Originally Posted by teotwaki

"Soft shackles" are not bad but are often billed as a new wondertool that solves every problem of hooking up to vehicles lacking engineered recovery points



From one web site:

"Soft Shackles will help make any vehicle recovery easier. Forget about trying to find a solution to connect a steel shackle to a vehicle without recovery points. Soft Shackles wrap around anything such as recovery points, roll bars, axles and bumpers. They are made from lightweight, heavy-duty SK75 Synthetic rope with a breaking strength of 16,000 lbs- 89,000 lbs. so you can be sure that they will not break even in the toughest recovery situations. They can be used with recovery ropes, tow ropes, winch ropes or whatever recovery tools you have and are perfect for use with hooks and Safety Thimbles.

Soft Shackles replace Anchor Shackles and D-Ring shackles in just about every application!"

It is really a matter of knowing when to use a steel shackle or a soft shackle. Soft shackles need careful inspection for nicks, cuts, fraying or other damage. My concern is that one could become unfastened without sufficient tension.

I am guessing that ARB wants to limit pulls to a forward direction and feel a soft shackle might introduce or allow some angle of pull.