Recovery Straps

Would you guys trust these just for casual use:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/400980441592?ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT&fromMakeTrack=true&autorefresh=true

By casual I mean something to keep in my wife and my car; not for intentional off-roading porposes.

 

I would avoid keeping them in your wife, but probably just fine for the car.

 

For a 4000 LB vehicle or less sure.

 

I would use those as a tow strap.

 

The discription says tow strap and recovery. You guys wouldn't trust them? Again, it wouldn't be for off roading, just more for an emergency/stuck in the road kind of thing.

 

To towing, sure. The capacity looks good for towing.
As a snatch strap, probably not without knowing more about it and the make, etc.

 

I am not quite sure about this statement though:
"2 heavy duty tow tie down straps"
hmmm

 

I think you are off to a good start. You are staying away from metal hook ends. Those can turn into incredibly deadly projectiles.

 

Yeah that's why I want something like these because all I have is the hook ends. I was debating whether or not to get the shackles because they seem just as dangerous as hooks.

 

The good thing about screw pin shackles is they connect to a rated recovery poInt and shouldn't come loose to become a projectile. When you say hook ends I assume you are referring to one of the recovery points on the front of the truck? Hook on the passenger side and and smallish ring on the other? In front I would put the recovery strap loop over the hook (I haven't learned to trust the ring but maybe its rateed for a shackle. Somebody else will need to answer that.) and definately not use a shackle. On the rear buy a receiver shackle mount and secure the strap loop to the shackle. In an emergency you could push the strap loop into the receiver and secure it with the receiver pin.

 

No the hook ends I'm referring to is the tow straps with the hooks attached to them. I'm just wondering if the link of the tow/recovery straps would be ones that others on here would go with and getting 3.5 ton shackles to go along with them if a car doesn't have a recovery point like the hooks on my truck. I would love to get a receiver shackle mount but by truck didn't come stock with a trailer hitch, just the ball bolted onto the bumper.

 

Be aware of the difference between a tow strap and a snatch strap. Both are used for recovery so they both get called recovery straps. Tow straps are generally for on road "recovery" of disabled vehicles. Snatch straps are for usually for doing a snatch recovery of vehicles that can be driven but are stuck for whatever reason. That ebay link appears to be for tow straps since they call them tow/recovery straps and they are polyester. Snatch straps are often nylon.

Tow straps have very little elasticity so you have to be careful when using them to recover a stuck vehicle. Once the strap gets taut it will instantaneously transfer the momentum to the other vehicle causing a potentially destructive jerk on whatever its attached to. This can be devastating if the stuck vehicle is mired. So if you have to use a tow strap to recover a stuck vehicle be gentle as a lamb when taking up the slack, 1 mph or less if you can manage it. Tow straps are fine if you're doing short distance emergency towing on flat paved roads.

Snatch straps (or kinetic recovery ropes) are a little bit elastic. The stretch prevents the stuck vehicle from getting suddenly jerked into motion. Proper recovery technique using a snatch strap means you don't have to be as gentle because the strap smooths out the transfer of momentum by stretching then rebounding. Plus snatch straps can still be used as tow straps in a pinch.

I think you would be better served by snatch straps. I'll go ahead and plug wheelersoffroad since he posted in this thread but didn't peddle his own wares for some reason . You can find them for 30-40 dollars each all over the internet, just make sure they say snatch strap and are described as being elastic.

 

To be completely honest I would invest in the installation of good recovery points before letting another truck rescue me, or trying to rescue someone else. If you don't go that route I would suggest buying a AAA membership and calling for a tow truck. I will admit that when I was younger we did all sorts of sketchy stuff recovering vehicles and nothing really bad ever happened. Just bent and broke a few things. We didn't know any better and couldn't really afford good gear anyhow. Now that Im much older and have seen some carnage and close calls I won't be involved in a recovery that isn't done the right way. Just my own personal feelings on the matter. YMMV.