djp9747

Chains do not handle sudden stress very well. They have little stretch. In my mind, the best way to use a chain is to get it taunt, and then slowly put the hammer down. The idea is to gradually apply more pulling force to it. This means that chains are not good for recovery, but rather for towing, where you have steady pressure/tension on them.

Straps on the other hand are built for vehicle recovery. The whole idea is that they are gigantic rubber bands. They are designed to stretch. By stretching they actually aid in pulling, because once they stretch, they have to recoil. You add the pulling force of your truck, plus the recoil force of the strap, and you have an unstuck vehicle. Because straps are meant to stretch and recoil, it is not wise to use them for towing (unless you have a strap that is made for towing (which typically means it doesn't stretch much)). Towing keeps the strap at a constant stretch, which will then pull any recoil out of it.

Please be aware of the your strap/chains ratings. There are 2 ratings that are applicable, the safe working limit, and the breaking limit. Pretty much all straps/chains will get advertised as their breaking limit. This gives the impression of stronger strap/chains. DO NOT GET SUCKED INTO THIS !! The breaking limit is the amount of force that will cause the strap to break. (for example, assuming the strap/chain is under load, and something slips which causes the chain to jerk. This sudden amount of shock can exert some very high stress on the strap/chain).

What is more important is the Safe Working Limit. This is the amount of force that the designer deem the strap will safely perform under. You should always buy your straps/chains according to their Safe Working Limit. Typically, the safeworking limit will be roughly 1/2 of the breaking limit. Because chains don't stretch much, their safe working limit is generally lower than 1/2 of the breaking limit. So, a 20,000 lb strap generally has a 7000-10000 lb safe working limit. I consider this marginal for our heavy trucks. Even better is a 30,0000 strap, which generally has a safe working limit of 15,000. To me this is ideal.

When in doubt go big.

redneckonthenet

I had a 1998 grand caravan in 99. Me and my brother-in-law had a few "pops" and decided to go for a ride in the back (picked) bean field. Bad idea the white van was mudd brown by the time (8 hrs and a case later) we got it out.
The sad part is that now a have a truck that can make that trip, but I wont do it! That was when I was young and dumb. Now I am just dumb!

tool

I totally agree that bigger is better in this department, you just can't have to much of a margin of safety.

The part I find hard is trying to determine what sort of actual working load you are applying....

You read the load limits etc. which are usually expressed on any decent strap as vertical load. ie 10,000 # strap that you could lift or hang 10,000 lbs from. so how much can that pull????

Me and a buddy can push my 7,000 lb truck and roll it around in the parking lot, but we can't lift it (vertical load)

but when that truck is buried in the mud...... we can't push it, it's a greater load, and in some cases pulling it could be a greater force than the vertical lift it would take to lift it.... so how do we scientifically determine safe limits????

apart from buying the biggest baddest mother of a strap money can buy.

p.s

We always, always pulled stuck stuff on the farm with big chains, most farmers do.

I carry a 30K nylon strap in the truck for that purpose now though.

bmoeller

Got that right!

We made that mistake ONCE. The chain nearly hit my boss in the head. Blew out the upper door glass and the rear window. It has been almost 7yrs since that happened. I STILL find aother piece of glass from it once in a while, when the cab gets cleaned out.

Fronty Owner

They are not using chains because you cant snap a chain.

We have 4 6000# WLL chains on our test stand that we use for lifting equipment. They work great for steady pulls with no slack.

runamuk

Uhhm, excuse me but the problem was not with the truck it was with the driver!!

Sorry been there too many times myself to count!!!

Get yourself a 40k snatchem strap and a removable front to rear 12-15k winch loaded with the new high tech rope to decrease flyback danger and weight.

If you can't stickit you're not really wheelin!!

Always launch or retrieve a boat in 4 hi or 4 low that way you look like a pro and never slip a wheel!!!

Also, when you cannot see the top of the hill kick it in 4 lo!!! This has saved my butt more times than you can count!!!!

Happy wheelin!!

werewolf

may be forgot to mention that my guys remove their tailgate , we live in the boonies and are close to a low water crossing in the colorado river so we get all kinds of stuck buddies.they seem to have a homing device and end up coming to our house needing help.one time i took my one ton ford dually and could have gotten the guy out except he was cross ways and i was actually bending his chvy frame.so we go get the cat and get him out. each situation is different i just know that using the hoe of the cat and lots of chain works when there is no traction to pull.we have had so much rain there is no traction!

WhiteSport600

You forgot this one
"When you're doubting that you can conquer an obstacle....MORE RIGHT FOOT!!!" LOL

deezulsmoke

we had a big grain truck stuck to the frame loaded with soybeans out in the field and broke three huge logging chains before we got it out pulling it with the combine in 4wd. Chains are really dangerous when they snap, not a lot of elasticity in a chain like a tow strap.

1sttruck

During an exercise with heavy rains an M60 in our battalion got mired to the top of the tracks, and a retriever (2000 hp V12 gas engine as I recall) also got stuck trying to get it out. It took another retriever to the retriever out, and both of them to get the tank out. Jeeps often had mud flowing into the floorboards.

John Rodriguez

I can say this much about safety and pulling with a story *gather 'round now*.

I'm at my friend's house and his cousin calls him saying he's stuck a few blocks away in a ditch, so of course, wanting to show off, I'm like "well let's go" A 2005 tacoma resting on it's frame in some deep clay was waiting for me when I got there. It was stuck enough that I couldn't straight-pull it out, the tires would just spin dangerously fast (I kinda like my ujoints in 1 peice). Took up 2' of slack on my 30' procomp 30k strap and snatched him loose, then drug him through the deeper mud for being dumb

Fast foward to 2 days ago, same friend calls me saying they're trying to pull a tree out, so of course I hop in my truck and haul butt over there. I get there just in time to see a mid-80's suburban take 8' of slack out of chain in short order, just to see his receiver hitch layin' on the ground a few seconds later. Oak tree: 1 - Suburban: 0

I get there and ask if they have a strap, they have one of those big 6' wide cargo straps from a trailer. I tell 'em I'm going to break it, they said I wouldn't be able too. I slowly take up the slack in 4lo, then get on it a lil'. At around 8psi I get some tirehop and strap breaks. Guess I won the prize eh? I take out my 30' procomp strap (**** things are _GOOD_ for the price, I suggest everyone carry 2 or 3), loop it around the base of the tree 3 times, both looped sides go into my receiver-mounted shackle (4wheel parts.. about 30 bucks). I take the slack out and lay the hammer down, only to be greeted by tire smoke from 3 tires (sigh). Back up about 3 feet, and get on it a lil'... *BAM* *tiresmoke* look back and tree is at a 45 degree angle. Back up 2 feet and hit it again, and then couldn't stop in time to NOT drag it into the middle of the street. Keep in mind this is a 30' oak tree, it was a pain to roll it back to the yard to cut up, even between 4 guys. I guess the moral of this long-winded sleep-deprivation-induced post is _KNOW YOUR EQUIPMENT_ and exercize some common sense. We're all guilty of saying "We can bend the rules just this one time.. what can happen" Well, ALOT CAN HAPPEN. it only takes one time to end your life.
</rant>

kohldadsr

Chains drop when they break. Nylon ropes store energy that will come back to haunt you. We alway put a chain in the end of a nylon rope so it will drop when it breaks. Chains do not store energy. Plus I have never had a chain break. We only use 20K or better chains. Thats 1/2 in or better. Used them with bulldozers and anytihing else that would pull on the farm. I've still got 4 that I keep around for emergencies. Cable is even worse. Nylon has its good points. Its great for snatching because it will strech and take up the shock. Back up and get a good running start and use the wieght of the truck to pull someone out. The nylon will take up the shock.

Phil

Dieseldude4x4

Stuck my old 89 slam to the frame in soupy wet concrete type mud one time. Never took it off road again. It went right to the bottom like an anchor. Had to shovel it out and move about a foot at a time and then spent about two weeks cleaning it up after that.

John Rodriguez

Kohldadsr, I'm glad you have never had a chain break on you before, and hope you never get a chance to see one break. But I assure you, they do not simply "drop to the floor" when they do give. I've been hit by a 20k strap when it broke, and it felt like someone whipped me, but all I had to show for it was slight surface bruising (rub mark). I have personally witnessed a chain go through the rear tailgate of a truck, through the radiator of a k5 blazer. I've seen 3/8" winch cable snap and **** near cut a tailgate in half as well.

BigBlue

That same day on pelican island I snapped a chain that was used by tug boats to pull other boats around. I like nylon better because it has some elasticity to it and is not as violent when trying to pull people.