Kinetic Ropes vs Recovery Straps

[PyrPatriot]

What do you keep in your vehicle? Are the recovery ropes from Yankum (or Tractor Supply) better for being pulled out or pulling out other cars? Or would a recovery strap with a comparable working load work the same for much less cost? I've currently got a 30ft recovery strap with a 7500lb working load but have been looking at a kinetic rope, but those with a 25k breaking strengths of 40-50k lbs are in the $200 range.

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[hjdca]

What do you keep in your vehicle? Are the recovery ropes from Yankum (or Tractor Supply) better for being pulled out or pulling out other cars? Or would a recovery strap with a comparable working load work the same for much less cost? I've currently got a 30ft recovery strap with a 7500lb working load but have been looking at a kinetic rope, but those with a 25k breaking strengths of 40-50k lbs are in the $200 range.

Since I was young, I always used a snatch'em strap. 30 feet... I love them because they stretch about 20%, so, you can do some yanking with them, but, not as much as a kinetic rope. Everytime I had to pull anyone out, the snatch'em strap always worked. I still have my original one in my FJ62. ARB makes a good one, orange, you can get it on amazon for $60 or so. This is what I would recommend and what I carry in my Gladiator. It fits right behind the back seat back.

ARB ARB705LB Orange 30' x 2 3/8" Snatch Strap Recovery

I would also buy two 10 inch or one 10 inch and another 20 inch soft shackle to make sure you can hook up to anything without damage.

FACTOR 55 STANDARD DUTY SOFT SHACKLE

Good luck with your choices, but, these have worked very well for me, and storage is easy.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Thanks! It looks like the Snatch’Em is a great product. I have already bought this, which seems comparable (if not as nice)
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...p-with-loop-ends-30-ft-30-000-lb?cm_vc=-10005

 

[hjdca]

Thanks! It looks like the Snatch’Em is a great product. I have already bought this, which seems comparable (if not as nice)
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...p-with-loop-ends-30-ft-30-000-lb?cm_vc=-10005

I cannot tell by this link if this one "stretches or not". You definitely want a stretch or "snatch-em" (which used to be a brand) type strap. It should stretch 20% and say so on the strap - on the label. Check the label on the strap. If it does not say so, then, you do not have one. If it is a non-stretch strap, then, it is definitely inferior to a true 20% snatch'em type strap......

You really want a snatch-em type because you want to have a slow rolling start with it if someone is in a big rut. With a non-stretch strap, if you try a slow rolling start --- it will not work like anticipated and be very jarring. A non-stretch strap is designed to be tight first, then, give it gas. This type of recovery usually does not work if the vehicle is stuck in a huge rut.

 

[PyrPatriot]

I am reading that snatch straps are only good for 2-3 recoveries vs ropes being good for many many recoveries. Any truth to this?

 

[hjdca]

I am reading that snatch straps are only good for 2-3 recoveries vs ropes being good for many many recoveries. Any truth to this?

They say that for 2 or 3 recoveries right in a row... ie. right after each other. The idea is to let the strap recover from being stretched before using it again. If you keep the strap dry and do not pull out people for a living at Pismo or something, it will last forever. Honestly I have used my original one about 6 times total to pull other people out in a few decades and it is as good as new and I still keep it in my old FJ62. Personally, I have never been stuck. I carry a compressor in my trucks and I always air down to between 15 to 18 psi whenever I wheel and this has served me well. My Gladiator gets the new looking ARB snatch strap behind the back seat.

 

[Elwenil]

I use overhead lifting slings. Stretchy recovery ropes are OK, but are mainly used when your vehicle doesn't have enough ass and/or traction to just pull the vehicle you intend to get unstuck. I do not like them because I do not like an "uncontrolled" recoveries like that. I much prefer to anchor my vehicle and winch them out in a slow, controlled manner. The stretchy ropes do ease the shock loading of yanking someone out, but I have still seen a lot of damage done when using them. You also cannot use them with a winch.

General rule of thumb is to use the heaviest strap you can afford and NEVER use a strap with metal hooks or clevises made on the ends. Again, I prefer lifting slings, sometimes called an "endless loop", since I can choker them around stuff and use them with shackles if needed.

 

[PyrPatriot]

I use overhead lifting slings. Stretchy recovery ropes are OK, but are mainly used when your vehicle doesn't have enough ass and/or traction to just pull the vehicle you intend to get unstuck. I do not like them because I do not like an "uncontrolled" recoveries like that. I much prefer to anchor my vehicle and winch them out in a slow, controlled manner. The stretchy ropes do ease the shock loading of yanking someone out, but I have still seen a lot of damage done when using them. You also cannot use them with a winch.

General rule of thumb is to use the heaviest strap you can afford and NEVER use a strap with metal hooks or clevises made on the ends. Again, I prefer lifting slings, sometimes called an "endless loop", since I can choker them around stuff and use them with shackles if needed.

Overhead lifting slings?

I had thought about getting a higher rated rope/strap but then considered my Jeep’s max tow rating and thought that is where I should be for pulling someone out, where the strap would break before any damage to my vehicle’s towing equipment

A winch will be down the road, right now a mopar bumper and winch would be $2000

 

[smlobx]

I am reading that snatch straps are only good for 2-3 recoveries vs ropes being good for many many recoveries. Any truth to this?

I had always used a tow strap in the past with my F-350 which has plenty of torque....Then i started watching this guy on YouTube and was hooked (so to speak) on the snatch strap.
Check out Matt's Offroad Towing and Recovery...warning it is addicting and amazing what he does with his Cherokee..
I now carry one in my Gladiator.

 

[PyrPatriot]

I had always used a tow strap in the past with my F-350 which has plenty of torque....Then i started watching this guy on YouTube and was hooked (so to speak) on the snatch strap.
Check out Matt's Offroad Towing and Recovery...warning it is addicting and amazing what he does with his Cherokee..
I now carry one in my Gladiator.

Yep, he has a great channel. Amazing what he can tow out with his FrankenJeep. I made a thread about it and wondered if the JT could actually tow more, or at least yank bigger cars out.

He also uses a Yankum kinetic rope in his newer videos.

https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/...-is-underrating-the-max-tow-capability.25103/

 

[Jowen]

In the interested in safety have a recovery strap or kinetic rope with a working load rating of at least three times the weight of the vehicle you are doing recovery on. Learn the difference of working load and breaking load, this will save a of misery in the future.

 

[MrKnowitall]

I would NEVER use a lifting device (or chain) for vehicle recovery. They don't dampen shock loads, so they're more likely to break attachment points or themselves. I've used brand name and cheapo kinetic straps- all failures I have seen were from A- using a Suzuki size strap between fullsize trucks; B- cuts near the attachment points- sharp edges on bumpers or in receiver tubes. C- Rodent damage and D- carelessness, like being run over while moving.
I've also seen factory tow hooks shear off the bolts and smash the tailgate of a K-Blazer 50ft away. Good recovery points are key. Silt particles from mud recovery will weaken the straps, but you can power wash them. I don't know how well you can wash silt out of a kinetic rope. For trail use, straps are great. Where recovery ropes would excel is in extensive sand/dune running and snow, where spinning tires in place will get the recovering vehicle stuck quickly.
I've found straps to be a wear item- eventually they get frayed, scuffed, partially cut, run over, etc. I usually just down-grade them to yard duty at that point. This way, new straps always make a great gift.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Quite frankly I don’t know which kind it is but I’ve had the same ARB strap for over 15 years and it’s dozens hundreds of people and vice versa. Used to play in the mud a lot

 

[Elwenil]

I would NEVER use a lifting device (or chain) for vehicle recovery. They don't dampen shock loads, so they're more likely to break attachment points or themselves. I've used brand name and cheapo kinetic straps- all failures I have seen were from A- using a Suzuki size strap between fullsize trucks; B- cuts near the attachment points- sharp edges on bumpers or in receiver tubes. C- Rodent damage and D- carelessness, like being run over while moving.
I've also seen factory tow hooks shear off the bolts and smash the tailgate of a K-Blazer 50ft away. Good recovery points are key. Silt particles from mud recovery will weaken the straps, but you can power wash them. I don't know how well you can wash silt out of a kinetic rope. For trail use, straps are great. Where recovery ropes would excel is in extensive sand/dune running and snow, where spinning tires in place will get the recovering vehicle stuck quickly.
I've found straps to be a wear item- eventually they get frayed, scuffed, partially cut, run over, etc. I usually just down-grade them to yard duty at that point. This way, new straps always make a great gift.

It depends on what you are doing. With a winch, the very last thing you want is a connection that stretches. Go watch a professional doing recovery, like Ron Pratt on YouTube. Yanking people out with another vehicle will always be a last resort for me.

 

[russross]

Thanks! It looks like the Snatch’Em is a great product. I have already bought this, which seems comparable (if not as nice)
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/p...p-with-loop-ends-30-ft-30-000-lb?cm_vc=-10005

Harbor Freight has another cheap option for $35. The description says "Polyester material stretches to allow vehicle to gain traction before pulling a stuck object":

https://www.harborfreight.com/9000-lb-capacity-3-in-x-30-ft-heavy-duty-recovery-strap-60579.html

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