Recover Straps Vs. Rope

[Sazabi19]

Maybe someone can help me here. In the Amazon Day thread I saw both straps and ropes shown as well as metal and rope shackles. If the weight limit on them are the same is there any advantage to 1 over the other? I'd like to have some but don't want to spend an arm and a leg on it (I know). I don't know that they'll ever get used but the 30K lbs seems like a decent amount to me. I know that's shock and average static is around 10k, that still seems like more than enough for me. Any help is appreciated :D

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[GOCAMPN]

I have always used metal d-ring shackles UNTIL NOW. I liked that they were on my bumpers ready to go at all times. The thing I hated was how much damage they did to my bumper mounts, the attachment points and the rings get scratched and rusty and require repainting. So finally after years I just bought a soft shackle and put the metal ones in my toolbox. You should still have metal d-rings in your toolkit though. They will be useful in recovery situations where you need to incorporate tree savers / snatch blocks / or chains. The soft shackle will be used directly on the bumper as a winching point.

Similar to winch line, I find synthetic to feel safer - I'm not worried about what happens if it snaps under load so much as if a steel cable comes flying at me like a scene from Men of Honor.

The rope vs strap is in its stretch. Most straps don't have any give to them, so when you hook between 2 rigs and gun it you'll feel a hefty "jerk" when it locks out. I've never personally had a problem with that, but I can see why it could be a cause for breaking something. Most of the ropes are designed to be like bungie cords, you gun it, the cord stretches out to its max, then it tries to shrink again, giving you double the pulling power. Those ropes are way better than regular straps, and that's coming from someone who uses a 60k lb strap. My next purchase for sure.

Hopefully I make sense, I can provide photos if you need. Lol. I've never broken a winch line, strap, or d-ring, but using synthetic is safer, using those stretchy ropes are more effective. "It's a way, not the way."

 

[Sazabi19]

I have always used metal d-ring shackles UNTIL NOW. I liked that they were on my bumpers ready to go at all times. The thing I hated was how much damage they did to my bumper mounts, the attachment points and the rings get scratched and rusty and require repainting. So finally after years I just bought a soft shackle and put the metal ones in my toolbox. You should still have metal d-rings in your toolkit though. They will be useful in recovery situations where you need to incorporate tree savers / snatch blocks / or chains. The soft shackle will be used directly on the bumper as a winching point.

Similar to winch line, I find synthetic to feel safer - I'm not worried about what happens if it snaps under load so much as if a steel cable comes flying at me like a scene from Men of Honor.

The rope vs strap is in its stretch. Most straps don't have any give to them, so when you hook between 2 rigs and gun it you'll feel a hefty "jerk" when it locks out. I've never personally had a problem with that, but I can see why it could be a cause for breaking something. Most of the ropes are designed to be like bungie cords, you gun it, the cord stretches out to its max, then it tries to shrink again, giving you double the pulling power. Those ropes are way better than regular straps, and that's coming from someone who uses a 60k lb strap. My next purchase for sure.

Hopefully I make sense, I can provide photos if you need. Lol. I've never broken a winch line, strap, or d-ring, but using synthetic is safer, using those stretchy ropes are more effective. "It's a way, not the way."

Appreciate the feedback. I don't mind going for a rope, it just seemed like the strap would be better. I take it shock rating is different between a 30k rope and 30k strap. Another question though, if the rope/strap has a looped end then what would you need the shackle for?

 

[GOCAMPN]

Just make sure the rope is specifically designed for recovery and stretching, not any old rope will do. Something like: Renegade 20-foot • Bubba Recovery Gear (bubbarope.com) Again, just an example - there are plenty brands to choose from.

The part where I mentioned using a shackle would be like this:

Imagine the orange tree saver is going around a tree. The loops are too big to both fit in your winch hook, and one-way winching takes just as long to setup but only gets half the pulling power you could have. So it's better to run a d-ring through the loops and into a snatch block. Then the winch line goes out from the bumper, around the snatch block, and back to the bumper for double the power. It's magic to me but it's true.

The reason I use a metal d-ring here is because the snatch block will cut into a soft shackle with those edges. They make this for that instead if you want to go that way and then a soft shackle will work: Rope Retention Pulley | Factor 55.

There are endless ways to recover vehicles, and endless products to support it.

 

[Sazabi19]

I don't have a winch, any/all of this would be on my tow hooks or the I hook on the back bumper. I realize I'd need to take the slack a bit slower and then I'm relying on my engine power and theirs alone. Does that change anything? The truck is leased so I've not put too many permanent mods or anything on it. Again, really appreciate your time and replies

 

[GOCAMPN]

Oh ok! Yeah using the looped end of the recovery rope will work perfectly fine on your stock tow hooks. If that's the only recovery item you'll have, I vote for dishing out the little bit more money for the stretchy ropes and not a strap.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Straps, towing or otherwise typically are static, no give. So you hook up and someone pulls away to tension the line and then you pour on the power. If you decided to get a running start you run a real crazy shock load risk and its the shock load that breaks things, bends things or takes metals shackles and makes them missiles.

Rope, say amsteel or other brands also have no give and the same occurs.

Dynamic rope, like bubba rope and others and specially dynamic straps, have a specified amount of bounce to it which soaks up shock loads and "dynamically" transitioning to full tension for a quality yank job (see https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdVOry0oNF9WIe_3uCfz9Q ) to see dynamic rope in action.

Honestly both dynamic and static products have a place in the kit, each has a use and their strengths and weaknesses are inversely complimentary; you would use a static device in a situation where a dynamic can't be used correctly and vice versa.

If I was winch free and had to build a basic save me/save you kit it would be the following:

(6) metal shackles
(2) sheaves
(1) dynamic rope or strap
(1) static rope or strap
(2) tree savers

This would let you reasonably tie off to keep from sliping/sliding/falling further or serve as an anchor to prevent same as well as let you interface with those with winches etc all in addition to being able to yank or tug you or others.

A note of tree savers, you can use your 20' strap as one but it gets goofy much the same as you can use a tree saver to tug if you don't mind being so close, all situation dependent.

 

[LaterGator]

snatch straps/ropes are used for vehicle recovery when stuck and can stretch up to 30%.

tow straps/ropes are used to tow a vehicle and don't stretch.

Both styles can be found as ropes or straps it depends on your preference.

 

[kevman65]

^^^^^
He beat me to it.



Just remember, there IS a difference between tow and recovery/snatch.

Tow has no give.

Recovery/snatch has elasticity built into it.

You should have one of each if you truly want to be prepared.

 

[GOCAMPN]

Thank you guys for clarifying haha, the words static and dynamic were a loss to me when I was writing my response earlier.

 

[ACAD_Cowboy]

Language is important, don't wanna be the guy showing up at the urologist in a 3 piece tux and tails telling everyone how if you gonna be impo'tent you best look impoten't.

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