soft shackle users?

[Joel/ak]

Anytime you do a recovery you have to think it through on the best way with what you got available.

When we buried our sxs, I had to pull backwards with the winch on the front. Gotta get creative even if it's not optimal.

Ran it through the clevis hitch to "lift" the rear to help on resistance. Not perfect but it got out on 1 pull.

 

[bcp]

If anyone wants to try some light duty soft shackles, here are several quick and easy versions.

Bruce

 

[WinterDeere]

Would you like to make us some?

Making shackles is like splitting firewood, too slow on a homeowner scale to make it a profitable venture, I really wouldn't be able to make anywhere near my usual hourly rate making them homeschool.

But as something to do for yourself while watching reruns of MASH on a Tuesday night... there are certainly worse ways to spend your time. It's like knitting, for men.

I splice single braid and make brummel locks for outhauls and other rigging on my boats, and it's pretty easy. The lightweight shackle shown in bcp's video looks like a regular brummel lock loop, stabbed back thru the weave of a single braid line, with a monkey's fist knot on the far end. The heavy duty version could be made by starting with double-braid line having a vectran or dyneema core and a more durable outer, and just stripping the outer off the ends, or conversely just buying some cover or tubing of your own to slide over the single braid if you prefer a reinforced tubing cover.

Wife is in a phone conference at the next desk, so I can't be scrolling youtube right now, but I'll find some videos on all three operations and post later tonight. In the meantime, here's a few where the preview looked promising:

Of course, you can also make simpler versions, which while having a weak point at the knot, are still likely way stronger than anything you'll ever need, if made from line having at least 2x your required pull:

Note that the knot used in that simple version is a figure 8, not a simple overhand. Figure 8's are stronger and easier to remove than overhands.

 

[ruffdog]

With a big yank, the cheap soft shackle failed and the recovery rope goes through the windshield. Just the rope. It almost killed him. He gives some updates....

 

[5030]

Interesting video and why I always maintain, cover the rope or chain or whatever with a blanket or coats or anything that will contain the pull rope or chain or whatever, should it fail for whatever reason.

Only place I 'offroad' is the access to our up north Michigan property and that is via a seasonal road with a stream crossing and I'm always in 4 low with the front hubs locked. I have limited slip in the front axle with an ARB air locker and Detroit Tru-trak out back and when we go in, it's always in 4L and if I ever had to winch myself out (I have a 12000 pound winch on the front), that winch cable would have a blanket on it with no exceptions. Of course I don't have a 4x4 SUV either, I have a Ford F350 4 door pickup truck and the camper is in the bed (slide in camper) as well.

Way too old to be playing 4 wheeler in the snow or mud or whatever for that matter and candidly, I have zero desire to do it anyway but covering the winch line or a tug em rope or whatever still applies.

He's lucky it didn't kill him.

 

[5030]

Additionally, I'd never use that 'soft shackle' deal. I'm into metal myself, my winch cable is stranded metal and my shackles are all metal as well and USA made Crosby's. Only thing I carry is a tree saver which is basically a large width ratchet strap so I don't damage a tree trunk should I have to winch myself out which has not happened in all my years of going up and down that seasonal road.

I'll be up there this spring to do some clearing and planting food plots as well and the camper will be on the truck as well because we will stay a few days (no wife) just my hunting buds and we need a place to sleep and cook meals at. That is the total extent of my off road adventures.

 

[ArlyA]

Ya, we bought light-cheap ones but they were for towing atv's and grooming implements out.

 

[Rockbadchild]

I have a heavy strap (it came from a tractor trailer) for vehicles recovery, it has some shock absorbing capabilities but it’s not elastic, all the rest i used chains. I like the maintenance free of chains. but these soft shackle are nice if you have an application for it and can keep them dry.

 

[ruffdog]

Interesting video and why I always maintain, cover the rope or chain or whatever with a blanket or coats or anything that will contain the pull rope or chain or whatever, should it fail for whatever reason.

He even said he had the mat to lay on the rope in the vehicle but didn't use it. It was nice he took the time to explain all the errors he had done so others could learn from them.

Ya, we bought light-cheap ones but they were for towing atv's and grooming implements out.

I too have cheap ones but only used them once to pull a vehicle up a boat launch. They work nice to attach a rope to a closed tow hook. I actually have used my traction boards more when I get stuck in snow.

 

[2manyrocks]

Trying to yank something free puts much more strain on the components used in the recovery system. I suspect things would go better and be safer if they were using multiple pulleys to create mechanical advantage instead of relying on a single line, pulled slowly, and kept an eye on how much tension was being applied.