The Fellowship of PNW Tacomas | PDX Area Wheeling

I specifically wanted a self etching (zinc) primer. It adheres really well to bare metal. I just wiped them with acetone first thing for an initial cleaning, then roughed them with 220 grit. After that I washed them more thoroughly with acetone, then primed with the self etching primer. Take care to use very light coats with that type of primer. It's very, very thin and will run easily. It flashes off really quickly, making multiple coats easy. This one had a fan tip which was nice.

If you choose to use the bed liner it worked really well, too. Just be aware it sprays really heavy and in a straight shot. It filled in the holes really easily with the way it sprays. Just be careful you don't get runs, not because it's thin, but because it sprays heavy.

 

well I'll be damned. can go from phone to work computer lol. got some recovery gear also today and the sliders back around Christmas. just haven't had time to prep, paint and install

 

Nice! Got some good stuff there.

 

Random question; if I want to keep a recovery strap in my truck, do I want to carry a Snatch strap like you have there or a Tow strap? I’ve read the differences and it seems like the snatch strap is superior and the better option. In what instances would I rather have a tow strap over a snatch strap?

 

Depends on what your trying to use it for. I would rather have a snatch strap or a kinetic rope before I use a toe strap pulling somebody out of something IMO..

 

I've got the exact same sliders and they are awesome. Stout stuff.

Really wish I had done a better job on the initial cleaning/priming/painting. I was in a hurry to get them installed before a trip, so I've got a good bit of scrubbing and touch up work to do this summer.

 

Scenarios where a tow strap could be useful:

-Towing someone a significant distance. I'm talking miles and probably on a paved road or at least a maintained road.

-When you need to extend the length of a snatch strap, or a winch line (if I had a winch ).

I'm sure there are other uses, but if you are only buying one strap to get started...get the snatch strap.

 

Recovery straps and tow straps are completely different tools. Much like a flat blade screw driver and a chisel. Sure you can get either one to work for either application, but the right tool is more efficient, the wrong tool is more dangerous.

A typical "tow" strap will have metal hooks on the ends and the strap material isn't designed to stretch to much. Perfect for flat towing a dead vehicle that can roll. Not recommended to yank with, as the hooked ends become projectiles. The strap can and will break much easier than a recovery strap.

A typical "recovery" strap has heavy loops on the ends and the strap material is designed to stretch at least 20%. Perfect for yanking a stuck vehicle out of muck, sand, sand, or other. It should be rated with a breaking strength that will give you an idea of what it can handle. Although not necessarily a "tow" strap for flat towing, this would certainly work just fine.

A typical "kinetic" rope will have loops on the ends as well and the rope should be somewhere around 3/4" to 1" for Tacoma/Jeep sized vehicles. These will have stretch ratios upwards of 30%. Absolutely perfect for yanking on stuck vehicle and will be a much softer jolt to the person in the stuck vehicle than the recovery strap. Although it could certainly be used as a tow strap, it is by far the most expensive option for a tow strap and could damage it if slack in the rope allows it to drag on the ground/pavement.

I would suggest at minimum to carry a 30' recovery strap with a breaking strength 15,000 to 30,000lbs. Also two well rated D shackles for creating attachement points, as well as two soft shackles rated to at least 15,000lbs, but if you can afford higher rated ones do that.

Once you have a basic start, you can always add the kinetic rope, an actual tow strap, and recovery boards. This will cover 90% of what you'll ever need.

 

Sweet, thanks for all the useful info!

 

Good advice.

Marketing terms can get confusing when purchasing online. A good way to determine what type of strap you're actually looking at is to check the material type. Basically, polyester is a tow strap and nylon is a recovery strap/kinetic rope. (Kinetic rope is rope-shape instead of flat like a strap.)

My tow strap is built just like my snatch strap with looped ends, no hooks. They look the same, but they are not. The difference is the material. Polyester vs nylon.

Your 2:1 and 3:1 comments are confusing to me, though. ARB says their snatch strap stretches 20%

 

My bad!


I was just talking ratios about stuff with a friend and got some cross talk as I was typing that. I put 2:1 and 3:1 instead of 20% and 30%.

It didn't even phase me as it looked right with the conversation I was having on my phone (on speaker at the time).

Went back and edited it so the next guy doesn't get lost with those rediculous ratios.

Can you imagine how far you'd have to travel before the kinetic strap finished stretching enough to start pulling on the other rig? You'd be have way home.

 

I was really trying to make that work in my head, but nope! It just didn't work. I had to point it out.

 

As a side note. I purchased a ARB recovery strap and have been very happy with it for an assortment of uses and recoveries. But there are some nice “package” deals being offered these days that have the strap, shackles, and a carry bag. Worth looking into if you ask me.

 

ARB snatch strap is awesome . Ever seen a tow strap used to yank a vehicle? I have and it didn't work very well. It was a cringey, harsh yank. The stuck vehicle didn't budge, and the tow rig just dug it's spinning tires into the ground. I hooked up my snatch strap instead and when he yanked again it was so smooth. The stuck vehicle just popped out, almost effortlessly it seemed. Someone bought a snatch strap after that. All those guys were asking me what kind of strap that was.

 

I got a package deal from Lolo for a Spartan rope... bag, soft shackle, and rope.... I think I paid $160

 

True dat.

Just be careful paying too much for something just because it has a name brand on it. You can't go wrong with ARB in most cases, but there are equal options for lower prices on idividual pieces out there. You can pick and choose what you want based on needs at the time and as your budget can support.

 

EDIT: while typing this someone pointed out the mistake. My bad. Original message unchanged below.

I agree with almost all of this. A typical snatch strap will have about 20% stretch, not 2:1. I am less familiar with snatch ropes, but I believe they are right around 30% on average.

Another consideration with snatch straps / ropes, bigger isn't better. You want a strap that is 2-3 times the weight of the lightest vehicle in the recovery. If you go too big then the strap will not stretch properly.

ARB snatch strap video

Snatch strap recovery techniques & tips by Ronny Dahl

It's very important to know that any recovery is a dangerous a activity. Done wrong, and it can kill someone.

Let me stress that again. Recovery done wrong can kill someone.

Dangers of Snatch Strap Recoveries - Destruction Testing


Never use a tow ball hitch for a recovery.

Always try and use rated recovery points if possible.

Everyone should be standing clear of 2X the length of the recovery strap. If it breaks you don't want anyone in the path if can reach. To the sides is better than front or back. Only the drivers should be in the vehicles. Both should have radios if possible.

If you see something unsafe, speak up! If you aren't comfortable doing this (understandable) then be sure you are yours are safe. Leave if you need to. It's not ok to put others in danger unnecessarily. If it's your rig that is stuck and you don't feel safe with what someone else is doing, make them stop. It's your rig and safety on the line. Better to stay stuck, than for something terrible to happen.


The best tool in any recovery kit is a basic shovel. You can get very far with a shovel and some work. Add in some wood boards and you have some really cheap options to help get you or your friends unstuck.

Doom and gloom aside, recovery can be fun. Just be sure to take a step back and think about what you or your friends are about to do.

Be safe

 

One more note. I have seen a lot of things on Amazon labeled "recovery strap" that were not in fact recovery straps. They were tow ropes. Be very careful when looking at recovery gear on amazon. Make sure you are getting what you think you are buying. I'm a big fan of off brands for many things, but for recovery gear that your life depends on, I buy known brands.