Sirb

With all the snow these last few weeks I helped to pull a couple unibody sedans from ditches and found the lack of recovery/tow points on them (Pontiac/Toyota cars) to be frustrating. Rather than use my looped recovery strap with D-rings I ended up resorting to my tow strap with built-in hooks into the subframe tow points.

This got me thinking about picking up a J and/or T towing hook to keep handy in case I need to pull a neighbor/friend's car again, but my question is - since I use a recovery strap with looped ends instead of a locking tow chain can I simply attach my standard D-ring to this type of hook? Or is there a better option that can give me a J or T hook on my recovery strap for the stranded car's side?

Sirb

I considered a V chain with J-hooks, but that's bulky and pretty expensive. Any suggestions for other options are appreciated.

jk_sea

Tow strap through a wheel or slipped over an axle or suspension part works well. Just be sure to put the trans in neutral. Dragging a wheel can add extra load of course, but if it's slick out anyway, it's not that big of a deal.

I don't like using hooks or chains, but that's because...I'll be honest...I'm inexperienced and I just don't know what kind of forces they can reasonably (or unreasonably) take. A snapped tow strap is deadly too (or winch line), but IMHO nowhere near as scary as a flying hook or cable. The other part is...it's someone else's car, someone else's problem. If you stop to help sometimes the best remedy is just to just allow that person a seat in your car, carry an extra bottle of water and some first aid, and wait with them until professional help shows up. Sometimes you're the only guy around, though, I've been there. I'm all for helping, and Good Samaritan laws are there to defend you if things go wildly wrong, but nothing can undo injury! Be careful out there..

arjeeper

Was in that situation myself a couple years ago. Guy in a Buick "SUV" was asking me and my JKR to pull him out.

I looked underneath and around the vehicle and there was nothing I felt comfortable attaching to with my standard recovery gear.

I had to tell him that I just couldn't do it. If rather not rip his vehicle apart trying to save a $200 tow.

ohio79

I have a horror story pulling someone out. I burnt up the 2 reverse clutches causing a trip to the dealer. The pullout took place about 6 weeks earlier but didn't go out till I was on the trail. My advise is don't try pullouts in reverse. But I use a tow strap for going forward or synthetic winch rope if going head on

Sirb

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll keep that option in mind to run the strap through a wheel when it's already slick out. I feel the same way about chains... and about pulling out a vehicle without good recovery points.

It sounds like I should just keep using a strap where possible without hooks. If anyone else has a thought on the use of J or T-hooks chime in.

Does anybody have a preference on tow strap length? I have a 30-ft now, but wonder if a 20-ft would be more convenient for on-board storage and quick snow pulls.

karls10jk

You should never be pulling in reverse since that's the coast side of the gears.

Pulling on a wheel or suspension component isn't necessarily good advice. Pulling on that wheel can tweak that person's alignment. Best practice in today's world is to let them hook up on their side and then you can check behind them. I say that yet I'm guilty of hooking it up myself to make sure it's done correctly.

I have various length straps, ropes, and synthetic lines depending on the scenario. I've got a 50' kinetic rope for the beach to avoid being in the same soft sand where someone else is stuck. You'll find similar issues with snow pulls.

larry0071

Here is a horror story. When I was a young man (maybe 25 years ago?) I pulled a stuck truck out and I had no business doing it with my lack of knowledge. I strapped around (what I was soon to learn what it is) the center of the sway bar. I bet some of you are already shaking your head and grinning! I tried to gently pull, but I just spun. So I tried a little jerk and felt like I got something moved a bit. I did, but it was not his truck! So I moved up for more slack for another jerk and this time, for sure, I got some movement! I saw his truck start coming up out of the tire trenches he had dug, but something else was going on! The sway bar was not out by the front bumper!

Luckily, he was not pissed because he helped me strap on and agreed that it appeared to be a good strong looking car part. We both failed that test! He ended up out of the ditch, but he had to get his truck fixed after we ripped the little stamped steel U brackets off of the frame and folded the center of the bar into a mild V shape. I was a kid. I learned something that day.

rob_engineer

Don't most cars have an attach point that a flat bed tow truck would use to drag the car onto the bed? I towed one guy out of a deep pile of snow here in NJ a couple of weeks ago. It was some kind of small station wagon. I looked under the rear of his car for something to attach to and found an eye hook thing to put my shackle through. I think this is the hook location a tow truck would use. It took about 6-8 jerks on the tow strap to get him out. Pretty hard jolts. I need to invest in a recovery strap.

Mark Doiron

You always have to be very careful during recovery, and that goes especially so for vehicles not designed with recovery points. For many cars, the closest that they have to a recovery point are their tie-down points (for use during transport). These are not as strong as proper recovery points, and can be easily pulled open. But they are better than just running a chain around some rods under the car. It takes a special hook to connect up to them.

Cluster Hook Assembly with D-Ring | USCargoControl