My buddy Skip and I decided to get away for the weekend and do some off roading. He had just got new tires on his truck and I had just installed a new winch on my truck. The two of us had always had a good time mudding or rock crawling but we often got stuck and without a winch, recovery can only come with the help of another truck. I knew that my new winch with its stainless steel wire rope and 13,000 pound capacity would come in handy.
When we got to our place we could tell it had rained recently because there were mud holes everywhere. But Skip and I love blasting trough the mud and have no problem with getting our trucks filthy in the pursuit of some off road fun. We were getting along pretty good with skip reporting on the CB that his tires were working great.
Not long after that report Skip found himself mired in a deep mudhole and could’nt get himself out. He radioed me for help and I bactracked and found him seemingly buried in the thickest, nastiest goop I’d ever seen.
So I backed up my big Chevy to near his bumper, grabbed a 20 foot wire rope and coupled our trucks together. After some struggle I managed to pull his truck free from the mud and we continued on our way. This time I let Skip take the lead and we headed for some very rugged yet less muddy terrain. The break strength of the galvanized wire rope I had on hand was 13 tons, and in a 6×37 class so I knew it was durable enough for almost any rescue! And with more flexibility than the 6×19 class, its moisture and corrosion resistant (perfect for the mud).
See, the independent wire rope core (IWRC) is heavy, about.46 lbs of weight/foot. That inner core provides added support to the outer strands. The extra support adds to the durability and strength of the entire wire rope assemblies.radio strap
Another way to approach the problem would have been to use a good recovery strap and anchor shackles, if I’d had them. Recovery straps are made of industrial grade polyester and resist abrasion. Many also feature Cordura around the eyes as further protection against abrasion around the wear points. Its advisable to keep a recovery strap on board that will fit what you’re most likely going to need to tow, but without being too large, as the stretch factor ratio of the polyester strap won’t be right and could result in further damage to either vehicle. Something for our next trip out!
Some people incorrectly use tow straps when attempting to snatch or recover a stuck vehicle. While the two may look similar, a tow strap is made of nylon which has a lower stretch factor. The stretch is really needed for the push-pull or “rocking” motion which helps stuck tires overcome inertia and get freed from the mud. I’ve even heard that tow straps will sometimes break when used that way, some even flying off to hit windshields or onlookers.
All set after our little mishap, Skip and I climbed some big boulder fields and enjoyed the scenery the countryside has to offer. I wanted to go to a spot that Skip and I have seen previously but were unable to access because off a very difficult section of trail. But with Skip’s new tires and my new winch, we felt confident we could make the crossing. It wasn’t long and I found myself hopelessly stuck and no way for Skip to help me with his truck. I guessed it was time to test that new winch. I found a sturdy tree about 30 yards off and ran the wire rope of the winch around the tree and hoped for the best. I couldn’t believe how well the winch worked.
We had a great day off roading, plus I was able to show Skip how to snach out a truck.