The danger of snatching

[CRW]

Hi all

Another person is killed due to using tow balls as a snatching/towing point.

'http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-/newshome/10077878/woman-dies-in-geraldton-towing-mishap/

Thoughts go out to her family, but for gods sake, learn which winching/snatching and towing points to use on your vehicles

[Silvo]

  terrible news

[gadgetman]

Couldn't agree more.

[Black Diamond]

That's shocking stuff.

[Prado BB]

shocking and terrible, how many times do you see this.  I always say something (offer advice), often I'm told "she'll be right mate" and I just get everyone the hell out of there.

[Maîneÿ . . .]

I (personally) would have thought that a towball would be a reasonable attachment point, only because of the way they are built as suitable to tow a caravan or camper trailer etc, and handle the breaking and accelerating encountered in touring.

When you watch some of the video's of you guys going up to Cape York, the force on the towball, as you go down into the creeks and back up the other side would have to put excessive force on the towball.

I'm NOT suggesting a towball is suitable for towing, I just watch in bewilderment at the force that must be applied to it when used to transverse some of the gullies and irregular creek and river crossing seen on your video's.

Maybe 'lady luck' has to form some part of the equation 

[goody59]

It is a huge' No no' to snatch from a tow ball.  Very common for tow ball to snap off and become a lethal weapon. That is why 4x4's have recovery hooks.  It is possible to remove tow ball and put a rated D shackkle in place of tow ball or replace hitch with designated recovery hook made for the receiver. never snatch off tow ball and it(tow ball) is not also to be used in attaching a tow rope either.  Not much danger of a tow ball becoming a missile when using A frame to tow with as designed.  Ball retained in coupling even if it did break, it can't be missile.

[bungie]

A tow ball is designed to hold a static weight, maybe a tonne or two of drag. When a snatch strap goes off its like a 8 tonne sledge hammer hitting the ball.

[SteveandViv]

shocking and terrible, how many times do you see this.  I always say something (offer advice), often I'm told "she'll be right mate" and I just get everyone the hell out of there.

We had the same thing, people not taking note up the Cape. There was a car trying to winch out of GunShot with a camper. Every one was just standing around in front  of the car while he winched out - well not really, he couldn't get out with one winch such was the force. We suggested he moved people out of the way only to be looked at like we were the idiots. In the end Terry and I moved people, kids etc. They ended up bringing another car down to gun shot and attached that winch as well. Two winches puling this lump of steel up the hill with no dampeners or any thought of others. People just don't.

Such a shame this has happened...

[mystq]

Last time I was down the Pieman heads I got stuck and had to get my mate to snatch me out. The d shackle come of the back of his bus and flew past the side of my bus and smashed the side mirror. Lesson learnt hook everything up yourself double check everything and get everyone out of the way, it could have been much worse.

[SteveandViv]

Last time I was down the Pieman heads I got stuck and had to get my mate to snatch me out. The d shackle come of the back of his bus and flew past the side of my bus and smashed the side mirror. Lesson learnt hook everything up yourself double check everything and get everyone out of the way, it could have been much worse.

Sh1t  Bet that woke you up.

[mystq]

Yep, like I said lesson learnt. If it had of been a foot to the left it would have been a different story.

[Symon]

I'm NOT suggesting a towball is suitable for towing, I just watch in bewilderment at the force that must be applied to it when used to transverse some of the gullies and irregular creek and river crossing seen on your video's.

Maybe 'lady luck' has to form some part of the equation 

Lady luck has nothing to do with it, a snatch strap acts just like a big rubber band, and the forces generated by that action can easily exceed the 3.5T rating of a standard towball.  You don't get the same forces generated by towing, regardless of what type of terrain you are dragging the camper over.

Really good information about it here - http://www.landroverclub.za.org/snatch_straps.htm

[D4D]

Some may suggest a maxtrax recovery is safer than a snatch recovery however all recoveries are dangerous and require care and planning. It is unfortunate that these events still happen. It should be a requirement of all snatch strap sellers/manufacturers they have a one page safety sheet included with each strap.

[Heiny]

The shock loadings on a recovery point when snatching can be well over double the weight of the loaded vehicle, NO towball is designed to take those loads.

Its got nothing to do with lady luck and everything to do with lacking knowledge or arrogance and stupidity

Its a tregedy that someone else as been killed by using a towball as a recovery point and my thoughts go out to the family

[Apollo]

Saw something similar at double island point.  Guy with a troll snatching a cruiser out backwards.  Two big vehicles and one bogged down.  Hooked up the snatch on to the tow ball on the cruiser.  Saw it from a distance and stayed there as they were about to get into it.  Towball let go sending through the back window of the troll and through the front.  Must have missed the driver by 20cm - very lucky.

[Doug.b]

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

[goody59]

Save $20 and a life! Worth every cent.

[Crisp Image]

Broke a snatch strap at work the other day. They go off with a bang but not as much as a 35mm winch rope on a D8 Dozer.
I have seen people standing between 2 of these giving directions.
Some people you can't tell. We have been doing it this way for the last (insert number here) years. What do you know!

Regards
Crisp Image

[Frostd]

This is a sad story and unfortunately it will happen again, because people are not willing to listen to others who have done it correctly before. As a few of you guys have said,"She'll be right"attitude gets people into trouble and sometimes people die with that attitude.  That story and similar ones should be on the front page of the state papers and also the 4x4 magazines, just to reinforce, the 'wrong'way to snatch out.

[Jason B]

Very sad storey

Having used and broken a few snatch staps during recoveries it realy does pay to use rated recovery points, shackles and most importantly a damper. Also after a hard recovery throw out you snatch strap and buy a new one it is cheap insurance.

When I do a recovery I remove the towbar tongue and pin, put the end of the statch strap in the towbar tube and put the pin and clip back through it. This is a much safer option and I prefer it to using shackles etc attached to the tow bar.


Regards


Jas

[austastar]

Hi,
   it is not just the tow ball, the tongue can fail as per the coroner's report in this Link.

cheers

[mystq]

Found this on youtube,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR22oP1WRtY&feature=related

[harvs]

3 kids lost their mum. I hope they weren't there to see this happen. So sad, and avoidable.
Jason B is right.  Snatch using the pin!

[Joff]

Saw something similar at double island point.  Guy with a troll snatching a cruiser out backwards.  Two big vehicles and one bogged down.  Hooked up the snatch on to the tow ball on the cruiser.  Saw it from a distance and stayed there as they were about to get into it.  Towball let go sending through the back window of the troll and through the front.  Must have missed the driver by 20cm - very lucky.

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.