Off Roading Cars Without Recovery Points

[rbattelle]

Spent a good deal of time today trying to help people stuck in the snow get unstuck. Is it just me who's noticed that it seems no domestic cars have recovery points on them but most imports do? Seems like every Honda does. There were 2 people I just couldn't help for complete lack of anything solid on the vehicle to hook (a late model Monte Carlo and an old junker Cavalier).



When you've got a vehicle buried to the bottom of the doors in hard-packed snow and no hope of reaching a big suspension member, how are you supposed to hook to them? I'd really appreciate any advice...



-Ryan

 

[wcjp]

It's for this reason I don't make a habit of helping people in econo cars when they need a tow. It would be upto me to hook them up. They would only find a way to cut into my tow strap. It would also be my fault when something breaks.

 

[Hemiless]

import recovery points

Most of the imports that have the so called recovery points are there because they are used in shipping to hold the car in place when making the voyage across the ocean.



On most of these newer econo cracker boxes a chain comes in real handy to pull them out with as then you are able to get the hooks in the frame rail pockets or wrapped around the front k-member with out cutting your tow strap up.

 

[fox]

What I have done is tell them I will pull you only if you hook the strap onto your vehicle.



We did that on one and when it was up on pavement, I watched as he unhooked it. He had it wrapped around the rear SHOCK.

I explained to him that it was not designed for that purpose and could have bent it. He said it's ok, it is my brothers car.



I am looking for this answer too!!!

 

[rbattelle]

Most of the imports that have the so called recovery points are there because they are used in shipping to hold the car in place when making the voyage across the ocean.

I did not know that! Makes sense, though. I have, in the past, told owners to hook their own vehicle, but that's hard to do when the person is a 60 year old grandma just trying to get to her grandson's house.



I'd like to use a chain instead of beating up my tow straps, but I'm always very afraid of breaking a chain. I know it's bad bad bad to mix metal and nylon... what's a good size chain that I don't have to worry about? 3/8 seems beefy but it would certainly be the weak point in my equipment (I have a 20k and 30k tow strap, 2 9. 5 ton working-load Crosby clevis', and a 3/4 inch Warn hitch clevis).



This Honda Accord I pulled out yesterday was a beauty! I had a nice straight pull across the street.



-Ryan

 

[JKlopp]

I use a 1/2 inch logging chain with a large hook. Just drop the loop end over my hitch ball and hand the hook to the driver of the stuck vehicle. Then tell thim if the bumper comes off its not my fault. :-laf Abought half hand the hook back and call a tow truck.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I discuss chains a bit in the next TDR. Get a good grade of chain, either Grade 70 "transport" which is usually gold colored, or grade 80, usually black. 80 is approved for lifting, 70 is for load binding. Be sure the hooks are equivalent in grade, not "high test" or grade 40. Better chain is not heavier, and you can use a smaller chain (less weight) for the same strength. For the Rams, I like grade 80 in 3/8 with a working load limit of 7100 lb at a safety factor of 4. For smaller stuff, 5/16" would be enough at 5300 lb (6600 and 4700 respectively in grade 70). Avoid the cheap hardware grade 30 and lower stuff. Even grade 40 is heavy for its capacity. 1/2" grade 40 is rated 9200 lb and weighs 3 lb per foot, vs. 1. 5 lb/ft for 3/8" in grade 80. Grade 80 in 1/2" is rated 12,000 lb. Occasionally you can find grade 100 in rigging shops with 8800 lb rating at 3/8" diameter. If you find some "remnants" you can pay very little, but at regular price, grade 40 and 70 run about $2. 30 and 2. 99 per foot (3/8), while grade 80 is $5. 90 (and gr 100 is 6. 30) from a supplier whose catalog is handy. I got my chains from a big rigging shop (Jake's wire rope) in Las Vegas when I lived there. As remnants, they were cheap, a fraction of their regular price.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

I also suggest fitting a short piece of strap in your trailer hitch receiver (first use a file to chamfer the entry of the 2" square hole so the strap won't get abraded). use the same 5/8" pin to hold the strap that you would use for a ball mount. The ball isn't designed as a pulling point and becomes a missile if it breaks. It is also too easy for chain or strap to pop off the ball.



I don't care for the cheesy hooks that come with a lot of wire rope. With their safety factors, they are about as strong as the cable, but their throats are small to be putting one or two strap ends in them. I have a grade 80 slip hook with a 2" throat that works better (some 3/8" grade 80 hooks have smaller 1. 5 or 1. 7" throats). It has a safety latch and uses the roll pin instead of cotter pin retainer for the clevis pin.

 

[bighammer]

Door handles, windshield wipers, plastic bumpers, all make good tow points. :-laf :-laf

 

[Yo Hoot]

Whach this video. .



rescue

 

[bighammer]

I love that video. The car wasn't that stuck untiil they started tugging on it. If the extra bodies would've pushed the car forward instead of walking around, (and shooting a very entertaining video :-laf ) it would've been out with no damage.



I bet the repair bill for that was UGLY.

 

[Hemiless]

Chain info

I thing I've always been taught is when pulling with a chain put an floor mat or heavy coat over the chain to help absorb some of the energy if it should brake or come unhooked. I've used a piece of 4" abs pipe for years but have had the idea for some time of stitching up a leather saddle bag setup that has two sand bags on either side that you could just drape over the chain. Luckily in all my years I've never busted a chain or had one slip off. One reason I believe is like Joseph Donnelly said buy good quality chain rated for the application. I've always spent the money and bought good chain and I try to take care of the chain as well by not letting it drag, or sit in a bucket of water or in a pile of snow in the back of the truck. I hope this helps and I love hearing everyones else experiences as well. Have a very Merry Christmas and a safe holiday season.

 

[Black-Smoker]

tow truck chain

I had the same problem after the hurricanes here. On my way home there was a PT Cruiser burried up to the body on the side of the road. There was no way to hook to this car we ended up digging the mud and muck out from the back of the car so we could hook my chain around one of his rear A arms. I always use a chain when pulling another vehical out it is just a lot more durable. A couple years back a when the tow truck droped a car off at my house he left one of his chains here. It has a giant hook on one end and a small hook on the other. I loop the small hook through one of the D rings welded to my rear bumper then the big hook goes on the car. Just like the tow trucks. This chain works great and if I lost it I would definately buy another one to relpace it.

 

[bmoeller]

I have a 5/16" high strength chain that I've used to pull an empty semi truck (weighs about 32k). Never broken it yet.

 

[skillsaw]

A shovel has amazing abilities in extracting stuck vehicles from the snow... ... If you're concerned about the stuck car/mini-van attach points, a few digs with the shovel will usually get the pull to a minimum strain on the car's bumper/or whatever you can hook to. It's rewarding to help people in the winter. It's also amazing to see how many people in suv's are too lazy to do a little digging or too afraid to rock the vehicle back & forth!! When there's a will, there's a way... .



***Make sure when towing a vehicle out with an unexperienced driver on the other end... ... they know to brake when the car becomes free!! I'd hate for the extraction to go nice & smooth and then the pintle hook becomes the hoods new best friend!!



Have Fun

Erik

 

[btanner]

lots of domestic cars now only have the tow points on the frame. They are cutouts in the rear and front of the frame that a hook can slide into. They look like a slot cut into the frame and are usually about 2-3 inches long and about 1/2-3/4" wide.



-ben

 

[Cummins Pilot]

One part of pulling someone out is knowing when to stop (or not start) if its beyond your ability or equipment ability to do safely.



I can't count the times I've seen people trying to extract vehicles with a car or small pickup and I know I couldn't even get them out (winch and all the gear is onboard with my truck). I'm talking about deep steep ditches with more snow than a human could shovel.

 

[FDNYMOPARGUY]

Last week I pulled a Toyota minivan out of mud. It was buried to the frame in front. I had to pull from the rear. No place for a strap. I used 3/4 nylon rope doubled up ( less stretching) and bowline knots ( knots won't "melt") and ran rope through hole on lower control arm. I was pulling perpendicular to the van and dragged him until he was 45 degrees to me and then out of the mud and onto the road. Of course he didn't hit his brakes when he was on the road and proceeded to slide into more mud on the other side of the road( no surprise he got himself stuck in the first place). The second pull did the trick. The old Ramcharger does it again! The man and his wife thanked me, but I couldn't help but chuckle when he said "I didn't think a front wheel drive vehicle could get stuck in mud. "

 

[rbattelle]

One part of pulling someone out is knowing when to stop (or not start) if its beyond your ability or equipment ability to do safely.

True. If I can't do it safely I just offer them a ride somewhere.

 

[Jff24Gordn]

Ive got some old 1/2" chain that I use. It will make a Dere 8410 stand and wheel hop on the back tires or me take a running start of about 20' and not break. If that fails, I have 20' of 2" cable. Try carring that across the mudhole.