Winching Operator Protection

[Billhook]

 

This video concentrates the mind somewhat.  Amazing forces involved even with supposedly safer nylon rope instead of wire

The Dozer driver ducked each time, I think I would want the cage above doing these experiments

[Billhook]

This is a comment from a bloke who watched the video above and relates a bit more to the forces involved with the D7 and an inch diameter steel cable

 

Back in the 80's I was in the airborne infantry and a few of us were offered a chance to cross train in vehicle recovery. It was a three week class and I learned a lot about recovering every type of vehicle you can imagine, and in every type of situation you can imagine. The one thing that stuck out that I will NEVER forget, was seeing the damage done to an M88 tank retriever when it's main winch line broke. The main winch is a 70 TON single line pull, and I believe the cable was 1.5 inches and I think there was 300 or maybe 400 feet of it. When the line snapped, it came right back and hit the M88 head on like a punch, and it knocked a hole RIGHT THROUGH SEVERAL INCHES OF STEEL BULK HEAD. You could see where it actually melted the steel as it forced its way through. No one was hurt, but it scared the crap out of every man there. The instructor said this is what happens when you don't do the math when figuring mire factors, block and tackle friction factors, knowing real vehicle weight, and enough pulling power to winch every sick whore in the world off her piss pot at the same time. Seeing that made me even nervous to pull too hard on my boot laces when tying them up. When we winch now, my pucker factor is always so tight you couldn't pound a pin up my ass with a jackhammer. I really know what can happen and it's scary. Whether or not these tests are real world, the damage a broke wire rope will do, is real world. Keep up the great work.

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Edited November 29, 2019 by Billhook