Off Roading Caution Pulling out stuck vehicles!

[Topzide]

Saw a YT video were someone was pulling out a Super Duty and their drop hitch snap off of the receiver! It sling shot through the windshield and killed the driver! First thing that came to mind was that there wasn't something on the pull strap to deaden the slap back. The other was a drop hitch (which had a hollow shank) wouldn't have near enough rating for an almost 10k truck then the resistance of the mud! When doing these things, we need to think twice, use proper gear and extra caution! Whenever I have pulled someone out, I throw an old moving blanket over the cable or strap. Have seen them take out the back window of the pulling truck. Posting this advise with winter fast approaching for most. Be safe out there!
Here's the video,

 

[Ozymandias]

A Superduty sunk in that much needs a Dozer or good shoveling to get it out, it's out of mind to think to get that out with a Jeep and a strap.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Does not surprise me probably Chinese Junk.

 

[endoscott]

Man, you would think shoveling would be the very first thing they would do! They must not have ever been stuck before! I did off-road training down here in the desert (SoCal) and they schooled us on all of this stuff. There is a lot to it, but common sense is required. We were pulling out my 3rd gen 4runner after intentionally getting buried in sand, with a Jeep Gladiator and of course a blanket over the kinetic strap. I provided learning material when I stepped over the strap on the way to my rig. Instructor jumped on that right away-"Don't EVER step over a tow strap". For the obvious reason. Anyway Tom Severin at Badlands Off Road Adventures (4x4training.com) puts on awesome clinics. Most fun I have had in years.

 

[Killer223]

What they might not show is the hitch was a 8-10" drop hitch. no wonder it broke like it did. That and no towel or jacket on the line. Their own ignorant fault.

 

[Topzide]

Was a shame that someone lost their life for such a simple thing as putting something over the strap could've prevented this! I posted this to help with being careful about how you pull something that is stuck! doesn't need to be a vehicle, could be tree stump or anything. Glad to see that "most" understand to have something over the cable/strap to prevent it from flying!! It goes along with having an anchor with a trip line and cable to attach your winch cable to get you un-stuck when nothing to hook to! That was a neat trick to learn back in the day. Sure beat cutting your winch cable when just attached to anchor. Be safe out there!

 

[endoscott]

Always preferred chains for stump pulling work.

 

[Ozymandias]

Was a shame that someone lost their life for such a simple thing as putting something over the strap could've prevented this! I posted this to help with being careful about how you pull something that is stuck! doesn't need to be a vehicle, could be tree stump or anything. Glad to see that "most" understand to have something over the cable/strap to prevent it from flying!! It goes along with having an anchor with a trip line and cable to attach your winch cable to get you un-stuck when nothing to hook to! That was a neat trick to learn back in the day. Sure beat cutting your winch cable when just attached to anchor. Be safe out there!

Most of the time yes to this, but in this case that wouldn't have helped any as that drop hitch is way to heavy to keep it from flying. That mass goes wherever it wants to.

 

[Topzide]

@Ozymandias, I would think if something had been on the strap, that weight would've cause the drop hitch to not make the height to go through windshield! Maybe the grille or into the hood. It took the strap with it and anything on the strap would cause a different trajectory. Unfortunately we'll never know. Just need to think before we do these things. When I've taken time to change out pintle hitch to a clevis for pulling, people complained that I was wasting time! I've said do you want help or not! My clevis isn't as strong as the one in video, but at 30K, good enough for my needs.

 

[AEdelheit]

A Superduty sunk in that much needs a Dozer or good shoveling to get it out, it's out of mind to think to get that out with a Jeep and a strap.

A good Kinetic strap with proper shackle mounting points probably would have gotten it out, got some good loads unstuck that way, just got to be smart and do it right!

 

[BigPapa]

no towel or jacket on the line.

I don’t think a towel or jacket would have done much on this one. Maybe a moving pad or something heavier. Sad any way you look at it.

 

[Matt42]

During safety training a few decades ago, I learned to raise the hood first. That was whether I was pulling on something while backing up or being pulled forward. That way, if the tow bar, the hitch, chain or whatever snapped, the hood would act as a sort of a steel shield. The "something" could be a stuck vehicle, a tree stump, a boulder, a fallen log or whatever. If it was a vehicle, once it came unstuck, we would lower the hood if it still needed towing for transport (obviously).