tow strap

[Rokhound]

I am new to the off road world and am getting my truck ready to go out on the trail for the first time and need a good strap were should I buy one and what should I look for. Also what kind of price should I look at spending?

[CWLONGSHOT]

If your only gonna have one...get a 30 footer. I carry at least two one 20 and one 30 footer... Get yourself a couple "D" Rings while your at it....

 

I also have a couple tree savers as well as a couple "D" Rings. But I have a winch, that extra stuff is not really needed unless you have a winch as well...

 

CW

[UNL1MTD]

no metal hooks

[Oizarod115]

no metal hooks

 

NO METAL HOOKS/ends.

 

:eek: seen one go through a radiator. :eek:

[Rokhound]

i no that the metal hook are bad and would not buy one with them.

 

Where sould I get one

[tjbliley]

Here is a good vendor with a recovery kit.:

 

The kit will have....

 

1 ARB snatch block. rated for 29,000lbs

1 Tree saver 3"x8' rated for 20,000lbs

1 2"x30' Strap rated for 20,000lbs

2 D-Rings 3/4" rated for 9500lbs

1 carring bag

1 Pr of gloves

 

And Stickers...

 

$175.00

So who would like one. Call me to reserve yours today. I will be puttnig an order together soon.

 

Thanks

Mike

__________________

www.ace4wd.com

[whowey]

i no that the metal hook are bad and would not buy one with them.

 

Where sould I get one

 

AutoZone and O'Reillys both carry straps, Petro used to, so check your local truck stop. TSC and Farm and Fleet both did. But the last time I went looking to pick an extra up, F&F only had ones with metal hooks.

 

Farm and Fleet, and TSC both carry a HUGE selection of clevis. Remember to look at the tags they have the weight limits on them. Also get the screw-style rather than the snap-pin style.

[500 MJ]

Army surplus stores have good stuff when it comes to this. Some of it may be used, but that doesnt matter to me...

[jared]

i like procomp straps. they are a nice soft silver material with leather loops. they are also rated more than most any other tow straps. the 2'' is almost as strong as everone elses 3''.

 

i have a 2''x20 foot one and i love it, but i am gonna get a 3''x30' one because 20 feet is too short ;)

[JeeperjohnfromPA]

Ok,

I'll prolly hear some flak about this one, but I never use tow straps.

I use CHAINS, and I have a small cable puller/come along/hand winch.

 

In the past I have had friends use the straps, sometimes they held up, other times they snapped.

When a Chain snaps, you just slap a bolt through the links, and bingo your back in business. When a strap snapps, throw it out and buy another!

 

I have personally snapped about 5 chains in my days off roading.

I have never damaged anything but the roof of my YJ, when they snapped.

But that was before I got the REAL chain.

Now that I have a heavy duty chain, :brows:

The metal in this chain is almost 1/2 inch thick, each link is about 2.5 inches long and about 1 inch wide.

It's a strong chain, last winter I came across a Toyota Tacoma who managed to get himself stuck in a snow bank,(he didn't know how to plow).

"No worries" says I, as I pull out my tow chain, "this little wrangler will pull you out" I tell him.

Well this guy had himself so buried in the snow bank, that I couldn't pull him out, I had to Yank him out, on the fifth "yank" the chain tore right through his rear frame, grabbed his bumper and ripped the bumper halfway off, but on that last yank it pulled him free enough to get out the rest on his own power.

I felt bad that I tore his little pick up appart, but he was happy to be out of the snow bank and didn't care. On the back of my wrangler, I have two mounting brackets from when I had a rear tube bumper, (smittybuilt),thats where I hooked the chain to, one bracket was bent a little and it is 1/2 steel.

 

On that same day, a friend of mine called and told me he got stuck in some guys driveway, and could I come pull him out.

Now this guy was in a Dodge 2500, with an 8' plow on it.

the driveway was so steep, he couldn't back up it. My chain, is only about 15' long and wouldn't reach his truck, with me staying up on the level road, no worries, he had a 30' stretch and snatch strap. Well it should have been called a stretch and snap strap, because thats what it did, and no I didn't "yank" him, a nice slow steady 4low pull, and the thing snapped.

I couldn't believe it, as his truck wasn't stuck on anything, he simply couldn't get enough traction to make it back out the driveway, he said the strap was old and that was prolly why it broke.

Well I hooked my hand winch to my chain and was able to get enough distance to reach his truck, then sort of 'matter of fact' pulled him right out.

I dunno, those $30, hand winches realy ain't that strong, but it worked better then the tow strap.

 

I know the straps are safer, because when they snap, there is no metal whipping through the air to smash your head, hands, face or radiator, windshield, or headlights

But spend some money on a serious chain, thats made in AMERICA and made of QUALITY metal, it won't snap, the truck will bend/rip/break first.

 

Oh I forgot to mention, I've been using thias chain for close to 8 years now, pulling bolders around in my yard, yanking out tree stumps, etc, etc.

 

The chains I had break wheren't heavy duty, and everyone that snapped whipped right up and over my wrangler, (one or two took a few pieces outa the roof).

 

Thats my two cents, on the issue. Ok now everyone can tell me how foolish I am and how lucky I've been. ;)

[Tracker]

My tow stuff is all road kill. Those trucking straps work if they are the kind that have an eye woven into one end. They aren't hard to find on the side of the road if you look for them. (I know, what a cheap SOB)

I have 80 feet of 1/2" chain with binding hooks on both ends that I use too. (also road kill) Chain can be safe as long as you don't use cheap stretchy chain or overload it with a big running start / take up the slack jerk. It won't store enough energy to travel it own length when the pull is brought on steady, and anchored to a secure point. In keeping with the cheap SOB theme I use a 1960's HandyMan jack with the end options for power when I have to pull myself out. (road, or should I say trail kill from Death Valley years ago)

An all fabric strap will rip flesh when it unloads. One with metal hardware on the ends will do damage and kill.

[Oizarod115]

yeah, ive used chains before a slow steady pull is the key

 

with a strap you really have to snatch it, cause they don't do pulls unless you buy an actual tow-strap instead of a snatch-strap

[CWLONGSHOT]

Chains have there purpose!!

I also keep two ten foot pieces of 3/8" with hooks attached in the TJ's recovery bag... Rarely use or need them, but they are there "just in case".

 

CW

[whowey]

My tow stuff is all road kill. Those trucking straps work if they are the kind that have an eye woven into one end. They aren't hard to find on the side of the road if you look for them. (I know, what a cheap SOB)

 

I haven't seen that style anywhere but on the west coast. I see the kind with the metal clip on them here and out east.

[whowey]

I'll have to google, but a guy was killed last year or 2005 by chains breaking and going through the back window of his truck.

 

I believe it was in Michigan.

[JeepcoMJ]

I'll have to google, but a guy was killed last year or 2005 by chains breaking and going through the back window of his truck.

 

I believe it was in Michigan.

 

point being DON'T BE A CHEAPASS

 

I believe?

[jared]

yeah not a fan of chains, but they do work if you got a really good one. but a broken strap will do less damage tham a broken chain.

[Eagle]

I haven't seen that style anywhere but on the west coast. I see the kind with the metal clip on them here and out east.

Ahhh ... I've seen 2" x 20' snatch straps (the kind with the fabric loop) in Wal-Mart. Not the greatest -- I think theirs are rated 15,000 pounds and most are 20,000 -- but a lot better than nothing and a new 15,000 pound strap is probably better than a ten-year old 20,000 pound strap that been drug over so many rocks it's barely hanging on by a thread.

 

It's amazing to me how little regard some Jeepers (and other wheelers) have for their own lives and the safety of the people they run with.

[87manche]

I think there should be a mention that a "tow strap" and a "recovery strap" are two different things.

 

Tow straps don't stretch, they just break.

Recovery straps strectch a bit, then release that energy while snatching.

pro comp usually has deals on the 2" strap, they're nice.

 

Just remember that straps need to be replaced is you see ANY chaffing/cuts on them. Don't put your straps away wet and let them sit, hang them up when you get home so they can dry.

 

that said, I picked up one of the walmart straps because I was on my way to a run and forgot my strap. It held up fine for the one or two pulls I gave with it, but it's suspect in my book.

[Tracker]

The lifing straps that crance operators use are pretty stout. The ones used to place fiberglass fuel tanks in the ground are about 30 feet long with leather eyes sewn and woven into both ends.

No, I didn't find this one on the side of the road. My brother builds gas stations.

[whowey]

I haven't seen that style anywhere but on the west coast. I see the kind with the metal clip on them here and out east.

Ahhh ... I've seen 2" x 20' snatch straps (the kind with the fabric loop) in Wal-Mart. Not the greatest -- I think theirs are rated 15,000 pounds and most are 20,000 -- but a lot better than nothing and a new 15,000 pound strap is probably better than a ten-year old 20,000 pound strap that been drug over so many rocks it's barely hanging on by a thread.

 

It's amazing to me how little regard some Jeepers (and other wheelers) have for their own lives and the safety of the people they run with.

 

I meant the truck straps, not recovery or snatch straps.