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Anyone fitting an UltraHook to their winch?

I've asked this before: if the length of the rope is limited by space, what happens if I use the winch and have to pull at an angle (to the side)? then the rope winds up on one side and the winch is blocked after a short time because the rope is squeezing?
 
Ideally, change the fleet angle with a pulley/snatchblock; or if that's not possible, then stop, secure the vehicle, re-rig the recovery and go again.
 
Here is a good demo, what a winch blankets does..

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPba-34ARZY


Not a bad idea to have one, apparently..
That is the perfect scenario for a winch blanket as plasma rope has virtually no weight and very little stretch, but if a factor 55 or a UltraHook or a snatch block was involved in the breakage it would still be catastrophic, and the bit we didn't see in the filming was how hard the snatch block etc flew in the other direction. If a snatch strap or kinetic rope breaks a winch blanket is something els to take your head off.
I have broken several snatch straps with no shackles involved I always use bridles to attach to 2 recovery points on each vehicle, this saves diamond damage to the vehicles, ( one chassis rail being lengthened with all the recovery force on 1 chassis rail ) and less chance of anything breaking, I cringe when I see YouTube influencers using only 1 of their 2 front recovery points for a major recovery.
When I have broken those snatch straps with and without blankets, the size of the dents I put in my land rovers, patrols and land cruisers seem to be the same, and that is only the weight of the strap.
These recoveries have usually been on beaches with incoming tides.
I saw a very informative USA test of breaking snatch straps using a D9 or equivalent a few years ago with and without blankets, if I can find it I will post it.
 
That is the perfect scenario for a winch blanket as plasma rope has virtually no weight and very little stretch, but if a factor 55 or a UltraHook or a snatch block was involved in the breakage it would still be catastrophic, and the bit we didn't see in the filming was how hard the snatch block etc flew in the other direction. If a snatch strap or kinetic rope breaks a winch blanket is something els to take your head off.
I have broken several snatch straps with no shackles involved I always use bridles to attach to 2 recovery points on each vehicle, this saves diamond damage to the vehicles, ( one chassis rail being lengthened with all the recovery force on 1 chassis rail ) and less chance of anything breaking, I cringe when I see YouTube influencers using only 1 of their 2 front recovery points for a major recovery.
When I have broken those snatch straps with and without blankets, the size of the dents I put in my land rovers, patrols and land cruisers seem to be the same, and that is only the weight of the strap.
These recoveries have usually been on beaches with incoming tides.
I saw a very informative USA test of breaking snatch straps using a D9 or equivalent a few years ago with and without blankets, if I can find it I will post it.
Sounds sketchy, for sure. What brand of strap are you seeing these failures occur with?

Might be worth emphasising that I’d use a double line or burton rig as a default, so the ‘factor55’ as you say is tucked under the vehicle being recovered, even if it lets go it would be arrested by the block/ring as well as by the damper.

Personal view is that a lot of these failures result from a single line pull being chosen instead of taking the time/knowing how to setup a double.

None of which applies obviously in a kinetic recovery…
 
I've asked this before: if the length of the rope is limited by space, what happens if I use the winch and have to pull at an angle (to the side)? then the rope winds up on one side and the winch is blocked after a short time because the rope is squeezing?

That's exactly what happens...you´ll damage your winch cable if you then carry on, i.e. secure the vehicle/s and start over..
 
Sounds sketchy, for sure. What brand of strap are you seeing these failures occur with?

Might be worth emphasising that I’d use a double line or burton rig as a default, so the ‘factor55’ as you say is tucked under the vehicle being recovered, even if it lets go it would be arrested by the block/ring as well as by the damper.

Personal view is that a lot of these failures result from a single line pull being chosen instead of taking the time/knowing how to setup a double.

None of which applies obviously in a kinetic recovery…
First snatch strap I broke was a warn brand one in 1979 trying desperately to save a couple of year old L/C at the Murray Mouth South Australia we eventually got it out the next day with a PTO winch and a lot of cable from an elevated position, the tide had come in and did a fair bit of salt water damage. We cleaned it up with a lot of fresh water towed it back to Adelaide and got it going after pulling the starter motor and alternator apart changing the clutch, rebuilding the carburettor and brakes all oils etc putting it in a spray booth under heat lamps for 3 days, after that it was as good as new.
The next one was a Big Tow Tugum Strap on Fraser Island in 1980, the next one after that was an ARB at the Coorong South Australia after several uses but by then I always had a couple of snatch straps onboard. The breakages usually happened in extreme circumstances, they rarely happen now that I am a bit older but probably no wiser.
The last one I broke was about 5 years ago.
I would never use or buy anything like a Factor 55 or a UltraHook as I have said before you could use the money to buy something that is actually useful like several soft shackles.
 
First snatch strap I broke was a warn brand one in 1979 trying desperately to save a couple of year old L/C at the Murray Mouth South Australia we eventually got it out the next day with a PTO winch and a lot of cable from an elevated position, the tide had come in and did a fair bit of salt water damage. We cleaned it up with a lot of fresh water towed it back to Adelaide and got it going after pulling the starter motor and alternator apart changing the clutch, rebuilding the carburettor and brakes all oils etc putting it in a spray booth under heat lamps for 3 days, after that it was as good as new.
The next one was a Big Tow Tugum Strap on Fraser Island in 1980, the next one after that was an ARB at the Coorong South Australia after several uses but by then I always had a couple of snatch straps onboard. The breakages usually happened in extreme circumstances, they rarely happen now that I am a bit older but probably no wiser.
The last one I broke was about 5 years ago.
I would never use or buy anything like a Factor 55 or a UltraHook as I have said before you could use the money to buy something that is actually useful like several soft shackles.
Yeah, understandable. Thanks for those details, I did carry an ARB but I’ve never used it in anger - the DS has staunchly refused to get stuck.

Next expedition is all soft shackles/alloy winch rings, I’m curious to see how this compares to the somewhat heavier systems I grew up with.
 
Yeah, understandable. Thanks for those details, I did carry an ARB but I’ve never used it in anger - the DS has staunchly refused to get stuck.

Next expedition is all soft shackles/alloy winch rings, I’m curious to see how this compares to the somewhat heavier systems I grew up with.
I have used an alloy winch ring on the SA / VIC Border Track towing my Nephews modified Mitsubishi Delica up a couple of dunes, they seem to work very well, all the old heavy gear is in a box in the corner of my shed with the old steel snatch block, Turfer hand winch and chains etc probably never to be used again.
It felt considerably safer using soft shackles and the alloy winch ring, and far easer to operate and handle as they seem about a 20th of the weight.
 
Yeah, understandable. Thanks for those details, I did carry an ARB but I’ve never used it in anger - the DS has staunchly refused to get stuck.

Next expedition is all soft shackles/alloy winch rings, I’m curious to see how this compares to the somewhat heavier systems I grew up with.
Yep, I have shifted to the newer lighter kinetic ropes instead of snatch straps, but will still avoid if at all possible, now have soft shackles, alloy rings dyneema winch rope, maxtrax and a solid long handle shovel. Order of usage/desperation goes 1. shovel and track building 2. Add maxtrax to 1, 3. Straight winch, 4 double line winch pull with a winch ring. Kinetic rope snatch comes only after 1& 2 and only if winching isn’t practical or available.
 
Yep, I have shifted to the newer lighter kinetic ropes instead of snatch straps, but will still avoid if at all possible, now have soft shackles, alloy rings dyneema winch rope, maxtrax and a solid long handle shovel. Order of usage/desperation goes 1. shovel and track building 2. Add maxtrax to 1, 3. Straight winch, 4 double line winch pull with a winch ring. Kinetic rope snatch comes only after 1& 2 and only if winching isn’t practical or available.
Makes a lot of sense. I’m a believer in using the high lift jack early and often, as a preferred alternative to digging. That said, I forked out on one of those hydraulic ARB Jacks so I need to realise the business case for it.
 
Makes a lot of sense. I’m a believer in using the high lift jack early and often, as a preferred alternative to digging. That said, I forked out on one of those hydraulic ARB Jacks so I need to realise the business case for it.
I‘d read that you can only store those ARB hydraulic jacks upright, lest they leak. Any truth to that?
 
Buster Keaton Youre Welcome GIF by Maudit
 
I use these on my winches. Fail safe, dependable and you can paint it.


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