Snatch Recovery - Explained

[MUX STX]

I was more thinking of a safety air bag, you know the ones inside that deploy during a heavy impact.

 

[80lover96gxl]

I was more thinking of a safety air bag, you know the ones inside that deploy during a heavy impact.

Aahhh gotcha,,sorry mate,,my trucks old and doesn't have them.

 

[Triton87]

I'm looking at getting a recovery kit with the snatch straps and tree protectors a few other things thrown in. With the snap straps is it better to go with the heavier rating or close to the rating of your car? Just thinking if I get the heavier straps they won't stretch as much and not sure if that's good or bad any thoughts?

 

[80lover96gxl]

I'm looking at getting a recovery kit with the snatch straps and tree protectors a few other things thrown in. With the snap straps is it better to go with the heavier rating or close to the rating of your car? Just thinking if I get the heavier straps they won't stretch as much and not sure if that's good or bad any thoughts?

The 8000kg gear would be more than suitable for requirements, any heavier and yes your right, you will have little to no stretch in your snatch straps causing a much harsher recovery on yours and potentially the recovery vehicle.

8000kg winch extension straps and tree trunk protectors will be fine also for your triton.

 

[Triton87]

The 8000kg gear would be more than suitable for requirements, any heavier and yes your right, you will have little to no stretch in your snatch straps causing a much harsher recovery on yours and potentially the recovery vehicle.

8000kg winch extension straps and tree trunk protectors will be fine also for your triton.

Ok thanks for the information!

 

[80lover96gxl]

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1534175123274197&id=130459520312438
Take note newbies.

 

[Hoyks]

Wrong
A Snatch strap should never be fitted using the pin from the hitch receiver to attach it. This will lead to the pin bending and not being able to remove, ( have actually witnessed this ) a better option is to remove tow ball from tow ball receiver and use a rated D shacke to attach to the tow ball receiver where the ball would normally bolt through

Probably a bit late just a reminder, DONT EVER DO THIS. ^ ^ ^
A bloke in Tasmania tried it and died. The hitch looked solid, but the hitch had insufficient weld penetration and was rusted on the inside. End result was a L shaped lump of steel and a shackle going through his head.
http://www.magistratescourt.tas.gov...ings/s/stein,_joshua_phillip_-_2010_tascd_418

• The rectangular hollow section (RHS) part of the ball coupling tongue body was excessively corroded on internal surfaces and was in an unsafe condition for use.
  
  
• The tongue plate has been joined to the RHS hitch by an external fillet weld around all four sides. It was evident water had accumulated at the closed end and caused corrosion. The extent of corrosion was consistent with what would be expected from sea water. Wall thickness had been reduced by corrosion from 4mm to 2.mm along the top of the RHS, 2mm along the sides and 1 mm along the bottom. Average loss of wall thickness would have been greater than 50 percent. On a pro rata basis gross trailer mass of 1.5 tonne would have been more than halved.
  
  
• The towbar as marked on the identification plate is a genuine Toyota accessory.
  
  
• The ball coupling that failed is regarded as being non-genuine. The design is vulnerable to corrosion and fatigue. There is some indication of poor quality welding. The internal services of the RHS appear to have had no protective coating.

The snatch strap was examined by Mr Philip Sievers from Rope N Chain Company. Mr Sievers found:

• The strap itself shows fair wear and tear. When they are in this condition they may last another twenty uses or may break the next time they are used.
  
  
• The shackle used with the strap is a 4.75 tonne SWL and has a safety factor built in at 5 – 1. Therefore, the shackle would be stronger than the strap used which is good as the strap should always break first.

Tasmania Police conducted an investigation into the circumstances of Mr Stein’s death. That investigation found that:

• The snatch strap was attached to the tow ball on Mr Radford’s vehicle. Snatch strap user’s guidelines and current accredited 4WD training courses all advise that the snatch strap should never be attached to the towing ball in this type of recovery operation.

I'd rather the mild inconvenience of using a hammer to tap the pin out than 1/2 kg of rusty steel to the face at 150m/s.

Snatch straps are a great invention, but the users are generally the weak link. If I'm bogged I'll use a snatch strap with someone I trust to pull me out. I won't with some random that offers to help because it isn't until everything is hooked up and they are burying their foot in the firewall that you find they don't really have much idea.
You might get this bellend offering to help

 

[james george]

Check your recovery point bolts after a recovery as well. Good idea to put a medium strength lock tight on them as well when installing.Grade 8 fine thread bolts or better.

 

[Keith B]

I went on a Getabout 4WD training course last week and they presented a very interesting approach to recoveries in the form of a Recovery Heirarchy, based on safety rather than speed.
Their point was that a snatch recovery is the most dangerous, with five deaths in the past five years, and should be the last resort. Here is the graphic which they presented:
Recovery Heirarchy
Keith

 

[Swaggie]

I won't with some random that offers to help because it isn't until everything is hooked up and they are burying their foot in the firewall that you find they don't really have much idea.

I’ve mentioned this in the past, people have it in there heads that a snatch will only work flat out, just winch even if it’s off another vesicle if in sand, you have the control then, Al they have to do is put there foot on the brake. If that doesn’t work tie the vehicle off if possible.

 

[Hoyks]

I went out to help some young blokes on the weekend get a Patrol with a fried clutch off the beach, what a circus.

We ended up with 3 vehicles hooked up in a daisy chain to tow the broken patrol the 2km to the exit, but with red P plates everywhere there was no way I wasn't going to be the lead vehicle and not have some control over the situation.

All was going well until we turned onto the exit track that ran over a dune, only to find a Prado bogged near the top and the whole train ground to a halt. The Hilux started making expensive clutch smells and the towing Patrol's fuel warning light was on, so my BT50 got to be the hero of the day.
With 6psi in the tyres it walked over the dune, turned around and winched the broken Patrol the full 100m over the dune.
2 x 25m winch extension straps and 3 snatch straps (with plenty of dampers) and the Carbon 12K didn't miss a beat and hardly got hot, despite only really getting a rest to re-set the straps.

It only took about 5 1/2 hrs from when I pulled up to when I packed up at midnight and drove home.

Important safety tip, when working with a group of people, check your gear is stowed before heading off... I drove home 60km with a snatch strap dragging behind the ute because I thought someone else had taken it off

 

[Perth Pioneer]

I went out to help some young blokes on the weekend get a Patrol with a fried clutch off the beach, what a circus.

We ended up with 3 vehicles hooked up in a daisy chain to tow the broken patrol the 2km to the exit, but with red P plates everywhere there was no way I wasn't going to be the lead vehicle and not have some control over the situation.

All was going well until we turned onto the exit track that ran over a dune, only to find a Prado bogged near the top and the whole train ground to a halt. The Hilux started making expensive clutch smells and the towing Patrol's fuel warning light was on, so my BT50 got to be the hero of the day.
With 6psi in the tyres it walked over the dune, turned around and winched the broken Patrol the full 100m over the dune.
2 x 25m winch extension straps and 3 snatch straps (with plenty of dampers) and the Carbon 12K didn't miss a beat and hardly got hot, despite only really getting a rest to re-set the straps.

It only took about 5 1/2 hrs from when I pulled up to when I packed up at midnight and drove home.

Important safety tip, when working with a group of people, check your gear is stowed before heading off... I drove home 60km with a snatch strap dragging behind the ute because I thought someone else had taken it off

Nice work mate. Often the most important thing to do in these situations is stop and have a think to reassess.
The last time I recovered somebody was an FJ we came across in the Lancelin sand dunes. He was in a bad position and had no recovery gear. My 1st thought was to snatch him out but as I had to take off going up a soft hill looking at the position I felt I would end up bogged as soon as I took the load. After a bit of a stop and think I reversed up the hill and winched him out.
I think the biggest issue in these situations is people getting full of adrenalin and rushing into it, even more so in your situation when youthful exuberance plays a big part.

 

[cam04]

I went out to help some young blokes on the weekend get a Patrol with a fried clutch off the beach, what a circus.

We ended up with 3 vehicles hooked up in a daisy chain to tow the broken patrol the 2km to the exit, but with red P plates everywhere there was no way I wasn't going to be the lead vehicle and not have some control over the situation.

All was going well until we turned onto the exit track that ran over a dune, only to find a Prado bogged near the top and the whole train ground to a halt. The Hilux started making expensive clutch smells and the towing Patrol's fuel warning light was on, so my BT50 got to be the hero of the day.
With 6psi in the tyres it walked over the dune, turned around and winched the broken Patrol the full 100m over the dune.
2 x 25m winch extension straps and 3 snatch straps (with plenty of dampers) and the Carbon 12K didn't miss a beat and hardly got hot, despite only really getting a rest to re-set the straps.

It only took about 5 1/2 hrs from when I pulled up to when I packed up at midnight and drove home.

Important safety tip, when working with a group of people, check your gear is stowed before heading off... I drove home 60km with a snatch strap dragging behind the ute because I thought someone else had taken it off

We have various trailers we use for work, and there is always a 'team' around getting ready and knocking off. After years of couplings jumping off, light plugs dragging, doors being left open, jockey wheels being left down - you name it - It is on the driver, no matter how much he trusts the bloke in the passenger seat, to do a lap before he drives off. Incidents have decreased somewhat these days but it took a while to train us all (us means me included who had a trailer hanging on the safety chains at a set of lights and had no chance of lifting it back on - when 2 of the biggest islander blokes in a tiny ute pull up next to me. If it wasn't for them I'd still be there haha). At 120 kg I don't get called 'little fella' very often but I was glad to that day.

 

[Hoyks]

The initial youthful enthusiasm got them about 20m. That was about 7pm the day before I headed out.

He said it was around 28 hrs from when his clutch failed to when he got off the beach. Then his next mission was getting back to Sydney.

The real learning outcome was buy a GOOD tyre gauge, he assured me he was running 10psi, but my gauge read 25, same for the kid in the HiLux that was struggling and starting to make hot clutch smells. I could easily drive everywhere they claimed was too difficult and a good gauge is a lot cheaper than a new clutch.

 

[Perth Pioneer]

The initial youthful enthusiasm got them about 20m. That was about 7pm the day before I headed out.

He said it was around 28 hrs from when his clutch failed to when he got off the beach. Then his next mission was getting back to Sydney.

The real learning outcome was buy a GOOD tyre gauge, he assured me he was running 10psi, but my gauge read 25, same for the kid in the HiLux that was struggling and starting to make hot clutch smells. I could easily drive everywhere they claimed was too difficult and a good gauge is a lot cheaper than a new clutch.

100% agree with you on the tyre gauge. I keep a quality 0 - 30 psi gauge in the car as well as the standard gauge

 

[mikehzz]

This guy knows what he's doing, the snatch is gentle as. I've driven sand in every state, and those beaches along the south coast are in a class of their own as far as tough is concerned. A steep and soft similar beach caught me out near Robe as well.

 

[Petunia]

This guy knows what he's doing, the snatch is gentle as. I've driven sand in every state, and those beaches along the south coast are in a class of their own as far as tough is concerned. A steep and soft similar beach caught me out near Robe as well.

Eye bolts

M20 eye bolts at best be 1.6ton, ''a bit rusty, or not'' and no manufacturer will rate them nor recommend them as a recovery point, I had to watch it again to see the bridle tied to the bar. I was flabbergasted the first watching that a guy who knows what he is doing would even in the slightest suggest ''that's what these are for?"

 

[williamwill009]

Thank you for the info, guys!