Attention: TDR Forum Junkies I got to pull out a stuck Ford with my 2003 CTD! I'll try to post some pictures - having trouble figuring out how to get my photo program to compress pictures.
Anyway, I was working on my Jeep brakes this morning when a fellow jeeper in my apartment complex asked me for some help. This was what happened before he came and talked to me at 11:00 am:
He said his buddy with a old Dodge 1/2 ton got stuck and called him for help around 2:00 am. So being the good friend that he was he went to help with his lifted 1/2 ton Ford. He got the Dodge unstuck and then he (Ford) got really stuck himself. So another friend in a Chevy 3/4 ton shows up to try to pull the Ford out. In that event the tow strap breaks and rips the front bumper off the Ford and then the Chevy gets stuck. The Dodge then pulls the Chevy out and the Chevy guy very smartly goes home while he's ahead. Then the Dodge guy goes around and then tries to pull the Ford out and he gets stuck again. Both the Ford guy and Dodge guy walk 3 miles back into town at 5:00 am.
So I told the Ford guy to give me a 1/2 hr to finish my brakes off and then we'll drive out to assess the situation. In the meantime he gets out 150' of chain from his employer's drilling winch truck and some shovels. We then head out there and holy crap are both truck's ever stuck. The Ford had big swampers on and he was up to his axles in soft peat moss - the kind that's hard on top and then slowly sinks while making sucking noises! The Dodge was even a farther 100' out up to his axles too so he was a lost cause in our eyes.
I actually wasn't sure if I could pull him out, but figured I'll give it a try after we shovelled out some mud from around the tires and axles. This lasted for about 15 minutes until I broke one of the shovels. I was also worried about using chains due to the slingshot factor, but we had no other choice since a big tow strap already broke and the tow bill was $300 (he called ahead!). We also figured since the chains came from a class 8 winch truck that they would be pretty heavy duty anyway.
We hooked up the chains to one hook on my truck and to 2 hooks on his truck (one on each front framerail). The closed 2003 Dodge hookss really suck as there wasn't enough room to pass the hook through the hook so we had to undo the hook and run the chain through, and then reinstall the hook onto the chain.
Put my truck in low range and started backing up slowly until we got tension. My front wheels started digging in then I realized (doh!) that my parking brake was still on. Released the brake and started pulling again with the front wheels digging in really good and slowly, but surely the Ford started moving. At first, the Ford guy didn't give any throttle because we feared that he would just dig in again. After he got free from the big hole after about 10', or so we thought, he decided to drive out and then got stuck again. So we rehooked and I pulled him the rest of the way up this slick little mud hill. I was getting a little worried too because I was getting nearer to some softer stuff.
We surveyed the damage and I ended up bending both his front framerails as I didn't pull him exactly straight on or else I would have been stuck shortly too. He also commented that it was really ironic that he had a Calvin and Hobbes "Pi$$ on Dodge" sticker on his rear window too!
As we drove out we passed a tow truck that was called to get the other Dodge out. We told him good luck! I went by there 4 hours later and the other Dodge was still stuck. I'll try to post a few pictures:
Anyway, I was working on my Jeep brakes this morning when a fellow jeeper in my apartment complex asked me for some help. This was what happened before he came and talked to me at 11:00 am:
He said his buddy with a old Dodge 1/2 ton got stuck and called him for help around 2:00 am. So being the good friend that he was he went to help with his lifted 1/2 ton Ford. He got the Dodge unstuck and then he (Ford) got really stuck himself. So another friend in a Chevy 3/4 ton shows up to try to pull the Ford out. In that event the tow strap breaks and rips the front bumper off the Ford and then the Chevy gets stuck. The Dodge then pulls the Chevy out and the Chevy guy very smartly goes home while he's ahead. Then the Dodge guy goes around and then tries to pull the Ford out and he gets stuck again. Both the Ford guy and Dodge guy walk 3 miles back into town at 5:00 am.
So I told the Ford guy to give me a 1/2 hr to finish my brakes off and then we'll drive out to assess the situation. In the meantime he gets out 150' of chain from his employer's drilling winch truck and some shovels. We then head out there and holy crap are both truck's ever stuck. The Ford had big swampers on and he was up to his axles in soft peat moss - the kind that's hard on top and then slowly sinks while making sucking noises! The Dodge was even a farther 100' out up to his axles too so he was a lost cause in our eyes.
I actually wasn't sure if I could pull him out, but figured I'll give it a try after we shovelled out some mud from around the tires and axles. This lasted for about 15 minutes until I broke one of the shovels. I was also worried about using chains due to the slingshot factor, but we had no other choice since a big tow strap already broke and the tow bill was $300 (he called ahead!). We also figured since the chains came from a class 8 winch truck that they would be pretty heavy duty anyway.
We hooked up the chains to one hook on my truck and to 2 hooks on his truck (one on each front framerail). The closed 2003 Dodge hookss really suck as there wasn't enough room to pass the hook through the hook so we had to undo the hook and run the chain through, and then reinstall the hook onto the chain.
Put my truck in low range and started backing up slowly until we got tension. My front wheels started digging in then I realized (doh!) that my parking brake was still on. Released the brake and started pulling again with the front wheels digging in really good and slowly, but surely the Ford started moving. At first, the Ford guy didn't give any throttle because we feared that he would just dig in again. After he got free from the big hole after about 10', or so we thought, he decided to drive out and then got stuck again. So we rehooked and I pulled him the rest of the way up this slick little mud hill. I was getting a little worried too because I was getting nearer to some softer stuff.
We surveyed the damage and I ended up bending both his front framerails as I didn't pull him exactly straight on or else I would have been stuck shortly too. He also commented that it was really ironic that he had a Calvin and Hobbes "Pi$$ on Dodge" sticker on his rear window too!
As we drove out we passed a tow truck that was called to get the other Dodge out. We told him good luck! I went by there 4 hours later and the other Dodge was still stuck. I'll try to post a few pictures:
and he has a winch but not hooked to a battery and he won't mess with it but he has 3 chains and I have a chain and a strap so I say I will bring my stuff if you want to try to pull him from a relatively dry spot. I come back and we stretch out the stuff, too short,... ..... a ATV rider comes up and says he saw a big stap out a way toward the lake... like 1/2 mile! so he gets that and the chevy (4X4) tries to pull out the truck... ... . Yep, the chevy gets stuck (not good tires)... . SO, I have to take 2 of the chains to hook to my truck, pull out the chevy, Easy..... then back up to the same place he was at but off of his tracks, hook to the other truck and pull him out with no trouble, didn't even pull hard... . Got $60 for my trouble
