Outer Limits 4x4 Board

This may be old news, but I loved it.

http://www.lizardlegs.com.au/blackrat/news.asp

Paul

my "just strap' strap broke on the weekend after about 7 soft recoveries.

the result one caved in tailgate on my 80.

didn't think a strap could cause that much damage, without anyother thing (d-shackel) attached to it.

Oh well now the war and finance has approved the dual cab conversion

I asked ARB about the results - geez weren’t they skittish. The sales guy (head office QLD) said it was all a paid Super Cheap stunt and the results couldn’t be believed. And anyway - that was ages ago and things are different now. blah blah blah….
When will sales idiots learn honesty is a much better policy.

i was giving a mate a hand getting out of a situation, me in my mav and he was in a navara, strap broke caved my rear barn doors,in punched the door lock through the door,and i had to get the wrecing bar inbetween the doors to get them open!

I don't want to be a sh!t stirrer or anything, but, really, straps just break. Happens all the time.

We use straps in all sorts of conditions, drag them over stuff, put them away wet, etcetcetc. Straps are disposable in my book.

A soft recovery will not release enough energy to cave in a door. In the club here we always start very small- just pull away- and work up. if the car moves at a certain roll in/revs, you just keep doing that. this prevents exessive load on the strap. It might take a lot of bumps, but it gets the car out without scaring anyone.

I get very worried when I see lots of snatch recoveries with guys backing up and really getting on it. most of the time a gentle tow is all required.

If you are a serial strap breaker, then go to a bigger strap or try a rubber one as sold by bullivants or ARB southern (dandenong)

Steve.

Had two joined together (yes correctly) last weekend to get me out of a good bog in Harvey. My seriously used one snapped stoving in the tailgate of my mates new 100 cruiser and the other end putting a good dent in the bonnet of my GQ before smashing in my windscreen. Didn't know that could happen so put this near death experience down to a big lesson learnt. My other Snatch strap that was still in the car is now in the bin cos it has been used a couple of times and don't want to tempt fate again. I would think twice before I ever used another snatch strap.

I've broken around a dozen odd straps..... named brands & "black n gold" brands alike.
Although I must say I've broken more named branded straps than I have the el-cheapo's and I own more el-cheapo's now as a result ( 4 of em and 1 ARB strap ).

One thing I have noticed is they seem to have a 'duty life' of around 20 odd snatches for a named brand versus around 40 for the 'no frills' strap. After they reach that magic number I generally tend to 'give em away' to the tourists I've recovered.

As for breaking straps wrecking tailgates and bonnets..... yep had it happen once and it distroyed the tailgate completly.
Ever since then I ALWAYS lay a hessian bag over the strap about midway of its length, it acts as air brake and reduces the energy of the breaking strap dramatically.
( TIP: keep ya snatch strap IN the hessian bag then its always there and ready to go )

for double & triple length strap recoveries lay a coat/ jumper/ shirt/ GF's panties or anything you can lay ya hands on for the additional straps.


Kingy

p/s
Actually the panties on their own may not be enough so ya better ask for all her clothes just to be extra safe

Sounds like you guys perhaps need to use the larger 12000lb one? Ihave n't broken one, but mostly only snatch in sand. Other situations it's jsut a tow.

Paul

I agree that straps are disposable and ultimately, will break or eventually fail.

I understand government departments (Parks etc) are only allowed to use a strap once, then throw it away.

-Stu

dogbreath_48 wrote:I agree that straps are disposable and ultimately, will break or eventually fail.

I understand government departments (Parks etc) are only allowed to use a strap once, then throw it away.

-Stu

I couldnt tell you how many times my straps have being used

sad001 wrote:Had two joined together (yes correctly) last weekend to get me out of a good bog in Harvey. My seriously used one snapped stoving in the tailgate of my mates new 100 cruiser and the other end putting a good dent in the bonnet of my GQ before smashing in my windscreen. Didn't know that could happen so put this near death experience down to a big lesson learnt. My other Snatch strap that was still in the car is now in the bin cos it has been used a couple of times and don't want to tempt fate again. I would think twice before I ever used another snatch strap.

why Just because one broke. Did it break before no. Sometimes that is the risk involved. if everything is done properly and all safety measures are taken the risk is minimal. Snatch straps that are used in the mud etc need to be cleaned after use to ensue that no grit is embedded between the strands which can cause them to break.

A correctly done snatch recovery is no more or less dangerous than a winch recovery. Unfortunately many people don't do snatch recoveries properly and don't look after them and this is when it can get very dangerous very quickly

sad001 wrote:Had two joined together (yes correctly) last weekend to get me out of a good bog in Harvey. My seriously used one snapped stoving in the tailgate of my mates new 100 cruiser and the other end putting a good dent in the bonnet of my GQ before smashing in my windscreen. Didn't know that could happen so put this near death experience down to a big lesson learnt. My other Snatch strap that was still in the car is now in the bin cos it has been used a couple of times and don't want to tempt fate again. I would think twice before I ever used another snatch strap.

may I ask how you intend to be revovered next time, after all winches, rope etc are all just as dangerous

I have a 60 series so i don't have the need to be snatched, I drive everything! (flame suit on).

I rarely use a snatch strap, the whole idea of it is nasty towards everything and everyone involved, even when done "correctly". How ever in the time i have, i have never had a strap break. I bogged the 60 to the sills in silty mud and got recovered by an 8 ton 4wd firetruck. I threw that strap out as i figured it's life was over and it's job was done.
I often hear of people that carry two (no problem with that bit). they carry the second because they know the first one is likely to fail due to it's age/condition. Why not throw it out if you're sus on it and remove the risk associated with using a dodgy strap.

Snatch straps ARE disposable. They're cheap. Replace them often i say.

Alot of people also dont realise how much strength a strap losses when it is wet ..

My next recovery strap is definately one of the "black snake" rubber jobbers.

Ruffy wrote: I often hear of people that carry two (no problem with that bit). they carry the second because they know the first one is likely to fail due to it's age/condition. Why not throw it out if you're sus on it and remove the risk associated with using a dodgy strap.

Snatch straps ARE disposable. They're cheap. Replace them often i say.

I carry two straps, a)because one never seems long enough b) because we are normally just recovering sierras the load on the strap is very light (we very rarely ever even snatch at all, last sunday excepted, thanks cj )

and c) because some recoveries are really hard on a strap so the risk of damage to the strap is great, not through load, but because the strap will drag on a rock or bank, or the car has no recovery point so the strap will be looped or doubled up etc, or we are running a strap around a tree several times to help lock a car in position, that kind of thing.

Can't see a problem with having a primary strap and a standby.

Steve.

Gwagensteve wrote:

Ruffy wrote: I often hear of people that carry two (no problem with that bit). they carry the second because they know the first one is likely to fail due to it's age/condition. Why not throw it out if you're sus on it and remove the risk associated with using a dodgy strap.

Snatch straps ARE disposable. They're cheap. Replace them often i say.

Can't see a problem with having a primary strap and a standby.

Steve.

Me either.
My point was that reason for carrying the second one being the first one is dodgy!!
By all means carry two, it's only sensible, but make sure they are both in good condition.

V8Patrol wrote: Ever since then I ALWAYS lay a hessian bag over the strap about midway of its length, it acts as air brake and reduces the energy of the breaking strap dramatically.

Hmmm... how does this work? I haven't seen it done before. Do you just hang the bag on the strap? Not tie it on?

jungle_surfer wrote:

V8Patrol wrote: Ever since then I ALWAYS lay a hessian bag over the strap about midway of its length, it acts as air brake and reduces the energy of the breaking strap dramatically.

Hmmm... how does this work? I haven't seen it done before. Do you just hang the bag on the strap? Not tie it on?

Yeah just throw it on.....

the strap 'coils' up when it breaks and its this effect that 'grabs' the bag / coat / shirt/ etc. The bag then acts as an 'air brake' slowing the strap down dramatically.

In comps you'll even see a similar style of thing being used on the winch cables...... if a 2nd winching is needed in the same spot, then the navi will reposition the bag to around the mid way point each time the vehicle stops, Its a safety issue in comps........


Around airfields you'll always see round ball things hanging off of the electrial power lines......
They are there primarily for "visibility" of the lines, however if a plane clips a line these balls also stop several hundered metres of cable from becoming a massive huge whip in the sky ! its the exact same principle.


Kingy