onesourceoil

I thought I would share this with you guys. I got a call from a friend last night who was trying to back a boat into his barn and had gotten stuck with his Ford. We have had about a thousand inches of rain here in the last few months and things are really sloppy. I got there and pulled up beside him and latched his boat onto my truck. I drove all over where he was stuck and all was fine till I almost had the boat backed in and whammo. Sunk to the frame. Didnt even spin a tire just sucked her up. We wound up breaking a 8000 pound winch, tried pulling it out with a 1 ton ford tied to a 3/4 ton chevy 4x4, and nothing would budge it. Finally I called a guy who used to work for me who has a 93 Dodge 1 ton CTD 4x4 with a big steel bed and alot of weight. He tied on and on the second pull he stripped his front driveshaft splines. Finally after backing up about 10 feet and slamming the recovery strap my truck started to move. It took about 4-5 hard jerks after that to get it out. I have never had anything stuck that took this much effort to get out. I hope that my long winded tale of disaster makes some of you feel better today.

Usta HaveA Hemi

Back in the 80's when I was farming we use to use a large nylone rope. It was about 3 inches round. We would hook it around the axle and loop it around the ball or something smooth. If it is not smooth it would cut it.Then let her rip with a slack rope you would hammer down. I would suggest wearing a seat belt. When you get to the end of the rope lock it down. It was like a rubber band. The stuck vehicle or tractor would ease right out. Sounds crazy but it works. Oh and a word of advice. Don't ever tie a chain to any tow rope, it acts like a sling shot and does not end up pretty. You here all kinds of great stories when you farm. Well that was my morning rant.

Take care! Usta

BigBlue

Yeah. Same thing happened to me down on Pelican Island in Galveston. I lost a back up light and received scratches on the back of my cab. Ripped a tow hook out of a guys frame, one guy lost 3 u-joints, one lost his back glass and tail gate latch. Finally took a big rig tow truck to pull my buddies out and even that was straining some.

jnilesPDodge

werewolf

noticed that you were in texas, i can feel your pain. even the high spots in the pastures are soft here. my sons use a technique that works sometimes ,that is if you have a gooseneck ball. try tying off there with whatever just remember that weight is your enemy in mud especially diesel weight or at least we found that out the hard way. usually a gas rig like my sons short narrow chevy 350 is pretty good. hey if all else fails we get the backhoe and lots of chains.

WhiteSport600

Cold is the enemy of the nylon ropes you talk about. I had one rated at 80,000lbs and I broke it last winter trying to pull out one of my tractor-trailers. Luckily it went over the hood of the Peterbilt and didn't hurt anything and it went under the Dodge. Now I use an 8ft peice of river-barge rope that has a loop on one end and a chain woven into 3ft of the other end w/ a clevis. It will stretch pretty decent and then it's like the tires on the Dodge bite, and the stuck vehicle gets sucked out easily... I've pulled out a loaded tractor-tanker weighing 80,000 lbs pretty easily with my CTD!

cincydiesel

Here on the farm we use 20,000 pound crane straps used for hoisting machinery we use it from everything from our dc 10 track hoe to the tractors, never seen one snap or tear. Expensive but worth it

cincydiesel

never use chains unless you want a new tailgate

tool

Has anyone ever tried the trick of putting a tire between the two chains???

I know guys who swear by pulling transports this way. as I understand it you take two chains, loop to a 22.5" OTR tire and pull.

so the tire takes some shock and gives some elasticity.........

I've never done this, I'd think you'd tear the tire but I know guys who swear by it.

BigBlue

We use the same thing back at the farm. Works great for anything and everything.

fountain1fan

i jest got my 6/in wide strap from deasert rat $100 60,ooo lbs pull i do not hook chains .

jimc11

OK I am curious why noone will use a chain. We have used chains as far back as I can remember...Pulled many many things out on the farm with them. I have pulled alot of people out of the snow with them..I have never had a chain break on me. I have had the nylon straps and ropes break...That is scary..

WhiteSport600

Chains are just harder on everything and if they do break, they are gonna tear something up or hurt someone bad... They'll work just fine as you know, but they are just more dangerous.

John Rodriguez

Because if a strap breaks, more than likely you're going to get a bruise if it hits you directly. If a chain breaks, it goes through you.

jimc11

Ah good point...Never seen one brake...Although we have a tendency to overdue things. The chain in my truck is huge...I cant image that thing breaking...But I guess it could...I rekon I will have to find a heavier duty nylon strap type..hummm....the hunt begins...