I have used both chains and straps and think both have their places. Chains are nice if you can not hook on any where and just need to wrap it around the frame, or worry about the suspension of the stuck vehicle cutting the strap. The straps are nice because they are much lighter than a good chain and nice for quicker recovery's, like pulling the wife's 2wd truck out of the drive way lol

My advice for both chains and straps, think about the weight you might tow multiply it by 3 and that's what you need. I forget the exact size of chain I have, but its the same stuff we use at work to keep our Cat 930H loader on the trailer and I know that Cat weights way more than any pickup truck I would pull out of the snow or mud would lol.

Also don't rush, take your time and just be sure both ends are hooked to something solid (most cars and trucks have a factory tie down point on the frame for shipping) Try not to jerk to pull it loose, either try pulling in a different direction or break out a shovel.

 

I have a 4" single ply sling that is 'rated' for 30k lbs. That is breaking strength, which will be compromised with wear and decay. That same sling, if used for rigging, would be rated around 6k lbs. I don't go wheeling, so my strap will be adequate for what I need. For those shock loading, get something beefy. Never hurts to over rig.

As for chain, get good chain. Grade 80/800 is the standard for hoisting and rigging, which has a 5:1 safety factor built in the rating. Using chain that you'd find at Home Depot, I wouldn't consider using it.

 

Is this a good way to yank a truck out. Looks like a gas V8 can pull out a Maga Cab Cummins.

http://s168.photobucket.com/albums/u...llingkenny.flv

 

that was not pretty...downright mean looking

 

Always have the guy you're pulling out attach the strap to his own vehicle. That way if something on it breaks while your getting him unstuck, it's on him, not on you.

 

Don't do this

~Rob

 

I don't know how safe it was, but In one of my worst mud shenanigans in southern California, I was the 2nd rescue truck at 9:00 Saturday night. By noon Sunday, the 8th truck on scene brought enough straps to get us to dry land. well to allow him to get up to speed, he connected 2 of the straps together by way of an old car tire. As he was flying up the hill building momentum, the tire would collapse and flatten to absorb enough shock to save the wal-mart straps and pallet ratchet straps. It seemed like a really clever idea at the time.

 

I've learned a lot over the years. Mostly from the old timers who passed it on to me. So I'm going to pass it on to what I've learned.
1. Don't get stuck if you do, know how to get out by yourself.
2. Always go 4x4ing with a friend that has a decent working 4x4.
Ways to get unstuck by yourself.
1. Clay type mud (slick like a banana Peel) Carry 4 beach towels, lay them down in front of the tires and drive out. Towels can also be used to dry off after getting real muddy in the soupy mud too (that's if you haven't used them earlier in the day). Also works on Ice.
2. Soupy mud-- carry to narrow 20 foot rolls of Pig fencing. Roll out the pig fencing and stake down with tent stakes (Stakes that are at least 1/2 round solid steel--Rebarr will work also needs to be about 14" to 16" with a T on top so you can remove it from the ground.
3. Stuck no where to hook your winch? Lay out out 20 feet of logging chain in a narrow V. Take the tent stakes or Rebarr and stake them through the links into the ground. Hook to the bottom of the V and winch yourself out.
4. Always carry traction sand when 4x4in in snow. 200lbs usually is enough. Weight helps with traction for the rear if you don't have to use the sand.
5. Snow chains also work in the mud. You would be amazed how far you go with chains on, in the mud.
6. Carry a hand Comalong for side hilling. Open the windows run your tow strap through and over the top of the cab and hook up the comealong to strap and tree/boulder/V chain. Buddy runs comealong keeping the strap tight or loosening as needed. Keeps you from rolling over.

Handyman Jack. Very dangerous use with caution.
1. You can jack up the tire with a Handyman (HiLift jack). Wouldn't do it on a aluminum rim, think they will crack. Have some 1" thick plywood by 1' foot square, keeps jack from sinking in mud. Prep the plywood by running bolts through the wood the excess bolt shank will stick through the holes on the base plate on the jack, keeps the jack from sliding off the wet wood. Strap the jack to the rim with a motorcycle ratchet strap. Lift tire out of hole place wood/rocks/Pig fencing under tire, drive out. You can also use the strap to hold the jack to that slick bumper on the vehicle with the flat tire thats on a side hill. Jack linkage/mechanism sticking- pour pepsi on it and let dry, works great for about a year, do it again, good for another year.
2. No winch, got Handyman jack. Winch yourself out with handyman. Seen it done. Didn't like it, think its to dangerous, puts the jack operator in the middle of all the chains and cables. Check it out on the web, too complicated to explain.

Plain old pullin out stuck vehicles.
1. Always have the stuck vehicle operator hook up to his vehicle but if he is hookin up your strap, check it out. Don't want him to wrap the strap around the leaf spring and get your strap get caught into the leaf spring eyelet wrap.
2. Have no strap but have chain and need to jerk vehicle out. With two chains both hooked to each of the vehicles. Connect the two chains together using a tire without the rim on it. Now you can jerk. Don't worry the tire will not come apart.
3.Always carry extra cable with eyelets all ready on it. Always carry ****** block. If lead vehicle gets stuck, your winch may not have enough cable to run up the road to the tree in front of the lead vehicle and back to the lead vehicle.
4. Tow strap not long enough to get you on dry ground but have second tow strap and no clevis. Run one tow strap through eyelet of other place at least a 1" thick branch through it, or the handle of handyman jack and pull.
5. Always place coat/sleeping bag some type of big cloth on top of cables or chains when pulling. Personally have seen the results from broken cable, person was beheaded.
6. Vehicle is really stuck in the mud, everybody has tried and nobody can get out. Its the suction of the tires/axles in the mud that's adding to the weight of the vehicle that is causing so much headache. Use the Handyman trick and jack the tires up and place boards under neath. Another trick is place a 6foot 4x12 under winch cable (Board straight up and down) as close to the stuck vehicle as possible creating a fulcrum effect that will lift vehicle up and out of the mud and towards the pulling/winching vehicle.

Do I carry all this gear, yes. It also gives me weight for traction. Except for the 6foot 4x12.

Probably forgot something. Enjoy. Be safe and keep 4x4ing.