Question about pulling.

[99limited]

Ok so winter is just about here. Now i have tow hooks in the front, and the tow package on the back. If i need to pull somone out of a snowbank or something. Should i use my tow hooks and throw it in reverse and pull the other car that way. Or hook em up to my tow package and throw it in drive and pull like that?

[B.P.O.D]

i would say tow with the hitch but let others chime in as well

[Escape]

Hitch is the strongest...

Depends on situation though how you go about pulling them out...Just becareful what you hook to on their vehicle as you can rip their vehicle apart if you hook to the wrong thing!

[Chaoul1]

HITCH!!!!! What do you have and I6 or V8?

[Marlin]

Ok, this is VERY important!

NEVER EVER throw a strap over the actual tow ball ok. They break suprisingly easily and become a 2 pound lethal projectile.
Whenever I need to pull something out that stuck hard, I always try to use my hitch. Remove the hitch tongue that has the ball attached to it, and locate the strap using the pin and P clip. That is by far the safest and strongest method.

So, remove the tongue and ball;
http://www.hyundaiaccessorystore.com/media/santafe-towhitch.jpg

Here's the pin;
http://image.dieselpowermag.com/f/tech/15654205+w200/0902dp_06_z+diesel_tow_truck+hitch_pins.jpg

Put the eye of the strap through this pin;
http://www.brenorbrophy.com/HG/4Runner/sm_front_tow_hitch.jpg (http://www.brenorbrophy.com/HG/4Runner/front_tow_hitch.JPG)

NEVER put a strap over a hitch ball like this;
http://images.autoanything.com/images/products/med/hitch_accessories/valley_trailer_balls.jpg

[hemi.jon]

never pull in reverse i saw alot of drive shafts rip off from people doing that..the ball can be ok, but its best not to do that...you could get a hitch with no ball, and use a d-ring to attach to it. by running a pin through the ball's hole.

[Marlin]

Just for interest, I've seen with my own two eyes a ball snap and go through the windshield, through the truck, and out the back window. Very scary!

what john said is right, you can use a large shackle through the tongue without a ball in it, but I personally always keep my balls on my tongue. lol

[Marlin]

On a side note, do you guys prefer normal non-stretch straps or snatch-straps for recovery?
In Australia we all use snatch straps, where on most US youtube vids I see the septics use normal non-stretching straps mostly.

Snatch strap demo;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5BJpYqfjRo

[hemi.jon]

i only ever had snatch straps, my ARB one lasted for forever. then when it finally gave on an almost impossible pull, i got a procomp. snatching is awesome, if you know how to do it right.

[Marlin]

Indeed it is! I once had a suzuki sierra (little jeep-alike thing, i think you call them samurai?) SO bogged it needed 4 straps and a 15 tonne 4wd tractor to snatch it out. the tractor wheel-standed! it was unbelievable, I thought I'd lost the little suzuki for a while there. LOL

[hemi.jon]

thats awesome... we used to do all kinds of dumb things in the mud..i miss it..lol

[Marlin]

that was actually in sand on Fraser Island, the surf had undermined the beach and just swallowed the thing, right up over the door sills.
It was my girlfriend's car, she shat! lol

[B.P.O.D]

great advise benny about the ball!!!!

[hemi.jon]

that was actually in sand on Fraser Island, the surf had undermined the beach and just swallowed the thing, right up over the door sills.
It was my girlfriend's car, she shat! lol


i loved my wrangler, and with the 35x13.50 tires, the last time i was up to my door sills i was floating across a mud hole..had to use my tires like a slow paddle boat.



sorry for hijacking..lol

[jeepnjeep]

Great advice, Benny. I have done just as Benny has suggected many times. As noted, you have to be very careul what you hook onto on the other vehicle. Be sure it's part of the frame or attached FIRMLY to the frame. No sway bars or anything like that.