Post by neil on Mar 13, 2013 18:41:13 GMT -5
[glow=Orange,2,300]Straps[/glow]
Straps work awesome when it comes to all kinds of things.
Their strength is absolutely amazing when considering their weight and size.
Their uses are inumerable.
I first want to talk about caring for your straps, then evaluating their condition. Then I will go into the use of straps, and the no-no's of strap use.
[glow=red,2,300]care of straps[/glow]
Straps take some special care if they are going to last long enough to pay for themselves.
1st. Keep the straps/ ropes concealed in a bag, box, or whatever you choose, as long as they are kept out of direct sunlight. UV rays eat these things for lunch. I know they say they have UV protectant, but trust me......it doesn't work for long.
2nd. Keep the straps/ ropes dry. I know they say mildew resistant.......did you catch that....RESISTANT. Mildew has virtually the same effects as the UV rays. It breaks down the fibers of the strap or rope, and when you go to use it the next time,it may just tare apart like that old favorite t-shirt.
3rd. Keep your straps clean. Mud and dirt work into the fibers and will wear away at the fibers also. After a good mud dunking recovery, clean that strap ASAP. Hose it out with mild soap and warm water until clean and hang it up in a dry place and allow it to air/drip dry. Don't sun dry it either . After it's all done drying out, wrap it up and place it in your favorite storage spot until the next time you need it.
[glow=red,2,300]evaluating condition[/glow]
What you want to look for are.......
Abrasions,
Torn stitching in the seams,
Last but not least.... Sun faded spots,dry rot, and or mildew stains. Any of the above is reason enough to cut up and throw away that strap.
All it takes is one time of being in the wrong place at the wrong time of a strap letting loose, and you will have wished you had thrown it away.
[glow=red,2,300]Strap Use[/glow]
Now for the fun part! Using your strap for a recovery.
First off.......Straps have a WLL (working Load Limit) just like all other rigging equipment.
Before using a paticular strap, verify the WLL rating of that strap. Next, verify the condition. When all of these things are verified, make sure that all the components(ie. shackles and attachment points are all rated to a minimum of the heaviest vehicle in the recovery. I personally like some good safety factor in there.
Where a shackle made specifically for strap use comes in handy, is for basketing the strap to a tow point. It allows the strap to lay flat in the shackle. This ensures that the strength of the strap is maintaned. The WLL will be reduced by a strap that doesn't lay flat.
NOTE: Basketing a strap nearly doubles the WLL of that strap.
Let's say you are going to pull a stuck vehicle out.....
There's two type of straps that can be used. There's a snatch strap which will stretch a percentage of it's resting lenght(up to 30%) and will then recoil providing a more intense yank on the stuck vehicle.
Then there's a tow strap which should be used as stated.....a tow strap.
[glow=red,2,300]snatch strap info[/glow]
A snatch strap needs time to rebound back to it's resting length, so after a good pull, you should let it rest. The strap will acctually generate some heat and loose it's effectiveness if not allowed to rest. This will also pre-maturely wear out the snatch strap.
Straps are important to use, in that they greatly reduce the shock load over using a chain or cable.
The more a Snatch strap is used, the less effective it becomes. I'm not sure if they give you a measurement at resting that may indicate the end of it's life span, but a safe assumption would be a 5-10% increase in resting length.
[glow=red,2,300]Tow Strap information[/glow]
If your using a tow strap, it best to not jerk on it like a snatch strap. It doesn't have that type of forgiveness built in. A steady pull to help a stuck vehicle would be the correct method, or using it as an acctual TOW strap for getting a disabled vehicle from point A to B.
It won't have the harsh snap of a chain or cable for those times you can't keep tension between the two vehicles.
Stay away from buying or using straps with hooks built in. A hook is not as strong as a Shackle,and the size of the hooks doesn't allow you to hook to a strong enough tow point anyhow. If you have them,use them for trailer anchors, that's really what they were designed for.
Try not to drag a strap over a rough surface while under load. You will destroy the strap in no time at all.
[glow=red,2,300]Tree Saver Straps[/glow]
Designed for just what they say. Saving trees while winching.
I just want to point out that the rating on a tree strap is acctually double or a little less than double of what the strap would be used for as a regular strap.
Straps used in a Basket configuration double their WLL. It's like using two straps side by side. So if you are using it in a straight line pull, it will be only half of it's advertised capacity.
For the most part, everyone has a hook on the end of there winch cable, so to preserve the strap eyes and maintain the strap's rating, use a shackle. Place the eyes of the strap on the shackle's bow, and the hook on the pin. Be sure that the shackle is WLL rated correctly. It should be equall to your winch capacity, or double for use with a snatch block.
[glow=red,2,300]Strap NO-NO's and pointers[/glow]
Never use a shackle to join two straps together.
Instead...weave the two together by feeding opposite loops thru one another...Here's the trick! insert a piece of broom handle about 1 ft long between the eye's of the straps and this will prevent them from knotting together.
In case you don't follow how to weave the straps together, here is what I mean.
Strap 1 will be joined to Strap 2. We will refer to the opposite ends of the straps as 1A and 1B...2A and 2B.
In left to right order. You will take loop 1B and pass loop 2A thru it. Then take loop 1A and pass it thru loop 2A and pull the straps in opposite directions to seat the two straps together....There-in place the broom stick (between the loops).
After your done with the recovery, remove the stick and seperate the straps.
Never attach a tow strap over a trailer ball hitch...weight they can handle, but force created by momentum is way higher than that ball can handle. Dodging cannonballs shouldn't be part of recovery. ;D
Example of force: 180lbs falling only 3 ft will generate a force over 3,000 lbs and up to 5,000. Just imagine how much a vehicle's weight would increase giving it a 3ft run shot on a snatch strap.
Straps have a tremendous amount of stored energy when under tension,just imagine a huge rubber band being used between two vehicles and then think about the sting of a little rubber band being snapped against your skin....ouch
Vehicles sustain some pretty nasty damage from straps breaking. Some are impaled from front to back with the shackle that was used to join the two together. Just imagine what happens when a human body gets in the way of that same strap that let go.
I'm sure I forgot something or another, so if you think of a pointer or missed info, post it and I'll add it in.
Straps work awesome when it comes to all kinds of things.
Their strength is absolutely amazing when considering their weight and size.
Their uses are inumerable.
I first want to talk about caring for your straps, then evaluating their condition. Then I will go into the use of straps, and the no-no's of strap use.
[glow=red,2,300]care of straps[/glow]
Straps take some special care if they are going to last long enough to pay for themselves.
1st. Keep the straps/ ropes concealed in a bag, box, or whatever you choose, as long as they are kept out of direct sunlight. UV rays eat these things for lunch. I know they say they have UV protectant, but trust me......it doesn't work for long.
2nd. Keep the straps/ ropes dry. I know they say mildew resistant.......did you catch that....RESISTANT. Mildew has virtually the same effects as the UV rays. It breaks down the fibers of the strap or rope, and when you go to use it the next time,it may just tare apart like that old favorite t-shirt.
3rd. Keep your straps clean. Mud and dirt work into the fibers and will wear away at the fibers also. After a good mud dunking recovery, clean that strap ASAP. Hose it out with mild soap and warm water until clean and hang it up in a dry place and allow it to air/drip dry. Don't sun dry it either . After it's all done drying out, wrap it up and place it in your favorite storage spot until the next time you need it.
[glow=red,2,300]evaluating condition[/glow]
What you want to look for are.......
Abrasions,
Torn stitching in the seams,
Last but not least.... Sun faded spots,dry rot, and or mildew stains. Any of the above is reason enough to cut up and throw away that strap.
All it takes is one time of being in the wrong place at the wrong time of a strap letting loose, and you will have wished you had thrown it away.
[glow=red,2,300]Strap Use[/glow]
Now for the fun part! Using your strap for a recovery.
First off.......Straps have a WLL (working Load Limit) just like all other rigging equipment.
Before using a paticular strap, verify the WLL rating of that strap. Next, verify the condition. When all of these things are verified, make sure that all the components(ie. shackles and attachment points are all rated to a minimum of the heaviest vehicle in the recovery. I personally like some good safety factor in there.
Where a shackle made specifically for strap use comes in handy, is for basketing the strap to a tow point. It allows the strap to lay flat in the shackle. This ensures that the strength of the strap is maintaned. The WLL will be reduced by a strap that doesn't lay flat.
NOTE: Basketing a strap nearly doubles the WLL of that strap.
Let's say you are going to pull a stuck vehicle out.....
There's two type of straps that can be used. There's a snatch strap which will stretch a percentage of it's resting lenght(up to 30%) and will then recoil providing a more intense yank on the stuck vehicle.
Then there's a tow strap which should be used as stated.....a tow strap.
[glow=red,2,300]snatch strap info[/glow]
A snatch strap needs time to rebound back to it's resting length, so after a good pull, you should let it rest. The strap will acctually generate some heat and loose it's effectiveness if not allowed to rest. This will also pre-maturely wear out the snatch strap.
Straps are important to use, in that they greatly reduce the shock load over using a chain or cable.
The more a Snatch strap is used, the less effective it becomes. I'm not sure if they give you a measurement at resting that may indicate the end of it's life span, but a safe assumption would be a 5-10% increase in resting length.
[glow=red,2,300]Tow Strap information[/glow]
If your using a tow strap, it best to not jerk on it like a snatch strap. It doesn't have that type of forgiveness built in. A steady pull to help a stuck vehicle would be the correct method, or using it as an acctual TOW strap for getting a disabled vehicle from point A to B.
It won't have the harsh snap of a chain or cable for those times you can't keep tension between the two vehicles.
Stay away from buying or using straps with hooks built in. A hook is not as strong as a Shackle,and the size of the hooks doesn't allow you to hook to a strong enough tow point anyhow. If you have them,use them for trailer anchors, that's really what they were designed for.
Try not to drag a strap over a rough surface while under load. You will destroy the strap in no time at all.
[glow=red,2,300]Tree Saver Straps[/glow]
Designed for just what they say. Saving trees while winching.
I just want to point out that the rating on a tree strap is acctually double or a little less than double of what the strap would be used for as a regular strap.
Straps used in a Basket configuration double their WLL. It's like using two straps side by side. So if you are using it in a straight line pull, it will be only half of it's advertised capacity.
For the most part, everyone has a hook on the end of there winch cable, so to preserve the strap eyes and maintain the strap's rating, use a shackle. Place the eyes of the strap on the shackle's bow, and the hook on the pin. Be sure that the shackle is WLL rated correctly. It should be equall to your winch capacity, or double for use with a snatch block.
[glow=red,2,300]Strap NO-NO's and pointers[/glow]
Never use a shackle to join two straps together.
Instead...weave the two together by feeding opposite loops thru one another...Here's the trick! insert a piece of broom handle about 1 ft long between the eye's of the straps and this will prevent them from knotting together.
In case you don't follow how to weave the straps together, here is what I mean.
Strap 1 will be joined to Strap 2. We will refer to the opposite ends of the straps as 1A and 1B...2A and 2B.
In left to right order. You will take loop 1B and pass loop 2A thru it. Then take loop 1A and pass it thru loop 2A and pull the straps in opposite directions to seat the two straps together....There-in place the broom stick (between the loops).
After your done with the recovery, remove the stick and seperate the straps.
Never attach a tow strap over a trailer ball hitch...weight they can handle, but force created by momentum is way higher than that ball can handle. Dodging cannonballs shouldn't be part of recovery. ;D
Example of force: 180lbs falling only 3 ft will generate a force over 3,000 lbs and up to 5,000. Just imagine how much a vehicle's weight would increase giving it a 3ft run shot on a snatch strap.
Straps have a tremendous amount of stored energy when under tension,just imagine a huge rubber band being used between two vehicles and then think about the sting of a little rubber band being snapped against your skin....ouch
Vehicles sustain some pretty nasty damage from straps breaking. Some are impaled from front to back with the shackle that was used to join the two together. Just imagine what happens when a human body gets in the way of that same strap that let go.
I'm sure I forgot something or another, so if you think of a pointer or missed info, post it and I'll add it in.