Recovery Strap Size

[jpnels71]

Hi

 

I am trying to size a recovery strap for my tuck, I want it sized so I can pull/be pulled out be another 2500. Mostly from a snow bank o field approach while hunting. I order a 4" recovery strap but its massive. For what I need, I think, I went to big. I would like your opinion on it.

 

I have been reading this forum for a couple of years and really like the information you guys post and share, it has been a big help on the new tuck purchase.

[mossbum]

what is the working weight limit? 4" should be a pretty hefty strap. i would rather have too much than too little, youre probably in good shape.

[jpnels71]

Its rated at 40,000 lbs.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000CNGTCI

[sw6416]

what is the working weight limit? 4" should be a pretty hefty strap. i would rather have too much than too little, youre probably in good shape.

 

Ageed

[chrisjr123]

You normally want least double the weight of your vehicle.

[Diesail]

IMO, it is too big. You want the strap to be able to stretch some and act sorta like a rubber band.

[LeoS41280]

Too big. 4 inch straps are hard to work with if your stuck in the snow and its cold. Something in the 20,000 range is more than you'll use. 4 inch straps are large and hard to store. If you feel you need that much strap, I would opt for 2 smaller ones the same length.

[jester1084]

I used to do a lot of off-road rock crawling. I'm going to agree with Leo. Sure 4 inch will cover it, but it's a pain to store, and really rough to work with. Especially if you have to dig into the snow to get it hooked up to the truck. A heavy 2" would still work and it would be a lot easier to work with. It also has a little more give when trying to snake it in adverse conditions. If you are that worried about getting stuck though, I would also consider a winch. Then if you get stuck and there's nobody else around you still have a chance of getting out, but they are expensive. Most important though, watch where you're driving and these trucks seem like they'll pull through just about anything reasonable.

[BlackZ71Silverado]

I always have 2 of the 2in. x 20ft. straps in my truck. They are each rated at 20,000lbs and have never failed. I like to get the straps without hooks on the end, it's just an open loop. I had a bad experience when I was younger with straps with hooks, that's why I stay away.

[hockeypro1411]

I have a 6"x30' strap rated for 60,000 and a 4"x20 rated for 38,000. I broke numerous 2" straps before I went ahead and just got bigger ones. If I break either of these, I'm just walking home.

[cvandegna]

I always used the 2"x20' 20000# straps as well when offroading - they should work fine for you if what you are needing is snow pulling. You won't have near the sucking resistance like you would in mud. Having said that, a few helpful tips from somebody who's broken quite a few:

 

1) Dirt is the enemy of straps. The grit frays the fibres like a bazillion little razor blades. Keep it clean. And don't use it to tow anything for a great distance, because you will drag it. Tow straps are for towing, recovery/snatch straps are for jerking out a stuck truck - don't make one try and do the other.

2) Sun kills straps too - seen alot of people with straps wrapped around brush guards or in their truck bed. They get brittle.

3) Expect the strap to break - i always drape a towel over the center of the strap before pulling to help slow it down if it snaps. Keep people away from it when you're pulling, and don't get the hooks on the end. Nothing will ruin your day like a hook thru the window.

4) Attach properly - don't cinch the looped end on itself because once you give it a good pull you'll need a knife to cut your new strap off. Use a clevis to attach at both ends, and don't be lazy and just through it over the ball on your hitch. If it pops off it will be worse than a hook coming through your window.

5) Be wary of factory tow hooks - for the most part they are weak. I haven't broken a GM cast hook in 20 years of ownership, but there's a first time for everything. I have sheared off Ford hooks and completely opened about every foreign one (pulling them out of course).

6) Buy and keep 2 straps in the truck. When one breaks, get another one and keep rotating thru them.

 

If you break a 20000# strap with a rolling load - there is something really, really wrong with what you are doing. Me personally, I'd rather break a strap than tweak my frame, but maybe that's just me.

 

When you get sick of buying new straps, invest in a winch. Expect to spend as much on a good mount as well. I have had my Warn for 10 years and it's still going strong. I might point out that I also have not broken a strap since I got the winch. Have a brand new one on board just in case though. Plus it's fun to accessorize the winch too with attachment goodies, tree savers, snatch blocks...

 

Stay safe!

 

Chris

[08SierraCC]

Bigger is better!! ask your wife.. Lol j/k but seriously I'd rather carry a big bulky strap around and not worry about it snapping... I broke a couple 2" straps in the past. I now have a 4"x30' strap . Its looking a little rough but it hasn't fail yet to date

[jro909]

i went to a local hardware store and got a recovery strap rated for 10,000 pounds working limit and it has a 15,000 pound break limit...works great and its not very big

[TRCM]

If you are going to use it as a snatch strap, the rule of thumb I was told to use back when i got my first 4x4 in 1986, was 6x the weight of the truck at a minimum, but no more than 10x.

 

Reason being, at 10x, it may not stretch like it needs to and may end up breaking something, and usually not the strap.

 

Case in point, my 1st 4x4 was a Toyota SR5, and I routinely used a 40k rated strap with no issues at all.

 

The 4x4 I had the longest, was an old dodge ramcharger, and with it, I used a 60k rated strap (it weighed 6500 lbs the way it was built). I did try a 30k rated strap with it, and broke it pretty quickly.

 

Since I don't do nearly as much crazy stuff now, I only carry a 20k rated strap in my jeep cherokee (4200 lbs) because it was small enough to easily store, and the higher rated straps have gotten crazy expensive.

 

I did have some raw strap material I was going to make a super duty strap from, but when 60' of it weighs ~70 lbs, it gets kinda heavy, and it was 8" wide, rated for 100k, so it went on craigslist. it was the same strapping they use to pull out tanks and heavy military vehicles.