The Story…

We were heading out of the Quarry on the green trail in the area with good size ruts where stock jeeps always get stuck on their diffs.  Well the guy in front of me had a stocker and got hung up on his diffs.  I told him you got to give it hell here when your stock or you need to straddle the ruts. He wanted to give it a try so we decided to pull him back for another go at it.He said he had a strap so I get back in my Jeep and he hooks us up. I noticed it was a Tow strap with metal hooks but the strap was quite large as well as the hooks.   I figured it was only a little pull with little force involved and it would be OK, what a dangerous mistake that turned out to be.

I started to slowly backup and tighten the strap, then gave it a little gas in 4LOW, in only a second or so I hear a load crack, literally time slowed down and I saw the strap and D-ring coming at my Jeep like it was shot out of a cannon.   Thankfully it crashes into the front of my Jeep and not 1.5 feet higher or it would have come through the windshield and hit Elizabeth in the passenger seat and it would have either maimed or killed her.    

The strap didn't fail but the poor weld on the shackle mount did and it was ripped from the bumper.  The mount was not sufficiently welded to the bumper.  IMHO all welded shackle mounts should be welded to both the front and rear face of the bumper and it is important that is done by a professional or someone that really knows how to weld.

I now have my own rule that I won't be recovering anyone unless I can inspect their recovery points and equipment.  I also should have told the Driver of the stuck vehicle that using a Tow strap with metal hooks is a big no-no.   Tow straps are for towing someone, recovery straps are very different and I should have insisted on using my strap(30k lb recovery) for the operation.   His D-rings were also quite small and underrated for the task.   A jeep should really be equipped with D-rings that are rated for 4 tons or higher WLL(Working Load Limit).   Or a secure tow hook that is rated at 4tons or better and is attached with properly sized Grade 8 hardware.

It's both parties responsibility to ensure that it was a safe recovery, I don't think the Driver knew any better so it became my responsibility to ensure it was a safe recovery.  I did know better but was being lazy and figured it was a very easy pull.  BIG MISTAKE that could have cost Elizabeth her life.I won't be making that mistake again!    

To be honest I am more disappointed in myself than mad at the new offroader that I was trying to get unstuck.

It is too easy in this sport to get caught up in the fun and forget how dangerous even the most simple recovery is.  We all need to be more careful and religiously inspect our recovery gear and replace or discard the stuff that in worn or underrated for the job.

It's not fun to spend money on recovery gear because it gets used less than cool tires and lockers, but it is often overlooked as one of the most important tools we should have in our rigs.   

If you are unsure if your recovery gear is up to the task please ask a more knowledgeable member.   If your recovery strap or winch lines is worn replace it or refuse to use it until it is replaced.   Our vehicles and accessories are all replaceable but our lives are not.

Recoveries always have the possibility to be lethal if not treated with respect. I hope this serves as a warning to everyone and allows us all to keep enjoying this sport for many years to come.

Doug

Sorry for the font size – I have tried to fix it but I can't maybe an Admin can fix it.