Winch recovery kit

I love the look of these and the how alternative kit gets developed on the back of new kit (synthetic ropes) but have reservations about their use in mud, rock, gravel or any other potentially damaging terrain.

DCPU said:

I love the look of these and the how alternative kit gets developed on the back of new kit (synthetic ropes) but have reservations about their use in mud, rock, gravel or any other potentially damaging terrain.

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@DCPU I don't think you understand winches or winching.
Or at best I haven't seen you post anything that indicates that you do.

Do you have a winch ?
Have you ever used a winch (to pull yourself/someone else/something out of somewhere/something) ?

Can you explain your 'reservations' about using dyneema or HMPE rope ?
FYi: Synthetic rope has been around for years, first introduced to the off-road market in the mid 90's so not really 'new kit'.

Davman said:

View attachment 7822918
Nice kit - which includes free rope spool.
Arrived one day after ordering.

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Davman,
Does the side of this Alloy Winch Shackle that you bought that rests on the fairlead have a rubber coating or strips so that it's not meatl to metal contact?

The free rope spool is used where ?

grenadierboy said:

Davman,
Does the side of this Alloy Winch Shackle that you bought that rests on the fairlead have a rubber coating or strips so that it's not meatl to metal contact?

The free rope spool is used where ?

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Yes, I have the same. It does have a rubber backing between the back and the fairlead. The spool just goes over the pin to increase the radius for the rope eye where it attaches to the shackle.

grenadierboy said:

Davman,
Does the side of this Alloy Winch Shackle that you bought that rests on the fairlead have a rubber coating or strips so that it's not meatl to metal contact?

The free rope spool is used where ?

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Rubber Strips.
Saberoffroad said that they would have no problems leaving the shackle on, and winding the free spool into the winch.
In their opinion also, they feel that the splice was no different to what they have seen before on other winches.
Take that as you wish I suppose.

AnD3rew said:

Yes, I have the same. It does have a rubber backing between the back and the fairlead. The spool just goes over the pin to increase the radius for the rope eye where it attaches to the shackle.

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Great.

I think I will buy this product.

grenadierboy said:

Great.

I think I will buy this product.

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Just remember to quote GRENADIER when ordering for the free rope spool.

Davman said:

Rubber Strips.
Saberoffroad said that they would have no problems leaving the shackle on, and winding the free spool into the winch.
In their opinion also, they feel that the splice was no different to what they have seen before on other winches.
Take that as you wish I suppose.

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OK.

I need to have a better method of attching the spliced end of the winch rope than how I received it last week - dangling around the freespool lever.

However, if I leave the Saber winch shackle on and pulled in against the fairlead, then potentially someone could come along, pull it off and steal it.

grenadierboy said:

OK.

I need to have a better method of attching the spliced end of the winch rope than how I received it last week - dangling around the freespool lever.

However, if I leave the Saber winch shackle on and pulled in against the fairlead, then potentially someone could come along, pull it off and steal it.

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Anything is possible but they will either need a pair of circlip pliers or to cut the rope.

AnD3rew said:

Anything is possible but they will either need a pair of circlip pliers or to cut the rope.

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Many young bogans carry knives...
Trust nobody!

Tazzieman said:

Many young bogans carry knives...
Trust nobody!

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I certainly did back when I was a young punk

AnD3rew said:

I certainly did back when I was a young punk

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I also went on fishing trips in my 'hood

Is anyone using (has previously used) Factor 55 recovery products and care to share their view as to their quality, especially for the price.

I need to build-up a kit of recovery tools, (ditch the crappy old ropes, steel shackles etc. that I have had for years (much given to me from my father) and start freash. The various bundled Factor 55 and Sabre kits look good.

A few weeks ago I wanted to play with the Grenadier but my Mrs wanted me on a gardening job - removing a small diseased cherry tree.

I had a think for a minute and decided that we could both have what we wanted - so it was time to load the Grenadier up with some of my tried and tested kit and take it out for a job in the garden - I thought the Grenadier would double up as a means of transporting the kit and also a winch anchor for the task:


I hit a snag with the front loops; and I think it's something Robert Pepper pointed out in one of his videos. The way the loops are with the bash plate means my goto shackles will not pass through - the ears are too big:


And the size that does fit are a little on the small size for the Grenadier:


If Ineos had thought about this, a small semi-circle of metal taken out of the bash plate would allow the desired size of shackle to fit (a project to add to the list):


Shackles fit fine at the rear:

So pull was set up:


And the offending tree put on notice:


Not trusting the car wash mode, the engine was left running, gearbox in neutral and the pull started.

Only the tree moved a little and the Grenadier moved much more. The handbrake was not holding, and accompanied with a low groaning noise the discs were slipping through the pads and the wheels rotating. I was expecting the wheels not to rotate and if anything the vehicle to be dragged across the relatively loose tarmac. So there's another job that needs looking at...

A few chocks later and we were ready to go again to a successful conclusion:


Not exactly the hardest duty my winch has seen, but in practicing with it in a tame environment I've picked up two things that need addressing - the front shackle clearance and the handbrake.

DCPU said:

So pull was set up:
View attachment 7826445View attachment 7826446View attachment 7826447View attachment 7826448

And the offending tree put on notice:
View attachment 7826449

Not trusting the car wash mode, the engine was left running, gearbox in neutral and the pull started.

Only the tree moved a little and the Grenadier moved much more. The handbrake was not holding, and accompanied with a low groaning noise the discs were slipping through the pads and the wheels rotating. I was expecting the wheels not to rotate and if anything the vehicle to be dragged across the relatively loose tarmac. So there's another job that needs looking at...

A few chocks later and we were ready to go again to a successful conclusion:
View attachment 7826453

Not exactly the hardest duty my winch has seen, but in practicing with it in a tame environment I've picked up two things that need addressing - the front shackle clearance and the handbrake.

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Nice but you were being lazy by not chopping around the tree base with a mattock first

Back to the original thread;

The Ineos optioned recovery kit is fairly competitively priced and is intended for use with the winch provided on the Grenadier.
A couple of add ons would be recommended, particularly as the fitted winch only has 12m of usable line.
So I’d firstly be sourcing an extension line (contact Red Winch as they can provide the correct size line as well as matching soft shackles etc.

If you’re serious about recovery, then I’d suggest steering away from snatch straps as they have a limited lifespan and lose their elasticity after a number of uses.

There’s a couple of US and Australian UT channels that have been realistically testing and using recovery ropes, which do the same thing as a snatch strap, but last considerably longer; much much longer.
However, all good things come at a price, and a good (branded) recovery rope won’t be cheap; so if it’s unlikely to get much use, then opt for the cheaper straps, but if regular recovery in all conditions is your thing, then I’d definitely consider investing in a recovery rope instead.

Next I’d source a universal adapter to fit your 2” receiver on your tow pack.
And yes, you’ll need to remove your ball hitch in order to access the receiver.
Make sure it’s intended for the correct line size or bow/soft shackle that you have.

As recent coverage of a fatality in the US shows, you should never use your ball hitch to recover a vehicle using the snatch method. If you have no options, then at least raise the stuck vehicle’s bonnet to act as a first line of defence from a ballistic tow ball.

I’m not sure what the correct term is, but most experienced recoverists (new word) drape heavy canvas covers over the recovery lines to keep the line down in the event of a catastrophic failure. Something like that would be a good addition.

And lastly, the best add on to a recovery kit, in my opinion, is good communication skills. It doesn’t matter how good your kit is, it ain’t worth shit if the others involved in the recovery don’t understand what to do or how to do it. Their lives are more important than the vehicle being recovered.
So I guess a good set of radios would be needed under the “good communications” tag.

The list can be as long as your arm; it’s down to how much you’re going to realistically use it, or if it’s mainly being acquired as a form of insurance (ie you’re hopefully never going to use it in anger, but maybe a bit, to get familiar with how to use it (safely))

Barney said:

Ich habe es mit meiner eigentlichen Ausrüstung ausprobiert. Ich habe im Moment keine Winde. Grand Cherokee.View attachment 7800216

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I hope and pray you never perform a dynamic/snatch recovery off your tow ball.
Your tow ball is designed for towing. Nothing more.

Gaston the Grenadier said:

I hope and pray you never perform a dynamic/snatch recovery off your tow ball.
Your tow ball is designed for towing. Nothing more.

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Yes, never, ever, do that.

DCPU said:

A few weeks ago I wanted to play with the Grenadier but my Mrs wanted me on a gardening job - removing a small diseased cherry tree.

I had a think for a minute and decided that we could both have what we wanted - so it was time to load the Grenadier up with some of my tried and tested kit and take it out for a job in the garden - I thought the Grenadier would double up as a means of transporting the kit and also a winch anchor for the task:
View attachment 7826435

I hit a snag with the front loops; and I think it's something Robert Pepper pointed out in one of his videos. The way the loops are with the bash plate means my goto shackles will not pass through - the ears are too big:
View attachment 7826436

And the size that does fit are a little on the small size for the Grenadier:
View attachment 7826437

If Ineos had thought about this, a small semi-circle of metal taken out of the bash plate would allow the desired size of shackle to fit (a project to add to the list):
View attachment 7826438

Shackles fit fine at the rear:
View attachment 7826443

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I managed to use an appropriately rated bow shackle on the front loops by putting the pin through the loop as you have done in your last photo.