The danger of snatching

[Joff]

  Snatch using the pin!

You know there is a whole buch of folks that will tell you that's no good too right?

[harvs]

I have heard of the eyelets (recovery pionts) on old ARB bull bars being removed with a forceful snatch.
I knew a bloke in the Landrover Club of Victoria that did it once on purpose just to prove they aren't that strong. Not much difference between a towbsll, or a a heavy bow shackle when it's coming towards you flat out.
Take care out there.
Harvs

[Jason B]

You know there is a whole buch of folks that will tell you that's no good too right?

I have done a number of 4WD courses and it has been the recommended option on most of them. They recommended it over recovery points on the rear of the vehicle.

Regards

Jas

[Teabag]

A good read......For those that think they know

https://juststraps.com.au/pdf/Snatch%20Straps%20Industry%20Guidelines%20Final%20March%2008%20Amended%20pdf.pdf

[Gunna Do]

You get a bit of a look at the towbar on this bit of news footage from the ABC, and whilst it doesn't show the towball, it does show where it was, and if you look even closer you can see the towball nut and thread still stuck in the hitch.
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/news/7pmtvnewswa/video/podcast/545137_20110820-Woman-killed_video4.m4v

[Apollo]

Have you got a pic of that broken towball?

I'd really like to see one broken buy a strap recovery.. I'm not advocating useing the towball by any stretch but I find it hard to believe it ever actually happens despite one poster stating that it was 'common'..

If anyone has a pic I'd love to see it.

No I don't.  Once I saw what they were doing , I was a distance away and stayed there as I didn't want to get near it and they were just starting to move.  I saw the strap let fly, then the window on the troll explode.  Never saw the left over tow ball adn I don't think at that stage, they would have appreciated some rubber necker wanting to take photos as from the sounds of it the two vehicle owners didn't know each other prior and one was trying to help the other out.  I left them 'discussing' why the towed vehicle's owner would put the strap over a towball and who was going to pay.  Hmm time to leave!

[GGV8Cruza]

I have seen this photo on several site in the past and its enough for me to never try it

GG

[Squalo]

Have you got a pic of that broken towball?

I'd really like to see one broken buy a strap recovery.. I'm not advocating useing the towball by any stretch but I find it hard to believe it ever actually happens despite one poster stating that it was 'common'..

If anyone has a pic I'd love to see it.

Seriously? Annother person has just been killed by a sheared towball and you find it hard to believe that it actually happens?



From an earlier topic: http://myswag.org/forum/index.php?topic=12359.0

[Manjimike]

Oh, what a feeling!

[Bird]

it doesnt happen, it cant happen, if I dont believe it, it wont happen, and if I ignore it it will go away

[Burnsy]

I got one of these the other day
http://www.raysoutdoors.com.au/online-store/products/XTM-Hitch-Shackle.aspx?pid=215597#Description

I still don't get why people use these, why not just remove the hitch, slide the strap up into the receiver and put the pin through it (or is this too considered unsafe)?  No shackle or other hunk of metal to possibly fail and you don't need to carry a potential missle around in the bacl of your car.

[GGV8Cruza]

I still don't get why people use these, why not just remove the hitch, slide the strap up into the receiver and put the pin through it (or is this too considered unsafe)?  No shackle or other hunk of metal to possibly fail and you don't need to carry a potential missle around in the bacl of your car.

I use something similar only beacuse a couple of my strap ends are too large to fit inside the reciever hole

GG

[Burnsy]

I use something similar only beacuse a couple of my strap ends are too large to fit inside the reciever hole

GG

Good point and worth checking, my snatch straps fit snuggley but I just got a new one so should check that one as well.

[Doug.b]

I still don't get why people use these, why not just remove the hitch, slide the strap up into the receiver and put the pin through it (or is this too considered unsafe)?  No shackle or other hunk of metal to possibly fail and you don't need to carry a potential missle around in the bacl of your car.

You have more of a chance on damaging your snatch straps by putting them into you receiver.   

[Manjimike]

You have more of a chance on damaging your snatch straps by putting them into you receiver.   

Is that due to sharp edges on the receiver or only if it is pulling to the side i.e. not a straight pull?

Cheers
Mike

[Jason B]

You have more of a chance on damaging your snatch straps by putting them into you receiver.   

Straps are cheap! 

[yogi]

I have heard of the eyelets (recovery pionts) on old ARB bull bars being removed with a forceful snatch.
I knew a bloke in the Landrover Club of Victoria that did it once on purpose just to prove they aren't that strong. Not much difference between a towbsll, or a a heavy bow shackle when it's coming towards you flat out.
Take care out there.
Harvs

I always thought those recovery points on the ARB bars were for winching only ?

yogi

[Burnsy]

Straps are cheap!  

Agree I have always done this (used the pin iside the receiver) and never had to retire a strap because of damage around the loop, always from damage in the centre of the strap.

[Prado BB]

As a precaution when using a snatch strap (not around a tow ball) you can always use a tree trunck protector (3m) shackled to one rated recovery hook on the vehicle to be snatched and the other end of the tree trunk protector schackled to the snatch strap that is attached to the vehicle being recovered (that is on a second rated recovery point).  That way if the recovery point or shackle give way on the end of the snatch strap, then the snatch strap will be limited by the tree trunck protector (to 3m travel).  This will help minimise potention danger/damage of the flying snatch strap with a shackle tied to it.  It will however travel at least 3m and take anything out in that area, so good idea to keep everyone as far away as possible.

[kranky al]

whilst this was happening just down the road - i pulled a guy out of a river who wanted me to use the towball - so many people think that this is ok.  will be seeing him later this week and will show him this accident.

[hempo]

PradoBB - this will limit the recourse at one vehicle but not if the recovery point on the other vehicle fails, it could still go flying.  Plus not many have two recovery points.  If using two recovery points on a vehicle my understanding is to utilise an Equaliser strap to help spread the force on the vehicle.

Doesn't appear that any attempt was made to dig the sand away from under and around the bogged vehicle in that footage either.

rusted tow ball.  The other article also had rusted tow hitch.  Unfortunately the good samaritan is the one often injured.

[GU Rich]

I use something similar only beacuse a couple of my strap ends are too large to fit inside the reciever hole

GG

That is the same as mine. I have 2 straps with different size ends. one fits the other doesn't. I have the same set up you use GG.

Cheers
Rich

[Burnsy]

As a precaution when using a snatch strap (not around a tow ball) you can always use a tree trunck protector (3m) shackled to one rated recovery hook on the vehicle to be snatched and the other end of the tree trunk protector schackled to the snatch strap that is attached to the vehicle being recovered (that is on a second rated recovery point).  That way if the recovery point or shackle give way on the end of the snatch strap, then the snatch strap will be limited by the tree trunck protector (to 3m travel).  This will help minimise potention danger/damage of the flying snatch strap with a shackle tied to it.  It will however travel at least 3m and take anything out in that area, so good idea to keep everyone as far away as possible.

There is a name for this and you can buy straps with this type of safety strap built in, usually webbing (I will try and find a picture).  You are however far better off using a length of quality rope or webbing tied to the snatch strap about three metres down its length with this secured to a recovery point rather than using a shackle to attach a winch strap.  It needs to be loose so there is no chance of it taking weight when the strap stretches.  This means if the strap breaks the rope will act as a dampner and stop the strap from recoiling further than the lenght of the rope so it should not contact the vehcle at the other end.  Rope or webbing tied to the strap removes the potental of a shackle missile that you have if you use the winch strap option.  

When I was living on the West Coast of Tassie I had two such lengths of bluewater climbing rope attached to my snatch strap permanently and just use to tie them off to the vehcle using a bowline rather than a shackle.  The one time I did break a strap this system worked and I have been thinking about doing it to my new strap.

[D4D]

There is a name for this and you can buy straps with this type of safety strap built in, usually webbing

http://www.4x4equip.com.au/showProduct/4x4+Accessories/Recovery+Gear/IDH-23-1/Recovery+Bridle

[Burnsy]

No not a load sharing strap or bridle but as actual lanyards attached to the snatch strap (and in this pictures case the load sharing strap) that act as a stop point for broken straps.  Ideally they should not be stitched to the straps as these appear to be but should be a closed loop/knott friction fit.  This allows them to stop the strap when it breaks but for the strap to then pull through the loop or knott to free itself if the other vehicle keeps moving rather than loading the lanyard with the force of the moving vehicle.  As stated I used climbing rope when I did it but you could use decent tube webbing that you can buy from climbing stores.