What tow rope for vehicle recovery?

[LoadhandlerUK]

Just checked over our 'winter kit' carried in both vehicles. One tow rope seems to have suffered more than I'm comfortable with so will replace.

 

What and wherefrom? Online preferable. Not KERR.

 

To recover passenger vehicles, 4x4 and light trucks only - not HGV

 

Thanks

[treequip]

When you say recovery are you thinking dragging a dead vehicle on a hard surface or recovery as in axle deep in mud?

[LoadhandlerUK]

Good point, sorry.

 

Getting a vehicle that is generally 'off-road' back on to a surface. Mud or snow but not 'bogged in' axle deep

[Billy]

Chain are the best value for money for this sort of thing, unless you know people with farms boat yards etc with big bits of rope with spliced eyes you could acquire...which is what i have. real built for prurpose snatch strops and such like are crazy money! Old school large diameter stuff wins it for me, strong and cheap.

[stuartc44]

These are cheap:

 

Blackspur 12ft Wire Tow Rope only £16.28 with FREE Delivery*

 

Not so sure about the strong part though, I know some people who have been issued very similar ropes to this with no thimbles in the eyes and no indication of strength on the hooks etc. Don't think I would use one.

 

I was told static ropes such as dyneema were the safest as in the event of breakage they just fall to the ground because there is no stretch in them, not cheap though.

[niftysteve]

i would use a lifting strop with a couple of shackles strop much lighter to carry than chain would all fit in a small kit bag

somthing like one of these

Land rover 4m 14 tonne Recovery Strop , Lifting Strop | eBay

 

with a couple of these

SWL 4.75 tons Galvanised Tested Bow Shackles | eBay

 

i recovered a 7.5 ton lorry up to its axle with a similar strap hooked on the mog

[treequip]

Eye to eye straps stow better than ropes and strength wise are plenty good enough.

 

For ropes where there is a good chance of ripping them over rocks and suchlike I prefer a chunk of Pollyprop. Plenty strong enough and cheap enough to be sacrificed when needs must. Doesn’t stow all that well though.

[mpb]

You need a 24mm Nylon Rope. They are rated at 12 tonne braking strain, and because it's nylon they have a bit of a streach factor so it smooths the towing out a little.

 

The longest rope you can have for towing on the road is 4.5mtrs.

 

It's also worth having a bridle rope so you can spread the load between the towing points. For this I use a 2 mtr endless sling.

 

Martin

[farmer rod]

You need a 24mm Nylon Rope. They are rated at 12 tonne braking strain, and because it's nylon they have a bit of a streach factor so it smooths the towing out a little.

 

The longest rope you can have for towing on the road is 4.5mtrs.

 

It's also worth having a bridle rope so you can spread the load between the towing points. For this I use a 2 mtr endless sling.

 

Martin

 

Having been once to a 4x4 event, where they seem to get stuck on purpose, they all have approved tow ropes which stretch, but when they fail they do it gradually so there is no energy in the rope to injure people. The standard proceedure seems to be to have some slack in the rope, stuck vehicle spins its wheels then the towing vehicle sets off briskly.

[treequip]

Having been once to a 4x4 event, where they seem to get stuck on purpose, they all have approved tow ropes which stretch, but when they fail they do it gradually so there is no energy in the rope to injure people. The standard proceedure seems to be to have some slack in the rope, stuck vehicle spins its wheels then the towing vehicle sets off briskly.

 

That’s called snatch towing, it relies on building kinetic energy in the rope. If done properly it’s a good technique but if it goes wrong people can die. I once saw a towing point ripped off a car and thrown through the rear window of the towing vehicle.