Recovery Gear Options

[CharlestonFisher]

1 - no name tow hitch receiver with 3/4" D-Ring shackle (they're all made in China, AFAIK)

Cancel that Chinese pot metal and get yourself the real deal Factor 55 Hitchlink, CNC machined 6000 series aluminum, made in the USA.

http://factor55.com/product/hitchlink/

http://www.amazon.com/Factor55-HitchLink-For-inch-Receivers/dp/B00KAHNAIC

What I didn't find was a short bridle harness that I've seen in videos to connect both front recovery loops with a V-shaped line to the snatch strap or rigging line. I looked at short chains and short kinetic ropes but they were all over $50 so I will keep looking. I'd like to be able to use both recovery points for difficult pulls.

This is the one I use, handmade by Steve Springs at Southeastern Overland:
http://www.southeastoverland.com/in...ct_id=200&virtuemart_category_id=71&Itemid=33

No point in bending your frame...

I got down under the truck and took a good look at the recovery loops under the 4Runner today. They're actually quite stout and well anchored. The single rear anchor loop depends on two large bolts and a smallish fillet weld point. There's threaded holes on the right side for another matching loop but guess what's there right below the frame. The exhaust pipe. That's another reason to turn the exhaust out to the side behind the rear wheel. If you can buy that part from Toyota then you'll have two recovery points besides the hitch.

Is this what you're talking about?

Totally worthless in my opinion. You'll damage your bumper depending on the angle of the pull.

 

[wfo9]

Here is what I carry in my 5th gen when fully geared up.
- Hilift
- WS power puller
- 25ft winch line extension
- 1 tow strap
- 1 snatch strap
- 1 Tree saver
- 1 soft shackle
- 3 D shackles
- 2 snatch blocks
- 2 Maxtrax
- 1 wood base 2x12x2'
- 1 jackstand with integrated bottle jack

I realized I forgot to list a few important things I typically carry.
- ratchet strap
- Folding saw
- onboard air
- shovel

I wanted to bring up the folding saw because it has saved my truck from body damage several times. It's not uncommon for the truck to crab around when trying to get over some difficult or really slick obstacle. Sometimes that will put you into the side of a tree/brush where there is no way to move forward or reverse without significant body contact (due to being off camber), and the saw comes in real handy to keep your windows and body intact. Additionally, I've been on a very slick side hill with only one way out and using the saw to cut brush to lay down for traction saved the day. Don't go cutting new trails... but things need to be cut back from time to time on many trails and if you give a crap about the body of your truck you will encounter those situations frequently.


Also, on the ratchet strap... if you have long travel. A strong one will come in real handy to attach to the axle and frame before trying to hilift for a tire change. Never tired it on IFS (and usually not require since there is so little down travel).

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Cancel that Chinese pot metal and get yourself the real deal Factor 55 Hitchlink, CNC machined 6000 series aluminum, made in the USA.

HitchLink 2.0 | Winch Safety Thimble | Factor 55

Robot Check

This is the one I use, handmade by Steve Springs at Southeastern Overland:
Soft Shackles, Tube Savers & Load Equalizing Bridles : 3/8" Southeast Overland Load Equalizing Bridle | Southeast Overland

No point in bending your frame...




Is this what you're talking about?

Totally worthless in my opinion. You'll damage your bumper depending on the angle of the pull.

I can see you have a Limited like mine because of the yellow spare wheel. The 14 up SR5 and Trail do not have the plastic bumper cover that hangs down as far as ours. It makes the tow hooks much more useful.

 

[CharlestonFisher]

I can see you have a Limited like mine because of the yellow spare wheel. The 14 up SR5 and Trail do not have the plastic bumper cover that hangs down as far as ours. It makes the tow hooks much more useful.

I googled that pic. I don't have a limited.

 

[Jetboy]

Cancel that Chinese pot metal and get yourself the real deal Factor 55 Hitchlink, CNC machined 6000 series aluminum, made in the USA.

If you want to make these safer - drill another hitch pin hole so they sit in the correct orientation for best strength. 99% of shackle mounts are 90* out of alignment with how they should be oriented.

 

[CharlestonFisher]

If you want to make these safer - drill another hitch pin hole so they sit in the correct orientation for best strength. 99% of shackle mounts are 90* out of alignment with how they should be oriented.

Regardless of the orientation of the shackle at rest, when under load its in-line, right? What am I missing?

 

[DesertCanyons]

Good ideas for recovery

Cancel that Chinese pot metal and get yourself the real deal Factor 55 Hitchlink, CNC machined 6000 series aluminum, made in the USA.
...
HitchLink 2.0 | Winch Safety Thimble | Factor 55

Robot Check
...
This is the one I use, handmade by Steve Springs at Southeastern Overland:
...
No point in bending your frame...

Is this what you're talking about?
...
Totally worthless in my opinion. You'll damage your bumper depending on the angle of the pull.

Thanks,
That Factor 55 Aluminum hitch link is over twice the price I paid ($30) but it weighs 1/3 the weight of the steel ingot They typically sell. That 6 pounds of steel really made me hesitate to buy one. I may need to cancel that part of my order, if I still can, and get the Factor 55.

The bridle or short line from Southeast Overland looks perfect. I'll check it out.

I think the snatch block in your pic' weighs as much or more than a D-Ring and poses the same hazards as one if the rigging breaks anywhere. It can fly like a rock from a catapult, causing damage or injury. I'll look at using a soft shackle or two ropes that will slide paste each other for connecting to a snatch strap.

Yes, as another poster said, the Trail addition doesn't have that low hanging body flare. It's pretty clear behind the loop. The plastic bumper is nearly flush with the steel frame. I need to buy a 2nd one from Toyota and move the tailpipe to the side.

 

[DesertCanyons]

I realized I forgot to list a few important things I typically carry.
- ratchet strap
- Folding saw
- onboard air
- shovel

I wanted to bring up the folding saw because it has saved my truck from body damage several times. ...

Yes, all of that and a bag of chips.

Your lists are good. I tried to cover most of that. I always carry a shovel. It's the first tool to use in soft sand. I wish I had my limb saw with me last year driving down a wash in Joshua Tree NP. I had to scrape through 10 or so smoke trees that grew over the road. I had to keep moving in the deep soft sand. I have a short limb saw and a bow saw that are easy to carry and use on bush or branches. And no, let's not go carving new trails. Try to stay on the established road.

Thanks again @wfo9

 

[DesertCanyons]

D-rings used at an angle

If you want to make these safer - drill another hitch pin hole so they sit in the correct orientation for best strength. 99% of shackle mounts are 90* out of alignment with how they should be oriented.

This is a good reason to have 2 recovery points on the frame and use that bridle or short rope section that CharlestonFisher showed us above. Pull from two points and try to use a sliding snatch block to equalize the load to each point. The D-rings will rotate around the OEM loops on the T4R.

 

[Dalko43]

Yea, I hadn't heard of soft shackles until I started doing a lot of searches.

The D-ring becomes a projectile if anything else in the rigging line fails. If you use it between two straps, a very simple example, and one of the two straps fails, it goes flying as the other strap recoils. All the videos on how to rig say not to use a D-ring out in the rigging line. It can be used on the car or on a tree saver.

Never heard of them either until now.

 

[CharlestonFisher]

. I think the snatch block in your pic' weighs as much or more than a D-Ring and poses the same hazards as one if the rigging breaks anywhere. It can fly like a rock from a catapult, causing damage or injury. I'll look at using a soft shackle or two ropes that will slide paste each other for connecting to a snatch strap.

The photo is from the Southeastern Overland website. I can only guess what the photo is trying to demonstrate, but I am certain it's not a dynamic recovery.

Dynamic recovery = kinetic rope / snatch strap.

Static recovery = winch, pulley blocks, winch extensions, tree savers, etc.

 

[wfo9]

Regardless of the orientation of the shackle at rest, when under load its in-line, right? What am I missing?

I think He is talking about the hitchlink being oriented only for a vertical pivot of the shackle. By drilling another hole you could orient it to pivot horizontally and align the load better in some scenarios.

 

[CharlestonFisher]

I think He is talking about the hitchlink being oriented only for a vertical pivot of the shackle. By drilling another hole you could orient it to pivot horizontally and align the load better in some scenarios.

Right, but what difference does the orientation of the shackle make? All recoveries should be as straight as possible or risk becoming a YouTube sensation...

I'd be more worried about destroying the integrity of the Hitchlink.

 

[e60ral]

So how is this for a starting loadout:

Soft Shackles (2)
Bubba Rope - Gator-Jaw Soft Shackle | 4WheelParts.com

Kinetic Rope (1)
Amazon.com: KINETIC RECOVERY ROPE (Snatch Rope) MILITARY-GRADE (BLACK) - 1 inch X 30 ft with Heavy-Duty Carry Bag (4X4 VEHICLE RECOVERY): Home Improvement

Strap (1)
Robot Check

Receiver Hitch (1)
Robot Check



Edit: it looks like I need to find a stronger hitch shackle so the strap fails first. Are that strap and rope overkill?

 

[03_4x4Runner]

Not every stuck requires a major tug to get out. Most times just a little assistance is needed. If you are getting stuck like in some u tube videos you are probably going to tear up the 4runner anyways. A little common sense goes a long ways from getting into the bad situation to getting unstuck from it. Back in the 70 or whenever my friend had a fullsize lifted Chevy pickup truck. This was when the snatch straps first became popular. There was an older guy that slide of the road into the ditch in a snow storm. My friend was anxious to try his new snatch strap. He hooked up to the guy and left plenty of slack in the rope. He floored the throttle and jerked the guy out so hard the guy slid across the road and went into the ditch on the other side of the road. From what I have read if you charge a guy to pull him out and damage his vehicle you are responsible for the damage. If you do it for free then you are not liable for damage. I guess this would happen more in snow country with people sliding off the road and not off road trails .

 

[jmf_tracy]

you can get the same recovery rope from Shrockworks for $120 (see my earlier post for link).
I like the mean mother receiver hitch with shackle better. It has another hole through it so you can index it 90 degrees. you would want to index if you were pulling from the side or 45°.

So how is this for a starting loadout:

Soft Shackles (2)
Bubba Rope - Gator-Jaw Soft Shackle | 4WheelParts.com

Kinetic Rope (1)
Amazon.com: KINETIC RECOVERY ROPE (Snatch Rope) MILITARY-GRADE (BLACK) - 1 inch X 30 ft with Heavy-Duty Carry Bag (4X4 VEHICLE RECOVERY): Home Improvement

Strap (1)
Robot Check

Receiver Hitch (1)
Robot Check



Edit: it looks like I need to find a stronger hitch shackle so the strap fails first. Are that strap and rope overkill?

 

[DesertCanyons]

So how is this for a starting loadout:

Soft Shackles (2)
Bubba Rope - Gator-Jaw Soft Shackle | 4WheelParts.com

Kinetic Rope (1)
Amazon.com: KINETIC RECOVERY ROPE (Snatch Rope) MILITARY-GRADE (BLACK) - 1 inch X 30 ft with Heavy-Duty Carry Bag (4X4 VEHICLE RECOVERY): Home Improvement

Strap (1)
Robot Check

Receiver Hitch (1)
Robot Check

Edit: it looks like I need to find a stronger hitch shackle so the strap fails first. Are that strap and rope overkill?

No, you don't need anything that strong. I doubt if you can apply 30,000 lbs to anything by pulling sideways with your 4Runner or anyone's heavy vehicle. Maybe with a 20 ton Abrams tank! The coefficient of friction reduces the static weight of any vehicle pulling horizontally to about 0.3 to 0.4 times the vehicle weight, or less than 40%. Pulling your vehicle up a vertical wall would require a vehicle that's 2&1/2 times the weight of your car. And that's still less than 30,000 lbs.

Besides, you can't find a D-ring shackle rated to 30,000 lbs. If you could, it wouldn't fit through your recovery loops or the hole on any block you'll find on a steel bumper. It would be pretty heavy too. Most 3/4" D-ring shackles are rated around 4.5 tons, or 9000 lbs.

Consider using two shackles on two recovery points with a bridle, as posted on the previous page. Also try using two soft shackles together because the 7/16" rope seems to be good for 30,000 pounds each.

 

[wfo9]

Right, but what difference does the orientation of the shackle make? All recoveries should be as straight as possible or risk becoming a YouTube sensation...

I'd be more worried about destroying the integrity of the Hitchlink.

There 2.5 version comes that way... Not sure why not on the 2" version.

It's nice when they can be straight, but it's not always possible.

 

[Jetboy]

Regardless of the orientation of the shackle at rest, when under load its in-line, right? What am I missing?

If you're pulling to the side it's not inline with the shackle's strongest orientation in a common shackle mount. It's rare that you pull up or down by more than a few degrees off center. Its a lot more common to pull sideways. Often directly sideways. Most shackles are way stronger than you'd ever be able to break no matter what orientation though. And they'd probably work the threads loose if they lived in a vertical orientation. I wouldn't worry much about it either way.


Like this:

I never do anything but this though:

 

[DesertCanyons]

2 rear recovery points

If you're pulling to the side it's not inline with the shackle's strongest orientation in a common shackle mount. It's rare that you pull up or down by more than a few degrees off center. Its a lot more common to pull sideways. Often directly sideways. Most shackles are way stronger than you'd ever be able to break no matter what orientation though. And they'd probably work the threads loose if they lived in a vertical orientation. I wouldn't worry much about it either way.

Like this:
...

I never do anything but this though:

Thanks [MENTION=118321]Jetboy[/MENTION],

A friend of mine pulls with his hitch and a pin this way.

I'm going to work on getting a 2nd recovery point just like the one that's there already on the left corner of the frame, installed in the back where the threaded holes already exist. I'll see if I can get the part from Toyota and then have the tailpipe moved to behind the wheel. It may all cost less than one of these hitch blocks. Then using a bridle and snatch block I'll have an equalized pull from two corners of the frame.