How do you pull a Mountaineer out the sand??? | Ford Explorer Forums

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How do you pull a Mountaineer out the sand???

mounty02

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February 19, 2010
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City, State
Oxnard,CA
Year, Model & Trim Level
2002 Mercury Mountaineer
Going to the dunes this weekend. Mountaineer is 2WD. No I know i have to air down, but there is a strong possibility that I'm gonna get stuck. Now where on the front end would I tie the tow strap? I dont see any hooks. will head out tommorow, any info is appreciated. Thank you.
 



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I would think to put the hooks in the holes cut into the crossmember? Not sure...
 






If you don't have tow hooks your going to need to hook to the Frame, BUT, thats more made for pulling down than pulling straight out. Its going to mess up the bumper since the frame is higher than the bumper..

Just dont grab the cross members or suspenion parts. bad mojo if you do that.

If you have a receiver hitch you can get a 2" mount with a d-ring in it so you can at least get safely pulled backwards.

~Mark
 






There ya go... I'm a pavement guy! :D
 






hire a nice helicopter to follow you around with a sky hook ,,

ha ha

just kidding, a section of chain wrapped around a frame piece, and a strap to that will be safe,,
 






Very Carefully
 






Joe are you going to silverlake?
 






You can tie the tow strap around the axel (that's what we do at Rausch Creek) and NEVER USE CHAIN. If it snaps it could destroy your front end and if anyone is near it, destroy them too. I've seen it happen. Good luck with a 4x2 in the sand ;)
 






What do you mean by "axle".

The only safe place is a solid point on the frame (receiver hitch counts).

I'm not saying I know everything but even a quick search on the 'net (I just wanted a 2nd opinion) immediately found 2 "how to use a recovery strap" articles and both specifically state don't connect it to the axle.

~Mark
 






Joe are you going to silverlake?

Nah, heading north this weekend to bring back a new daily driver...

Not too big on SilverLake anymore, used to go a fair bit a few years back, but kind of got bored with it I guess. Just my way I suppose... :)
 






What do you mean by "axle".

The only safe place is a solid point on the frame (receiver hitch counts).

I'm not saying I know everything but even a quick search on the 'net (I just wanted a 2nd opinion) immediately found 2 "how to use a recovery strap" articles and both specifically state don't connect it to the axle.

~Mark

Woah... no need for the anger, buddy. At one of the most popular off road parks in the country, the trail guide attached the tow strap to the axel of a truck stuck in the snow because there were no tow points on the front and it worked out perfectly fine. I've seen many people do it that way. But go ahead, don't listen to an experienced off roader. If I really wanted to show my opinion, I would say "screw that" to the guy for starting this thread because he's gonna get stuck as soon as he hits the sand with a 2wd suv.
 






I'm not sure where you got the anger from.. I didn't add :fire: or anything like that.

I do consider myself an experience wheeler and have wheel with those who are even more experienced..

I do agree, if you have no choice for tow points you do what you have to, taking the risks with it..

~Mark
 






But go ahead, don't listen to an experienced off roader.
Not to be too blunt about it - but I think Maniak has more experience off-roading than you and i.

BUt to get back on topic - there really is no good tow point. Those holes on the frame rails aren't really meant for pulling since they will elongate over time. They were more for tow trucks to hold down the vehicle when its on a flatbed. So of course they will work in a pinch, but just be careful
 






If you're running radial street tires, airing down isn't going to help much. Won't hurt, but I wouldn't bother dropping below 20 psi.

You don't want a tow strap, you want a recovery strap. Big difference. Recovery straps are much stronger, less likely to snap. Like mentioned above, never use a chain, when they break, they cause damage. Also, you don't want a recovery strap with metal hooks on the ends, again, if it breaks and that hook goes flying, it's gonna cause damage.

Sand can put a lot stress on the drivetrain and cooling system. Think about the difference walking through sand vs. walking on pavement, the same holds true with a vehicle. A spare bottle of water and coolant would be a good idea. For you, too. :D

A "D" ring or hook mounted to the frame are the best tow points. Axles really aren't great tow spots, but better than rapping around a bumper if those are your choices. I've seen and done it myself on many occasions. No hard yanks, though, ease into it.

Have fun!
 






I'm not sure where you got the anger from.. I didn't add :fire: or anything like that.

I do consider myself an experience wheeler and have wheel with those who are even more experienced..

I do agree, if you have no choice for tow points you do what you have to, taking the risks with it..

~Mark
Sorry, I read your post once and I took it wrong. And I am an experienced wheeler. I don't wheel the Explorer much, but I do wheel an S10 ZR2 and Wrangler Unlimited. When I do go wheeling, I go with very experienced to very little experienced people. I agre with the other guy who said dont use a tow strap with hooks, the hooks can break. But use the strap with the loops on the end and you can basically harness anything when you stick one end throguh the other. Sorry, Maniak for the inconvenience. Guess I had too much sun today
 












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