# Getting unstuck safety



## jr in va (Apr 15, 2015)

Anyone else heard of placing a weight such as a jacket or floor mats at the midpoint of a tow strap or recovery strap to fore stored energy to the ground should it break?

Read about it in Four Wheeler magazine years ago.


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## thendrix (May 14, 2015)

Seems like it would work as long as the break is in the aft side. That it it'll make a big slingshot


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

jr in va said:


> Anyone else heard of placing a weight such as a jacket or floor mats at the midpoint of a tow strap or recovery strap to fore stored energy to the ground should it break?
> Read about it in Four Wheeler magazine years ago.


Nope, but then again I typically use 3/8" chain.....but seeings how the mag was a four wheeler mag, it makes sense....seems unlikely that a strap breaking would do a whole lot of damage but I suppose anything is possible.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

jr in va said:


> Anyone else heard of placing a weight such as a jacket or floor mats at the midpoint of a tow strap or recovery strap to fore stored energy to the ground should it break?
> 
> Read about it in Four Wheeler magazine years ago.


I have never seen it used or needed but have heard of it as you described. Think the one location in the center would depend on length may need more than one. Do not think just dropping it over the chain or cable would be enough, think it would need to be attached.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

jr in va said:


> Anyone else heard of placing a weight such as a jacket or floor mats at the midpoint of a tow strap or recovery strap to fore stored energy to the ground should it break?
> 
> Read about it in Four Wheeler magazine years ago.


 Yes. When I'm winching something onto my trailer I'll take the floor mat out of my truck and put it about halfway down the cable.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

Yup. It works well as the break usually happens at one end or the other. Anything to dampen the snap will work. I seen a strap NOT break one time, but the bumper off of one truck went sailing toward the other truck...don't think a windbreaker laying on the jerk strap would have helped much. It just wasn't my time to be dead at that point and time.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We don't use chains or straps.

Kinetic recovery ropes are the way to go.

Pulled one in half but it was about shot, doesn't recoil or slingshot like a cable, chain or strap does, least not that I've seen.

You need to match the rope to the job, have an inch rope for pickups, 1 1/2" for straight trucks and a 2 1/2" for when you're seriously stuck with something heavy.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

Usually put a car tire in the middle if it's going to be a hard pull with a tow strap.


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Yes I've heard to do that. I read in a magazine once that you can store your tow straps or ropes in a duffel bag. Then when you use the strap or rope you thread it through the handles of the duffel bag to make a sort of anchor.

I have a cousin that was almost killed by a tow strap close to 15 years ago. Him and some buddies were helping pull a neighbor lady out of a snow drift. They'd put the loop of the tow strap over the ball on the back of the ladies van. The friends claimed my cousin didn't jerk, but just tightened up the strap and started pulling. Anyway the ball broke off and the tow strap slingshot that ball through the back window of my cousins pickup hitting him low in the back of the head just behind his ear as he was semi turned around watching backwards. he was in a coma for quite awhile and the doctors didn't expect him to live or to be a vegetable if he did live. He surprised everyone and made an almost full recovery. His only side effect is migraine headaches which are pretty severe. He farms and ranches with his parents.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Yeah the rule for straps is the attachment points have to be much stronger than the strap. Trailer balls will go through sheet metal, seats and people when launched by a strap.

Same idea, no shackles between two straps ever. The safety of the straps is light weight and the shackle defeats that. Either strap or attachment breaks the shackle becomes a projectile.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

slowzuki said:


> Yeah the rule for straps is the attachment points have to be much stronger than the strap. Trailer balls will go through sheet metal, seats and people when launched by a strap.
> 
> Same idea, no shackles between two straps ever. The safety of the straps is light weight and the shackle defeats that. Either strap or attachment breaks the shackle becomes a projectile.


We only use the approved, supplied threaded shackles that come with the ropes.


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## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

don't use straps with hooks on the ends, they become a projectile. I four wheel/jeep a lot, use straps with loops and shackles of the appropriate size. Chains break the same as straps and have no stretch like a strap does. I use synthetic rope on my winch, it does't store energy like a cable or chain. If you are using steel cable, chain ect, throw a jacket or a blanket, floor mat something in the middle, if it breaks it will dampen the recoil.

Be safe out there, cables and chains/hooks can kill you.


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