Is this a safe snatch-recovery point (pics)?
- Thread starter jjdbike
- Start date
Thanks for the reply.
How did you get the soft shackle through the hitch pin hole in receiver? Or did you put the hitch pin through the soft shackle... Although that wouldn't seem to make much sense.
Black FL4Runner felt that using the rear factory tie would damage the rear bumper because of how tucked under it is. I fear they may be correct.
JD
Okay.
Are you saying that you can silde a soft shackle through the hole for the shackle on the slide in shackle holder/recovery point? I didn;t think it would fit through the hole.
Thanks.
JD
JohnTheLuck
Member
Any suggestion for a receiver hitch recovery point without sharp edges? Most of them seems to be designed to work with D-ring where this issue is not relevant.
I was first leaning to the Factor 55 HitchLink, but has sharp edges.
I was first leaning to the Factor 55 HitchLink, but has sharp edges.
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STX4Runner
New member
I believe he's saying to do this.
Just forget about all this, spend about $50 and get one of these.
nb rob
New member
Hi JD.
I actually don't have the shackle receiver... I have something rather useless that I keep in as a tailgating deterrant. If I did have a shackle receiver, I'd probably use it. I have no conspiracy theories against shackles or anything like that-- just using what I have. Friends on the trail have taught me that I don't need a shackle receiver, so I make due with the pin.
Otherwise, my useless loop pops right out, snatch strap eye pops right in. Takes only a moment.
Attachments
Bootleg
New member
In my 4x4 101 class they specifically recommended against using a snatch strap and a receiver pin through the receiver as an attachment method. Bending or shearing the pin being the main reasons sited.
My opinion is this. Why would you risk it to save a little money or space? I spent the $115 and got a good Factor 55 HitchLink and Van Beest shackle because of the quality and reputation. It's not worth it to me to have a chunk of metal flying through the air with thousands of PSI in tension just because I wanted to save a little cash or space. That's how people get seriously hurt during recoveries. That's also how shit gets broken which will cost a lot more in the end. It's not worth the risk and I honestly don't want people on the trail with me who think it is.
My opinion is this. Why would you risk it to save a little money or space? I spent the $115 and got a good Factor 55 HitchLink and Van Beest shackle because of the quality and reputation. It's not worth it to me to have a chunk of metal flying through the air with thousands of PSI in tension just because I wanted to save a little cash or space. That's how people get seriously hurt during recoveries. That's also how shit gets broken which will cost a lot more in the end. It's not worth the risk and I honestly don't want people on the trail with me who think it is.
1engineer
Moderator
Rob, the reason you DON'T do what you are showing in the pic is simply strength. When you loop a strap around the pin you have a load concentration on that pin. With a pintle hook like you have or a shackle then the pin is evenly loaded and is much much stronger and won't bend or break. Sure, chances are you won't develop the kinds of force it takes to bend or shear that pin doing a simple recovery but, well shit happens man.
Thanks 1engineer, bootleg & nb rob.
All informative and interesting info and some voices of knowledge & here.
I suppose it may be worth bringing up the discussion, does one need to spend $115.00 to get a strong quality slide in receiver recover point (shackle & bracket)? ASR Offroad has a combo for $60. Aren't they a pretty reputable brand? Are there other strong, dependable brands / models?
Thanks again everyone.
JD
All informative and interesting info and some voices of knowledge & here.
I suppose it may be worth bringing up the discussion, does one need to spend $115.00 to get a strong quality slide in receiver recover point (shackle & bracket)? ASR Offroad has a combo for $60. Aren't they a pretty reputable brand? Are there other strong, dependable brands / models?
Thanks again everyone.
JD
STX4Runner
New member
You don't need to spend anywhere near that much. For a 4Runner just about any receiver shackle will be fine. Even a Chinese made Smittybilt. A 4Runner doesn't weigh a lot and you shouldn't be putting massive shock loads on components during recoveries anyway if you're doing it right. If you have to get a huge running start to try and pull someone out of whatever predicament they're in you need to slow down, think first and probably get a shovel out. If you're really worried about it get an ARB one for about $40 to $50.
Jetboy
New member
I think the problem is that it's a never ending cycle of looking for safety at any cost. I think I can pretty easily make the argument that a winch is safer than a strap practically 100% of the time, winches are reasonably priced, so we should all just use winches. It would only be partially toung in cheek. I don't ever use a strap. Haven't unrolled mine in probably 10 years for any purpose other than a tree saver or to rig some type of snatch block contraption. So I could make the same argument that I don't want people on the trail who don't have a winch because they are a liability.
(Also FWIW Factor 55 hitch shackles are drilled the wrong way - the shackle would be in a vertical orientation if it were designed by an engineer to optimize strength. In a side pull it maybe weaker than a strap through the hitch pin by a significant margin. Depending on the shackle used, I actually do think it may be possible to tear out the eyelet in the Factor 55 type shackle stinger. I don't really have time to calculate it right now and they just say 6000 series aluminum, which doesn't really mean much unless we know more about heat treating. What you can see is that it's necked down to about 1" in width where the shackle mounts and the bending load from a side pull of even 10,000lbs could very well tear that out. Your 4x4 101 probably wasn't run by rigging experts if they didn't know this.)
(not directed at the quoted post above)
I think if we take a step back and actually consider what we're doing, a hitch pin is more than adequate. The question is this: is a 5/8" hardened steel shaft in double shear in a 2" square tube strong enough to safely pull a 4-6,000lb vehicle? In my opinion, the answer is yes. It should be far stronger than any strap you can fit in a 2" receiver tube. In fact i'd bet you could literally rip the frame in half before the pin would fail. A shackle stinger is for convenience, not safety.
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This is the best advice in this whole thread. This business of getting running starts with what is basically a bungee cord just scares the b'jesus out of me. I used to watch people tear up all kinds of things on the farm trying to get unstuck when a little common sense, some digging (I know, it's unglamorous hard work), some road building, and some patience would solve the problem with no drama or danger to equipment or personnel.
Stored energy suddenly released in an uncontrolled manner is what injures people. Stored energy is proportional to the square of the stretch in your towing strap. I prefer to use towing straps/cables/chains that don't stretch, and apply the load to them gently. If you do that, you'll never break a shackle or a recovery point while towing a 4runner with another 4runner.
TJM is a reputable brand and they make a nice recovery point for about half that. One of the nice things about it is that it is drilled in both planes so you can orient the shackle pivot either vertically or horizontally depending on the angle of the pull as per [MENTION=118321]Jetboy[/MENTION]'s post above.
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