Recovery gear

[Madgyver]

thanks Steve.... just ordered new stuff.

 

[BUCKWILD]

I'd like to hear what people are using for an under axle jack. I have packed a Hi-Lift for decades and apparently they are required hood ornaments if you own a H**p. I have enough flex in mine that Hi-Lift is not really a safe way to get under the rig for anything. Mine is nothing special compared to some of the insane rigs being built so I would imagine a Hi-Lift is all but useless, and yes, I have a 48" and a 60" version.

carry a small chain long enough to go between your frame and axle and you can still use your highlift. I have a small bottle jack but cant always use due to the ground conditions

 

[Yeller]

thanks Steve.... just ordered new stuff.

Glad I could influence you parting with your cash

Not my goal, but I do want everyone to be as safe as possible with easy to use equipment.

carry a small chain long enough to go between your frame and axle and you can still use your highlift. I have a small bottle jack but cant always use due to the ground conditions

Chain or strap all work well, got to have something otherwise you'll never get it jacked up high enough and then its not very stable.

Another note about highlifts. If at all possible lift from your rocker, not the front or back, it makes the lift much more stable. It will go from sketchy to solid, simple physics, tires roll, picking up from the front or rear the tires want to roll, picking up form the side you are pushing the tires sideways, so they are not trying to roll. Of course don't do this if you don't have guards or sliders capable of holding up the vehicle, all you'll do is make a mess of your body panels.

 

[SC74]

Chain or strap all work well, got to have something otherwise you'll never get it jacked up high enough and then its not very stable.

Ever since you introduced me to winching a vehicle over I have done that multiple times, on my rig and others. Everyone I show that trick to loves it. I have also carried a HD ratchet strap with me since that trip. One with a short tail on it makes it easier. I'm trying to remember what it was that broke on mine that day at OCBR. If I had to guess, a Ford caliper was loose and knocking the wheel. That was a common problem before I converted to the Ch*vy style.

A soft shackle, tree saver, winch, and donut ... a lot can be done!

 

[sprdv1]

I know this has been discussed in the past but in the last few years there has been some gear trends that I find useful and in some cases safer for recovery. I have been in the process of updating my recovery gear, which isn’t easy, I’ve been collecting stuff for several decades. So I’ll list the items that have changed over the years, the ones I’m working on and the reasons why. I’d love to hear some of y’all’s input and hopefully evolve into recovery techniques, which I hope it does, can’t count the times I’ve seen things happen and no one have the first clue as to what to do. Let’s start with gear.

Most can agree a winch is almost a must have. In my opinion it must have synthetic rope and not wire cable. Cable is heavy, so it is harder on you and the vehicle carrying it. Cable is also less safe, if it fails, the release of energy is violent, flying objects can maim and kill. Rope is lighter, can be handled without gloves, recommended but not required and doesn’t store near the energy of steel cable.

Winch hooks, putting it in its own category, I’ve stopped using a hook, the thimble in the end of the rope is more than sufficient. A hook is really good for nothing other than just being a bludgeoning device for the person handling the rope to beat themselves with. I’ve been bruised and bloodied by them more times than I can count. The thimble will protect the rope and give a place to insert a steel d ring shackle or a soft shackle.

Soft shackles, I’ll post pics of them. Many do not know what they are, how they work or even how to use them. I have all but replaced all of my steel d ring shackles with these. They are lighter and safer. Can be used to reach around most anything to create a recovery point. They are extremely safe and again if there is a failure it isn’t sending steel shrapnel at your head. I carry at least 3 of these. I only carry 1 steel shackle, if your recovery points are just a hole in a tab, it is still the best connection.

Snatch blocks. I’m moving away from heavy steel contraptions to a simple aluminum ring that works with a soft shackle. The aluminum ring is lighter, seeing a trend? Again less weight if there is a failure less weight equals less energy. It also makes your gear weigh less and easier to store. I carry 2 of these, still need more to complete my fleet but getting there.

Recovery strap, make sure if it is a strap it is nylon and not polyester. Nylon stretches, polyester does not. Nylon is for recovery, polyester is for tree savers. A recovery strap or kinetic energy rope are a must and need to be rated to a minimum of 20,000 pounds. 20,000 pounds! My rig only weighs 5000 why 20,000? It is a kinetic energy device, hit the end of it with momentum and you can usually extricate what is stuck in the mud and develop many times your vehicles weight in pulling power. Hung on rocks is not the place to use that kinetic energy, but stuck in the mud most definitely is.

Tree savers in many areas are required by law anytime a winch or anchor line is attached to a tree. It protects the tree from damage often saving it from dying. They are also great for going around points if rocks or other objects. I carry at least 2. They typically range in length from 6-12 feet.

Post what you carry and we can also work in some techniques. I’ll use a term from my tactical training buddies. “Amateurs talk hardware Professionals talk software.” You can have all the gear in the world but if you don’t have the know how, training, and experience to use it it just weighs you down, slows you down and is in the way.

Good stuff bubba....

 

[sprdv1]

My fence tool. I have about 6000' of fence to pull this week, 1800' next week.

daaang.. you go man

 

[Yeller]

Time to bring this back up to hopefully prevent any of you from having the ultimate unrecoverable accident. This article has some really tragic information along with some very good proper recovery tips.

Recovery accident and recovery tips

 

[Yeller]

I’ve got a small update. As has been seen in another thread I have a small wheeling issue lol. My buggy has a short drum “competition” style winch. It was well past due for a new rope. So I bought some of my favorite winch line off of Amazon, a 95’ replacement rope, some tube thimbles, and for me a new tool a fid for weaving the rope. I cut off a 36.5’piece off, installed the thimble and weaved the end back in. I then took the remaining rope and made a winch extension, I’ve only needed one a couple of times and having one would have saved me a few hours of labor so I feel it to be worthy of the effort and adding to my kit. Weaving ends or even splicing sections together is very simple, no one should fear performing themselves. I’ve used a lot of things as a needle or fid to do this in the past, pencils, pens, radio antennas, forceps, even a piece of wire. I’m not going to go into the process, there’s a bunch of YouTube videos that explain it very well from simple to extravagant, they all work. I’ve been using the simple for decades, and don’t see a need to change.

To save some too googling, This is a method that works

 

[Scoop]

The plow on my side-by-side is operated by the winch. I have a synthetic rope on the winch. The constant raising and lowering of the plow wears a spot about 2-3 feet from the thimble and hook. Last winter I had to repair the line 3 or 4 times. Basically cut off about 3 feet and reattach the thimble. Pretty easy once you understand the method. I use a ball point pen lower section.

I first saw this years ago making and repairing water ski tow ropes. Really just a Chinese finger trap puzzle!!

 

[bigmuddy]

Time to bring this back up to hopefully prevent any of you from having the ultimate unrecoverable accident. This article has some really tragic information along with some very good proper recovery tips.

Recovery accident and recovery tips

Sad and unnecessary story. Company I used to work for had an on the job accident involving 2 cat dozers. One got stuck and the other came out to pull him with a chain. Chain snapped and sent the hook to the back of the stuck driver. Guy had a family and was in his 20's!
Company had strict instructions not to do this in their safety plan as well as threat of firing if anyone was caught doing so..

 

[Yeller]

Sad and unnecessary story. Company I used to work for had an on the job accident involving 2 cat dozers. One got stuck and the other came out to pull him with a chain. Chain snapped and sent the hook to the back of the stuck driver. Guy had a family and was in his 20's!
Company had strict instructions not to do this in their safety plan as well as threat of firing if anyone was caught doing so..

yes that is very sad.

My company makes jobsite deliveries. Our policy is if a vehicle gets stuck a wrecker must be called to extricate the stuck truck. Not to say unofficially that a telehandler dozer, or our own truck mounted forklift may or may not have been used to push....LOL

 

[Broncobowsher]

I'm starting to modernize my gear as well. soft shackles are present. Looking at the aluminum thimble, what little I have fondled one they are sweet. New Kinetic recovery rope.

What I am having issues with is the receiver hitch mount for the soft shackle. There are a ton of them out there that still use a steel D-ring. Max Tracks has a really sweet one at crazy price. I did get an Overland brand but had to send it back as the powdercoating was so thick it wouldn't fit my hitch. There is an insert version that I am not fond of.

 

[Yeller]

@Broncobowsher

I’ve been looking into building and marketing one but it’s still crazy expensive. I too am not thrilled with the cost of the current options but have found one that is expensive and not in the nope no way in hell expensive. Receiver mount
It does have the design I’m most fond of and will probably make a coupe out of steel for myself but have no desire to mass produce them.

 

[toddz69]

Reminds me somewhat of what Brennan Metcalf sells:

https://brennans-garage.com/products/soft-shackle-receiver-adapter

Todd Z.

 

[Broncobowsher]

@Broncobowsher

I’ve been looking into building and marketing one but it’s still crazy expensive. I too am not thrilled with the cost of the current options but have found one that is expensive and not in the nope no way in hell expensive. Receiver mount
It does have the design I’m most fond of and will probably make a coupe out of steel for myself but have no desire to mass produce them.

That's the one. Read the Amazon review of the less expensive version (without the included soft shackle) and it is now full black powdercoat and doesn't fit my receiver hitch. The product shipped no longer matches the pictures in the ad.

 

[Broncobowsher]

Reminds me somewhat of what Brennan Metcalf sells:

https://brennans-garage.com/products/soft-shackle-receiver-adapter

Todd Z.

That's the one I am not that excited about.

 

[bigmuddy]

Reminds me somewhat of what Brennan Metcalf sells:

https://brennans-garage.com/products/soft-shackle-receiver-adapter

Todd Z.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/tauler-jack-review-brennans-garage

Interesting alternative to the Hi-lift as well.

 

[Yeller]

I really like his jack. Got to use one recently, it will probably be added to my stuff, but more for shop use that to carry. Would be very handy for things that i currently use a high lift for.

 

[bigmuddy]

I agree I think for shop use it would be very useful. I still prefer the ruggedness and versatility of the hi-lift when needed.

 

[toddz69]

That's the one I am not that excited about.

What do you see as the plusses/minusses of the two designs?

Todd Z.