Chain VS. Tow Strap Cont from worst stuck pic thread. | Page 4 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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Chain VS. Tow Strap Cont from worst stuck pic thread.

that is where you have to inspect the cable and make sure it is in safe working condition. rust, nicks, or bends in the cable scream replace me.
 



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i do not want to get in the middle of this but the chain breaking your winsheild and breaking your head are different things but they were very close that day..
 






Burns said:
that is where you have to inspect the cable and make sure it is in safe working condition. rust, nicks, or bends in the cable scream replace me.
That goes for synthetic ropes too - you have to inspect them and per say, they are more sensitive to UV rays, heat, and other factors. But when synthetic ropes break, they fall flat to the ground.

Synthetic ropes or wire cable, both have to be inspected. But given the choice between a synthetic rope breaking, or a wire cable breaking, I'll opt for the synthetic rope.
 






IZwack said:
In addition, safety is one of the main reasons why people swap in synthetic ropes instead of the standard wire cable that comes with most winches.
--------
I would have guessed that cable would be the strongest of them all.
See, even a "old mechanic can learn something new"! :D
 






old mechanic said:
--------
I would have guessed that cable would be the strongest of them all.
See, even a "old mechanic can learn something new"! :D
Yeah synthetic rope is the new thing for everyone - stronger than cable, lighter than cable, safer than cable, but is somewhat more delicate. Oh and one must switch over to a hawse fairlead (aluminum, delrin, etc...) from a roller fairlead. Tensile strength wise, depending on the material, they are about 5-8 times stronger than steel.
 






Burns said:
i think breaking a chain by jerking it and putting pressure on it are two diffrent things. when the chain broke it was like it was in slow motion. the person in the passengers seat went right and i went left and then it hit the hood and came up the window and stopped there.

Your right, slow motion so you had time to move...

Burns said:
it flew fast at my window and just beat it to heck.

and you were jerking the chain when it broke right?

Oh wait...

Burns said:
when that chain broke i was just spinning in the dirt not moving a inch.

Soo... you were putting pressure on it AND you had time to get back inside the vehicle when it "hit the hood and came up the window" and it still broke? Dosent that tell us chains arnt safe OR predicatable???


Dude.... comon. If I want bullcrap ill go to the farm.

I not tryin to pick on you just keep you safe, it would really be a shame to see you or anyone else get hurt because of a chain even though they knew better.
 






I am not trying to argue that a chain is better that a strap in saftey wise speaking. i would rather see a synthetic product break rather than metal. yea they are better in that reguard.
 






i was in my explorer when broke i never said i was outside the truck
 






Burns said:
that chain simply broke i have thought of y it would have broke and im really not sure i found the weak link in that chain.

That's exactly what you did. How do you know what force that chain is rated for? How do you know what kind of force was generated by your vehicle? A 3/4" alloy chain is good for 30,000 lbs, but 30 feet of 3/4 alloy chain is waaay too much to carry around in the bed of a truck (unless, of course, you're using it for traction in the snow). An equivalent-rated 30-ft snatch strap (Keeper makes a decent one) is rated to be able to absorb the shock forces. Chain is not, plain and simple.

Who's talking about shock loading a chain? Of course you can't just yank on a chain without taking the slack out.

You seriously expect me to believe that you never jerk the chain? You've NEVER had the chain go slack when pulling someone out, even for an instant, then had it snap taut again? I find that a little hard to believe. It only takes one time to permanently weaken a chain. Straps (and wire rope) are designed to give when the load is dynamic. They, too, still require periodic inspection for wear, but are far, FAR more forgiving in use.

As for the whole chain/rope/leather/kite string argument, sure, that's the history. However, technology has progressed in the last hundred years or so. Just because it was adequate in the 30s doesn't mean it's the best tool for the job now. I've got a screwdriver in my tool box from one of my journeyman dated 1942. I keep it just as a show-piece, but it's not the right tool for any screw nowadays. It's that 'Lemming mentality,' as I call it, that gets people into trouble. The guy I referenced earlier that lost his eye has been lifting and rigging dies longer than I've been alive. It doesn't mean that he should have done what he did the way he did it. Sure, modern steel chains are better than they ever have been. But, if they were still the best choice, why aren't we seeing leather straps being used on modern tow equipment? (OK, horse teams pulling plows at Greenfield Village notwithstanding...) Yes, while they may be adequate, they're not the best tool for the job given teh modern-day choices at our disposal.

I freely admit that chain has its uses as a recovery tool. However, as a direct link from a stuck vehicle to one being pulled out, it is a poor choice at best, given the numerous modern alternatives that are much less prone to failure. I mean, seriously....

Rope, unless it's seriously over-sized, is highly over-rated. It way more fragile than a properly engineered tow strap, and it method of connection to a stuck/tow vehicle is questionable at best. Rope is best left to tying boats to docks. (Although, it's technically called a 'line' then... there are no ropes on a boat)
 












sn0border88 said:
you said leaning out the window
the way i read ur comment it sounded like i was standing out of the Explorer my bad
 






Burns said:
i think breaking a chain by jerking it and putting pressure on it are two diffrent things. when the chain broke it was like it was in slow motion. the person in the passengers seat went right and i went left and then it hit the hood and came up the window and stopped there.

For the record, any reputable towing reference would have told you that, as with winch cables and straps, when pulling in reverse, you should:

1) Raise the hood to act as a shield should something break, and
2) Place a dead-weight on the tow link (cable or strap alike) to send the longer half into the ground.

A chain is no more likely to launch a projectile through the windshield than a strap is. However, a chain will generally do more damage when it does. A snatch strap can still launch a broken shackle through a windshield (if you don't use a dead-weight on it) but if it snaps in the middle somewhere, it's far, far less likely to do any major damage to the tow vehicle. (On a side note, I remember hearing about someone that got whipped by a broken strap... did some major damage IIRC, just can't seem to recall where the story was from though....)

-Joe
 






Raise the hood to act as a shield should something break.



Good idea i would have never thought of this.
 






Sidebar: Winch rope article in 4wd&SUV magazine:

http://www.4wdandsportutility.com/tech/02094wd_master_pull_winch_rope/

To give you an idea of its strength, 125 feet of 3/8-inch rope has a 17,500-pound rating. That's almost twice as strong as the highest-rated winches on the market today. Master-Pull even produces a latch-type, safety-closure hook rated at 17,600 pounds to work in conjunction with the winch rope, which allows you to do away the not-so-safe non-closable hook that came with your winch. The rope is UV-protected and is available in yellow, purple, and gray. The rope's lightweight construction enables it to float on water and will reduce the weight of your winch setup by as much as 25 pounds.

-Joe
 






that a good article. this is what i wanted this thread to be. inprovments!!! i use chains and i am goin to still. saftey is key and you could go out and buy a strap and be done but thats not me. i like the idea of putting a fire hose over the chain. i am looking into a synthetic rope for my winch only because of wight and they usually will not snag you.
 






Ahh, we have resorted to name calling. It isnt that I wish you would get hurt. I dont wish that kind of injury (this would be a severe one) on anyone. I just hope that you are the one that gets hurt when it breaks again instead of someone else. Its like how the drunk driver always is the one that doesnt get hurt in the accident. The poor guy who was on his way home from work is the one that ends up in the hospital. Well same thing. I hope the drunk is the guy that gets hurt as he is the one that took everyones safety and tossed it out the window.
 






im not trying to toss anyones safety out the window. chains can be safe but u have to make sure everything is right. yeah i have broke a chain before. i have learned a lot from doing so. it is not even like a drunk driver. drinking and driving puts everyones saftey out the window. dont go there with this. when you are pulling out anything everyone should be taking percautions. the accident i had could have been provented by working on getting the winch working. i didnt have electrial and it would have been a less expensive fix. this was my mistake of the night. the link that broke most likely would have shown some mark on the link if i would have takin the time to check everything before starting. thats the importance i have been talking about. its all about checking everything twice becasue it only takes a secone for anything to go wrong.

sorry about the names ill fix that
 






TheRookie said:
What disaster service are you director of? Just curious as I have been in different ES groups for years
The County Emergency Management Agency.
 









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