they bother!) they are automatically experts able to drive any type of vehicle anywhere. They just don't realise that the force required to shift a vehicle stuck in mud can be up to 10-20 times the force needed to tow it along a bitumen road - because they've never had anyone explain it to them.

If you want to drive a heavy truck or a bus you have to pass a separate test to prove you appreciate the charactoristics of the vehicle type. It would be good if we insisted on the same thing for off-road driving - but that would interfere with the "liberty of the individual" and would never get past the politicians, even though most serious 4wd'ers would accept it.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Tue Mar 10, 2009 8:15 pm

Wheeeew wee.. That dust is making me sneeze! This is an old thead!

Both mutt and JFortier no longer hang around here.. Not heard from eddo in awhile either..

And I have no idea what my post means up there.. :lol: