Recovery/Pulling-Out Other Vehicles - 4WD??

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Hello All! Again!
I understand how the 4Runner 4WD system works (4WD, 4WD Center Diff Lock, 4WD Low, Rear Diff Lock). However, I have a question as far as what setting works best to pull other vehicles out of mud and/or snow?? Earlier, I pulled my girlfriends car out of some semi-deep snow. I thought 4WD-Lo with Diff Lock Engaged would be best chance to get traction. It didn't really seem to help anymore than 4WD-Hi (without diff lock). Basically, both settings spun tires... I have had this same issue in the past pulling other trucks out of mud.
I know some of this is due to being icy (so all 3 powered tires were probably slipping). I know tires play a role in this too (I am waiting for some General Grabber AT2 to arrive, maybe they will work a little better).

Overall, is there a more "ideal" setting I should use to pull people out of mud and/or snow? I always like the idea of 4WD-Lo with Diff Locked, but it's almost like it's getting me stuck just as much as using 4WD. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all!!
 
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Depends on the situation. I've pulled people out on 2Hi and I've gotten stuck pulling people out in 4Lo. If you're spinning your tires in both situations, then gearing won't help you get traction. That's purely a tire issue and better tires might net you some better traction.

You only need to pop it into 4Lo when your car can't pull it out because of its angle or weight and isn't moving. 4Lo will give you that extra torque that you need to pull it out. And locking the diff will actually get you a bit more traction if one of your tires is spinning.
 
i can vouch for general grabbers at2. work great and they have pleasantly suprised me plenty of times. made my 2wd twice as capable so hopefully thats the case for you to
 
marcel said:
i can vouch for general grabbers at2. work great and they have pleasantly suprised me plenty of times. made my 2wd twice as capable so hopefully thats the case for you to
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That is good to hear. I have been hearing a little mixed reviews on these. A couple people have said they are crap in the winter. I think, someday, I might have a set of winter tires along with a summer set. That way I have a little more ideal setup for both seasons.
 
Try not to recover anyone in reverse, because of the way the gears are cut they are about 30% weaker in reverse. Also your shift bands in the transmission are weakest in reverse.

Just a friendly tip!
 
rebelbowtie said:
Try not to recover anyone in reverse, because of the way the gears are cut they are about 30% weaker in reverse. Also your shift bands in the transmission are weakest in reverse.

Just a friendly tip!
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Just wondering, does this still apply for manual transmissions?
 
madbomber08 said:
Just wondering, does this still apply for manual transmissions?
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Yes. The gears in the diffs are what have the distinct forward and reverse gear teeth faces, so it doesn't mater what transmission you have. It applies to pretty much every vehicle too, everyone uses forward biased gears in differentials because they are so much stronger in the primary direction.
 
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Low range = high torque. It's great if you're trying to recover somebody and your tires have traction but they aren't budging. It's not so good in the slick stuff though, it's actually MORE likely to make you spin out.

The best thing for snow recoveries is an elastic snatch strap and a little momentum.
 
KidVermicious said:
Low range = high torque. It's great if you're trying to recover somebody and your tires have traction but they aren't budging. It's not so good in the slick stuff though, it's actually MORE likely to make you spin out.

The best thing for snow recoveries is an elastic snatch strap and a little momentum.
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More wheel spin = more traction in mud most of the time. since it clears out your tread blocks.
 
KidVermicious said:
Low range = high torque. It's great if you're trying to recover somebody and your tires have traction but they aren't budging. It's not so good in the slick stuff though, it's actually MORE likely to make you spin out.

The best thing for snow recoveries is an elastic snatch strap and a little momentum.
Click to expand...

How much is a good one of those? I've never seen them when I look at recovery gear online. Maybe I'm just not looking in the right places.
 
[email protected] said:
Hello All! Again!
I understand how the 4Runner 4WD system works (4WD, 4WD Center Diff Lock, 4WD Low, Rear Diff Lock). However, I have a question as far as what setting works best to pull other vehicles out of mud and/or snow?? Earlier, I pulled my girlfriends car out of some semi-deep snow. I thought 4WD-Lo with Diff Lock Engaged would be best chance to get traction. It didn't really seem to help anymore than 4WD-Hi (without diff lock). Basically, both settings spun tires... I have had this same issue in the past pulling other trucks out of mud.
I know some of this is due to being icy (so all 3 powered tires were probably slipping). I know tires play a role in this too (I am waiting for some General Grabber AT2 to arrive, maybe they will work a little better).

Overall, is there a more "ideal" setting I should use to pull people out of mud and/or snow? I always like the idea of 4WD-Lo with Diff Locked, but it's almost like it's getting me stuck just as much as using 4WD. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks all!!
Click to expand...

Tires make a difference, as does hi/lo, locked, etc.

But a lot is going to depend on just how stuck the other guy is, and if you can position your truck to get some decent traction. If you can't get a little traction yourself, it's going to be an uphill battle trying to get him out.
 
fourwd1 said:
Tires make a difference, as does hi/lo, locked, etc.

But a lot is going to depend on just how stuck the other guy is, and if you can position your truck to get some decent traction. If you can't get a little traction yourself, it's going to be an uphill battle trying to get him out.
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X2

Really it's comes down to available traction and how much force will be required to extricate the stuck vehicle. (What is he stuck in or on, what's the stuck truck weigh, is he pointed uphill, flat, or downhill?)

After a good recovery assessment then you can choose whether you're going to use static or dynamic recovery. If your equipment isn't rated for dynamic recovery then your limited to static in which case you're relying on the traction available to you. (This is where a good tire helps) If you have a KERR rope you can use some momentum to snatch the other vehicle out. (Using momentum takes up the "slack" of weak tires and/or light recovery vehicle.

Either way use 4LO - it provides the torque needed and is more predictable. (You have a 4x4 so you might as well take advantage of it!)

We teach all kinds of recovery from straps, k-rope, and winches to HiLift jacks. The great majority of our recovery is through the use of a simple tow or snatch!

If you find yourself spinning and your gear is safe for dynamic recovery then get a little slack in your strap or rope and get a little momentum! Don't count your tires out yet!
 
Thank you everyone for all of the advice and input! There was a lot of great, helpful stuff said so far! Putting chains on would be the fix for winter-time, but sometimes I use that as a last resort since it;s a little time consuming.
I have a recovery strap, so I know those are designed to give a little jerk to assist in the recovery. I will try to text this out in the next month or so. Thank you for all of the input so far!
 
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